The Boundless Universe: Astronomy in the New Age of Discovery - Softcover

Sidney C. Wolff

Softcover

ISBN 10: 194032209X ISBN 13: 9781940322094

Publisher: Rio Nuevo Publishers, 2016

Synopsis

WINNER OF THE 2016 IPPY AWARDS SILVER MEDAL IN SCIENCE!
We live in an age of unparalleled discovery in astronomy, with breakthroughs coming at an astounding pace. The questions we are trying to answer are big: How old is the Universe? How do stars and planets form? Are there places beyond Earth where life might exist? The Boundless Universe explores these questions and more by taking a look at the search for life and new planets, the mysteries of dark matter and dark energy, and building bigger and better telescopes. This is your guide to the new astronomical frontier, latest discoveries, and most current research. Join the adventure!

About this title

About the Author

After receiving her PhD from the University of California, Berkeley, Dr. Wolff moved to Hawaii, where she was involved with the astronomical development of Mauna Kea, which is now recognized as the best observing site in the northern hemisphere. In 1984 she became the Director of Kitt Peak National Observatory, and in 1987 was named director of National Optical Astronomy Observatory, where she led the design and development phases for the twin 8-meter Gemini telescopes and the 4-meter Southern Observatory for Astronomical Research. Most recently, she led the design and development phase of the 8.4-meter Large Synoptic Survey Telescope, which is designed to survey the entire observable sky every few nights and to conduct a 10-year search for objects that change in brightness (e.g., stellar explosions) or change position (e.g., potentially hazardous asteroids that might crash into the Earth). Gemini South, LSST, and SOAR are all located on Cerro Pachón in Chile. A view point that looks toward Cerro Pachón has been named Mirador Sidney Wolff in recognition of her leadership role in developing these facilities. Dr. Wolff has published over ninety scientific papers on star formation and stellar atmospheres in refereed journals. She has served as president of the two leading professional astronomy societies in the United States the American Astronomical Society and the Astronomical Society of the Pacific. Dr. Wolff is also the coauthor of several textbooks widely used in introductory college astronomy courses.

Edition details

• Publisher: Rio Nuevo Publishers
• Publication date: 2016
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 194032209X
• ISBN 13: 9781940322094
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 152