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• Introduction
• The ancient sky. Prehistoric stargazing ; The ancient Babylonians ; The sky-watchers of ancient China ; Ancient Egyptian astronomy ; The ancient Greeks ; The heavenly spheres ; The Ptolemaic cosmos ; The Jain universe
• The medieval sky. The rise of Islamic astronomy ; Inventing the star-taker ; Islamic celestial works reach Europe ; European astronomy ; The new study of the sky ; The sea above the sky ; Capturing the cosmos: clockwork and the printing press ; Celestial phenomena: part one ; Mesoamerica
• The scientific sky. The Copernican revolution ; Tycho Brahe ; Johannes Kepler ; Galileo Galilei ; The Cartesian Universe ; Johannes Hevelius maps the moon ; Newtonian physics ; Halley's Comet
• The modern sky. William and Caroline Herschel ; Coining the asteroid ; John Herschel and the great moon hoax ; Neptune identified ; The phantom planet: Vulcan ; Spectroscopy and the dawn of astrophysics ; Celestial phenomena: part two ; Percival Lowell spies life on Mars ; The search for Planet X and the discovery of Pluto ; Organizing the stars: 'Pickering's women' ; New visions of the universe: Einstein, Lemaître and Hubble ; Breakthroughs of the Twentieth Century, and beyond
• Afterword

"THE SKY ATLAS assembles some of the most beautiful maps and charts ever created to understand the skies above us. This richly illustrated treasury showcases the finest examples of celestial cartography-a glorious art often overlooked by modern map books-as well as medieval manuscripts, masterpiece paintings, ancient star catalogues, antique instruments, and other curiosities. This is the sky as it has never been presented before: the realm of stars and planets, but also of gods, devils, weather wizards, flying sailors, ancient aliens, mythological animals, and rampaging spirits. Here are the crystal cosmos of the ancient Greeks; the medieval sea, sailed by ships above the clouds; Tibetan sky burials; secret messages hidden in starlight, and much more. With thrilling stories and gorgeous artwork, this remarkable atlas explores our fascination with the sky across time and cultures to form an extraordinary chronicle of cosmic imagination and discovery"-- Provided by publisher

• A place like no other
• From dream to reality
• Postcards from the universe.

A Sky Wonderful with Stars: 50 Years of Modern Astronomy on Maunakea tells the fascinating story of how a remote mountaintop in the middle of the Pacific Ocean became home to the most powerful collection of telescopes in the world. Over 160 superb photographs accompanied by astronomer Michael J. West's engaging commentary bring the past and present to life and showcase the many remarkable discoveries made by the observatories atop Maunakea Breathtaking photo-essays throughout the book reveal: Maunakea's spectacular landscape and the unique geographical conditions that make it the world's premier site for astronomical exploration; the construction and development of the Maunakea observatories highlights of scientific discoveries made with each of the thirteen telescopes; the people and places that make up Maunakea's diverse astronomical community; a look toward the future of astronomy on Maunakea, including the planned Thirty Meter Telescope. This visually stunning book shares with a larger audience the wondrous views of the heavens that the observatories provide. It will appeal not only to those with an interest in astronomy, but to anyone who marvels at the grand splendor of our universe.
(source: Nielsen Book Data)

• Foreword 6 Preface 8 1 Setting the Scene 10 2. The Birth of ESO 20 3. In the Saddle 30 4. Cosmic Voyage 60 5. The Paranal Miracle 82 6. The Soul of ALMA 112 7. Bridging Borders 142 8. Catching the Light 158 9. The Desert Country 174 10. Giant Eye on the Sky 190
• Appendix 1 ESO's Telescopes 212
• Appendix 2 ESO Timeline 248 Image Credits 252 Index 256 Further Reading 262 About the Movie 264.
• (source: Nielsen Book Data)

The creation of the European Southern Observatory (ESO) in 1962 was the culmination of the dream of leading astronomers from five European countries. Over the years, as more member states joined, ESO constructed the La Silla and Paranal observatories, as well as the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) together with partners. ESO is now starting to build the world's biggest eye on the sky, the European Extremely Large Telescope. At the dawn of 2012, its 50th anniversary year, ESO is ready to enter a new era. One that not even its founding members could have anticipated in their boldest dreams. Constantly at the technological forefront, ESO is ready to tackle new and as yet unimaginable territories of high-precision technology and scientific discovery. Produced especially for ESO's 50th anniversary, this sumptuously illustrated book takes the reader behind the scenes of the most productive ground-based observatory in the world. It contains the best 300 of ESO's images, hand-picked from a large collection of more than 100 000 images.
(source: Nielsen Book Data)

Hubble's spectacular colour pictures of remote stars and galaxies are published alongside a concise narrative which sets the images in perspective and explains in clear and accessible terms how they are changing astronomers' concepts of the cosmos. Illustrated with both colour and black and white photographs.
(source: Nielsen Book Data)

• The lure of the heavens
• To the edge of the universe
• Our star the sun
• The family of stars
• Stellar beacons and black holes
• Realms of the galaxies
• The cosmic order
• The search for life.

An essay on theories and discoveries in the field of astronomy. Some historical observations are described, but the work is primarily concerned with contemporary studies. Theories on the origin of the universe are explained along with the evolution of stars, supernovae, neutron stars and black holes.