Synopsis
The author writes in this book about the lives and work of astronomers. He spent a year visiting Palomar Mountain in southern California where he learned how astronomers explore the infinite deep. Since the Hale Telescope at Palomar opened its shutter to "first light" in 1949, the observatory has been a mecca for generations of astronomers and remains to this day the largest working optical telescope in the world. The book provides portraits of characters as diverse and eccentric as James Gunn, a nearsighted gadgeteer who builds instruments for the Hale Telescope from junk parts and Juan Carrasco a former barber from Texas who is the only person allowed to move the "big eye" across the sky.
"synopsis" may belong to another edition of this title.
About the Author
Richard Preston received The Overseas Press Club of America's 1995 Whitman Bassow Award for "best reporting in any medium on environmental issues" forThe Hot Zone. First Light, Preston's first book, won the American Institute of Physics Science Writing Award. He is a regular contributor toThe New Yorker. Preston lives in Princeton, New Jersey, with his wife and children.
From the Inside Flap
before Richard Preston wrote about horrifying viruses in The Hot Zone, he turned his attention to the cosmos. In First Light, he demonstrates his gift for creating an exciting and absorbing narrative around a complex scientific subject--in this case the efforts by astronomers at the Palomar Observatory in the San Gabriel Mountains of California to peer to the farthest edges of space through the Hale Telescope, attempting to solve the riddle of the creation of the universe.
Richard Preston's name became a household word with The Hot Zone, which sold nearly 800,000 copies in hardcover, was on The New York Times's bestseller list for 42 weeks, and was the subject of countless magazine and newspaper articles. Preston has become a sought-after commentator on popular science subjects.
For this hardcover reprint of what has been called "the best popular account of astronomy in action," (Kirkus Reviews) he has
"About this title" may belong to another edition of this title.
Other Popular Editions of the Same Title
Search results for First Light
Seller Image
First Light
Seller: WeBuyBooks, Rossendale, LANCS, United Kingdom
Seller rating 5 out of 5 stars
Condition: Good. Most items will be dispatched the same or the next working day. A copy that has been read but remains in clean condition. All of the pages are intact and the cover is intact and the spine may show signs of wear. The book may have minor markings which are not specifically mentioned. Seller Inventory # wbs4542729267
Seller Image
First Light
Seller: WeBuyBooks, Rossendale, LANCS, United Kingdom
Seller rating 5 out of 5 stars
Condition: Very Good. Most items will be dispatched the same or the next working day. A copy that has been read, but is in excellent condition. Pages are intact and not marred by notes or highlighting. The spine remains undamaged. Seller Inventory # wbs8833635755
Stock Image
First Light : The Search for the Edge
Published by
Little, Brown Book Group Limited, 1991
ISBN 10: 0356188434
ISBN 13: 9780356188430
Used
Hardcover
Seller: Better World Books, Mishawaka, IN, U.S.A.
Seller rating 5 out of 5 stars
Condition: Good. Used book that is in clean, average condition without any missing pages. Seller Inventory # 4567456-6
Stock Image
First Light
Seller: AwesomeBooks, Wallingford, United Kingdom
Seller rating 5 out of 5 stars
Hardcover. Condition: Very Good. First Light This book is in very good condition and will be shipped within 24 hours of ordering. The cover may have some limited signs of wear but the pages are clean, intact and the spine remains undamaged. This book has clearly been well maintained and looked after thus far. Money back guarantee if you are not satisfied. See all our books here, order more than 1 book and get discounted shipping. Seller Inventory # 7719-9780356188430
Stock Image
First Light
Seller: Bahamut Media, Reading, United Kingdom
Seller rating 5 out of 5 stars
Hardcover. Condition: Very Good. This book is in very good condition and will be shipped within 24 hours of ordering. The cover may have some limited signs of wear but the pages are clean, intact and the spine remains undamaged. This book has clearly been well maintained and looked after thus far. Money back guarantee if you are not satisfied. See all our books here, order more than 1 book and get discounted shipping. Seller Inventory # 6545-9780356188430
Seller Image
First Light: The Search for the Edge of the Universe
Published by
Scribners, (London), 1991
ISBN 10: 0356188434
ISBN 13: 9780356188430
Used
Hardcover
First Edition
Seller: Between the Covers-Rare Books, Inc. ABAA, Gloucester City, NJ, U.S.A.
Seller rating 5 out of 5 stars
Hardcover. Condition: Fine. Dust Jacket Condition: Fine. First English edition. 263pp. Topedge lightly foxed else fine in about fine dust jacket with a tiny bit of foxing and wear. Seller Inventory # 609040
Seller Image
First Light: the search for the edge of the Universe
Seller: Hanselled Books, Burntisland, FIFE, United Kingdom
Seller rating 5 out of 5 stars
Soft cover. Condition: Very Good. No Jacket. P/B 263 pages condition is very good. Seller Inventory # 092691