Astronomy’s Quest for Sharp Images
From Blurred Pictures to the Very Large Telescope
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Beschreibung
Since the 1960s, astrophysical discoveries have blossomed, due to the emergence of powerful and new observational tools. Among them, a fantastic improvement of the sharpness of astronomical images, obtained with ground based optical telescopes, has been the result of two revolutions: adaptive optics and optical interferometry.
Written for a general audience, interwoven with fascinating details about the evolution of vision and optics, this book tells a personal story of these revolutions in observational astronomy, born two centuries ago and blossoming in the past fifty years. With the construction of the Very Large Telescope in Chile, Europe played a leading role where young scientists, joining creative astronomers and engineers, have developed a superb creativity. Today, incredibly sharp images of exoplanetary systems and black hole environments are obtained and reveal new questions about Earth-like objects or fundamental physics.
The author has been one of the actors of this adventure. His first-hand testimony is opening the future to new horizons.
Since the 1960s, astrophysical discoveries have blossomed, due to the emergence of powerful and new observational tools. Among them, a fantastic improvement of the sharpness of astronomical images, obtained with ground based optical telescopes, has been the result of two revolutions: adaptive optics and optical interferometry.
Written for a general audience, interwoven with fascinating details about the evolution of vision and optics, this book tells a personal story of these revolutions in observational astronomy, born two centuries ago and blossoming in the past fifty years. With the construction of the Very Large Telescope in Chile, Europe played a leading role where young scientists, joining creative astronomers and engineers, have developed a superb creativity. Today, incredibly sharp images of exoplanetary systems and black hole environments are obtained and reveal new questions about Earth-like objects or fundamental physics.
The author has been one of the actors of this adventure. His first-hand testimony is opening the future to new horizons.
Chronicles the human and scientific sides of new development of astronomical imaging methods that have revolutionised ground-based optical astronomy Authored by a pioneer of adaptive optics in astronomy Written in a style accessible for all interested readers
Autor*in
Pierre Léna
Themen in »Astronomy’s Quest for Sharp Images«
History of adaptive optics wavefront analysis optical interferometry astronomical seeing laser guide star atmospheric turbulence artificial star imaging exoplanets imaging black holes Very Large Telescope (VLT) Keck Telescopes giant telescopes
Stimmen zu »Astronomy’s Quest for Sharp Images«
“This slim, well-written book contains at least all that the non-specialist might need to learn about the developments and achievements of adaptive optics in astronomical telescopes. … The language is fluent, the writing clean and clear, and the assembly of unfolding facts almost chronological. … It’s a good read for both astronomer and layperson … .” (Elizabeth Griffin, The Observatory, Vol. 141 (1284), October, 2021)
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