Astronomy’s Quest for Sharp Images
From Blurred Pictures to the Very Large Telescope
Authors: Léna, Pierre
Free Preview- 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
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- About this book
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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.
- About the authors
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Pierre Léna, born 1937, is a French astrophysicist, Emeritus Professor at the Université de Paris and Paris Observatory. His scientific work focused on infrared astronomy and star formation. His interest for image quality in astronomy led him to develop adaptive optics and optical interferometry applied to the European Very Large Telescope (VLT) in Chile, both techniques making today the VLT a unique instrument for the study of exoplanets and black holes. In charge for many years of the École doctorale ‘Astronomie & Astrophysique d’Île-de-France’, he contributed to the training of many students in these new areas. In 1996 he co-founded the program ‘La main à la pâte’ to renovate science education in primary and middle schools, working at national, European and international levels. In 2011 he chaired the InterAcademy Partnership for Science education program. Then for 2012-2016, he chaired the new Foundation ‘La main à la pâte’, created by the French Académie des sciences. In 2018, he created the Office for Climate Education in connection with IAP and IPCC, with a broad international network. Pierre Léna belongs to the French Académie des sciences, the Pontifical Academy of Sciences and several other Academies. He is the author of many publications, movies and books, both professional and aimed at the general public.
- Table of contents (9 chapters)
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One Night in Paranal
Pages 1-14
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From the Dawn of Time
Pages 15-30
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Too Good to Be True? Adaptive Optics
Pages 31-57
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The Quest for Sharp Images: Interferometry
Pages 59-118
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The Very Large Telescope: A Twofold Victory Over Blur
Pages 119-157
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Table of contents (9 chapters)
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Bibliographic Information
- Bibliographic Information
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- Book Title
- Astronomy’s Quest for Sharp Images
- Book Subtitle
- From Blurred Pictures to the Very Large Telescope
- Authors
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- Pierre Léna
- Series Title
- Astronomers' Universe
- Copyright
- 2020
- Publisher
- Springer International Publishing
- Copyright Holder
- Springer Nature Switzerland AG
- eBook ISBN
- 978-3-030-55811-6
- DOI
- 10.1007/978-3-030-55811-6
- Softcover ISBN
- 978-3-030-55810-9
- Series ISSN
- 1614-659X
- Edition Number
- 1
- Number of Pages
- XIII, 271
- Number of Illustrations
- 10 b/w illustrations, 38 illustrations in colour
- Additional Information
- Based on a translation from the French language edition: Une histoire de flou. Miroirs, trous noirs et autres mondes by Pierre LÉNA Copyright © Le Pommier/Humensis, 2019
- Topics
