{"product_id":"keep-watching-the-skies-the-story-of-operation-moonwatch-and-the-dawn-of-the-space-age-hardcover","title":"Keep Watching the Skies!: The Story of Operation Moonwatch and the Dawn of the Space Age - Hardcover","description":"\u003cdiv\u003e\u003cp style=\"text-align: right;\"\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/reportcopyrightinfringement.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eReport copyright infringement\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\u003cp\u003eby \u003cb\u003eW. Patrick McCray\u003c\/b\u003e (Author)\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eWhen the Soviets launched Sputnik in 1957, thousands of ordinary people across the globe seized the opportunity to participate in the start of the Space Age. Known as the \"Moonwatchers,\" these largely forgotten citizen-scientists helped professional astronomers by providing critical and otherwise unavailable information about the first satellites. In \u003ci\u003eKeep Watching the Skies!\u003c\/i\u003e, Patrick McCray tells the story of this network of pioneers who, fueled by civic pride and exhilarated by space exploration, took part in the twentieth century's biggest scientific endeavor. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e Around the world, thousands of teenagers, homemakers, teachers, amateur astronomers, and other citizens joined Moonwatch teams. Despite their diverse backgrounds and nationalities, they shared a remarkable faith in the transformative power of science--a faith inspired by the Cold War culture in which they lived. Against the backdrop of the space race and technological advancement, ordinary people developed an unprecedented desire to contribute to scientific knowledge and to investigate their place in the cosmos. Using homemade telescopes and other gadgets, Moonwatchers witnessed firsthand the astonishing beginning of the Space Age. In the process, these amateur scientists organized themselves into a worldwide network of satellite spotters that still exists today. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e Drawing on previously unexamined letters, photos, scrapbooks, and interviews, \u003ci\u003eKeep Watching the Skies!\u003c\/i\u003e recreates a pivotal event from a perspective never before examined--that of ordinary people who leaped at a chance to take part in the excitement of space exploration.\u003ch3\u003eBack Jacket\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\"Eagerly peering into the predawn skies of October 1957, amateur scientists kept watch for a glimpse of a faint dot in the sky: Sputnik! Patrick McCray tells us who these people were and how their observations helped Operation Moonwatch become a rousing success for Fred Whipple and the scientists of the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory. \u003ci\u003eKeep Watching the Skies!\u003c\/i\u003e highlights this unique alliance of amateur and professional scientists at the dawn of the Space Age. If you are among those who remember the thrill of the first satellites--even more so if you are not--you need to read this book.\"\u003cb\u003e--Robert P. Kirshner, author of \u003ci\u003eThe Extravagant Universe\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\"Patrick McCray has produced a gem! With the aid of meticulous research, he has unearthed the story of Operation Moonwatch and some of the forgotten heroes of the early years of the Space Age. They were the worldwide citizen-scientists who monitored the orbits of the early satellites. He has brought the era alive. A great read for scientists, engineers, historians--and anyone interested in the Space Age.\"\u003cb\u003e--John Zarnecki, Open University\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\"A unique and valuable cultural history of what was the largest collaboration between amateur and professional scientists in history, this book will interest anyone who wishes to know more about the early days of the Space Age.\"\u003cb\u003e--Charles Whitney, professor emeritus of astronomy, Harvard University\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\"\u003ci\u003eKeep Watching the Skies!\u003c\/i\u003e makes a compelling case for the importance of an aspect of the early space race that has largely been ignored: Operation Moonwatch. In contrast to the top-down approach that has dominated histories of the space race, this book gives us a bottom-up view, and it promises to be received as a major contribution to the history of science and technology.\"\u003cb\u003e--Robert Smith, author of \u003ci\u003eThe Space Telescope: A Study of NASA, Science, Technology, and Politics\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eAuthor Biography\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eW. Patrick McCray\u003c\/b\u003e is professor of history at the University of California, Santa Barbara. He is the author of \u003ci\u003eGiant Telescopes: Astronomical Ambition and the Promise of Technology\u003c\/i\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n            \u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eNumber of Pages:\u003c\/strong\u003e 344\u003c\/div\u003e\n            \u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eDimensions:\u003c\/strong\u003e 0.95 x 9.18 x 6.46 IN\u003c\/div\u003e\n            \u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003ePublication Date:\u003c\/strong\u003e April 21, 2008\u003c\/div\u003e\n            ","brand":"BooksCloud","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":52636729114931,"sku":"9780691128542","price":102.4,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0300\/5595\/6612\/files\/a2D7NDyzTY9780691128542.webp?v=1762278718","url":"https:\/\/www.vysn.com\/products\/keep-watching-the-skies-the-story-of-operation-moonwatch-and-the-dawn-of-the-space-age-hardcover","provider":"VYSN","version":"1.0","type":"link"}