John Hearnshaw - Böcker

This volume presents papers concerning astronomy education and research in developing countries presented at a special session at the IAU 26th General Assembly in Prague. It gives a picture of the present state of astronomy in five major developing regions of the world: Latin America, Africa, Central Asia, the Far East and Eastern Europe. The book covers education and research, and also public outreach. New astronomy projects in developing countries are described, and initiatives to promote astronomy and space science from the UN and organizations other than the IAU are also covered. It finishes with a discussion of the future role of virtual observatories in developing countries and the concept of a Third World Astronomy Institute. This volume will be useful resource and reference for astronomers interested in promoting and supporting astronomy and space science around the world.

Astronomical spectrographs analyse light emitted by the Sun, stars, galaxies and other objects in the Universe, and have been used in astronomy since the early nineteenth century. This book provides a comprehensive account of spectrographs from an historical perspective, from their theory and development over the last two hundred years, to the recent advances of the early twenty-first century. The author combines the theoretical principles behind astronomical spectrograph design with their historical development. Spectrographs of all types are considered, with prism, grating or grism dispersing elements. Included are Cassegrain, coudé, prime focus, échelle, fibre-fed, ultraviolet, nebular, objective prism, multi-object instruments and those which are ground-based, on rockets and balloons or in space. The book contains several tables listing the most significant instruments, around 900 references, and over 150 images, making it an indispensable reference for professional astronomers, graduate students, advanced amateur astronomers, and historians of science.