Background
DeVorkin, David Hyam was born on January 6, 1944 in Los Angeles, California, United States. Son of Howard and Judith (Schonberg) DeVorkin.
(The exploration of the upper atmosphere was given a jump ...)
The exploration of the upper atmosphere was given a jump start in the United States by German V-2 rockets - Hitler's "vengeance weapon" - captured at the end of World War II. The science performed with these missiles was largely determined by the missile itself, such as learning more about the medium through which a ballistic missile travels. Groups rapidly formed within the military and military-funded university laboratories to build instruments to investigate the Earth's upper atmosphere and ionosphere, the nature of cosmic radiation, and the ultraviolet spectrum of the Sun. Few, if any, members of these research groups had prior experience or demonstrated interests in atmospheric, cosmic-ray, or solar physics. Although scientific agendas were at first centered on what could be done with missiles and how to make ballistic missile systems work, reports on techniques and results were widely publicized as the research groups and their patrons sought scientific legitimacy and learned how to make their science an integral part of the national security state. The process by which these groups gained scientific and institutional authority was far from straightforward and offers useful insight both for the historian and for the scientist concerned with how specialties born within the military services became part of post-war American science.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0387941371/?tag=2022091-20
(In the spirit of National Geographic’s top-selling Orbit,...)
In the spirit of National Geographic’s top-selling Orbit, this large-format, full-color volume stands alone in revealing more than 200 of the most spectacular images from the Hubble Space Telescope during its lifetime, to the very eve of the 2008 final shuttle mission to the telescope. Written by two of the world’s foremost authorities on space history, Hubble: Imaging Space and Time illuminates the solar system’s workings, the expansion of the universe, the birth and death of stars, the formation of planetary nebulae, the dynamics of galaxies, and the mysterious force known as "dark energy." The potential impact of this book cannot be overstressed: The 2008 servicing mission to install new high-powered scientific instruments is especially high profile because the cancellation of the previous mission, in 2004, caused widespread controversy. The authors reveal the inside story of Hubble’s beginnings, its controversial early days, the drama of its first servicing missions, and the creation of the dynamic images that reach into the deepest regions of visible space, close to the time when the universe began. A wealth of astonishing images leads us to the very edge of known space, setting the stage for the new James Webb Space Telescope, scheduled to launch in 2013. Find the stunning panoramic of Carina Nebula, detailing star birth as never before; a jet from a black hole in one galaxy striking a neighboring galaxy; a jewel-like collection of galaxies from the early years of the universe; and a giant galaxy cannibalizing a smaller galaxy. Timed for the 2008 shuttle launch and coinciding with the 400th anniversary of Galileo’s first telescope, Hubble: Imaging Space and Time accompanies a high-profile exhibit at the National Air and Space Museum and will be featured on the popular NASM website. From the Hardcover edition.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1426208944/?tag=2022091-20
( Henry Norris Russell lived in two universes: that of hi...)
Henry Norris Russell lived in two universes: that of his Presbyterian forebears and that of his science. Sharp-witted and animated by nervous energy, he became one of the most powerful voices in twentieth-century American astronomy, wielding that influence in calculated ways to redefine an entire science. He, more than any American of his generation, worked to turn an observation-centered discipline into a theory-driven pursuit centered on physics. Today, professional and amateur astronomers alike know Russell for the Hertzsprung-Russell diagram, the playing field for much of stellar astrophysics, as well as for his work on the evolution of stars and the origin of the solar system. But of far greater importance than his own research, which was truly remarkable in its own right, is Russell's stamp on the field as a whole. Functioning as a "headquarters scientist"--some called him General--Russell was an astronomer without a telescope. Yet he marshaled the data of the Hales and the Pickerings of the world, injected theory into mainstream astronomy, and brought atomic physics to its very core, often sparking controversy along the way. His students at Princeton went on to populate the most prestigious astronomical institutions in the United States, bringing with them Russell's beliefs that astronomy is really astrophysics and that researchers should be theoretically as well as empirically minded. This first-ever book-length biography of the "Dean of American Astronomers" interweaves personal and scientific history to illuminate how Russell's privileged Presbyterian family background, his education at Princeton and Cambridge, and his personal inclinations and attachments both served and were at odds with his campaign to modernize astronomy. This book will be of interest not only to astronomers and historians (particularly those interested in the emergence of astrophysics), but to anyone interested in the process of disciplinary change.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0691049181/?tag=2022091-20
DeVorkin, David Hyam was born on January 6, 1944 in Los Angeles, California, United States. Son of Howard and Judith (Schonberg) DeVorkin.
Bachelor of Science, University of California at Los Angeles, 1966. Master of Science, San Diego State University, 1968. Master of Philosophy, Yale University, 1970.
Doctor of Philosophy, University Leicester, England, 1978.
Professor astronomy, Control Connecticut State College, New Britain, 1970-1980; consultant, American Institute Physics, New York City, 1977-1979; curator, National Air and Space Museum Smithsonian Institution, Washington, since 1980.
(In the spirit of National Geographic’s top-selling Orbit,...)
(The exploration of the upper atmosphere was given a jump ...)
( Henry Norris Russell lived in two universes: that of hi...)
Member American Astronomical Society (History Astronomy division chair 1997-1999), HistorySci. Society, Society History Technology, International Astronomical Union, Royal Astronomical Society London.
Married Kunie Fujiki, June 2, 1970. 1 child, Hannah Fujiki.