Helmut Abt opted for astronomy as a vocation because... well, it was fun. Dr. Abt will delight readers with the challenges, participants, and the fascinating places in the world he visited. With humor and insight he takes readers on the journey of a lifetime filled with stars and exciting adventures. Among other stories, he tells how he located the site of the first national observatory at Kitt Peak in the Arizona desert, and about the joys of being the chief editor of the Astrophysical Journal for 29 years, plus how he helped the Chinese get started in astrophysics, and about his work on double stars that led to the discovery of exoplanets, all interspersed with tales of his travels to dozens of interesting places.
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979-8-89091-172-8 (9798890911728)
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Helmut Abt was the first ever to be given the PhD in astronomy by Caltech. As a leader in the field, he attended meetings in about 30 different countries, including 14 trips to China after the Cultural Revolution. He writes about Chinese culture, going back to hundreds of years BC when the Chinese discovered things 2000 years before the Europeans, such as sunspots, the solar wind, compartments on ships, and the causes of diseases such as diabetes and sclerosis. He also went to interesting places like Easter Island and the interior of Grand Canyon before they became popular. With a great sense of humor, he compiled about 50 funny stories about astronomers.
