Hidden Universe

Foreword

Preface

1. Our limited vision

Our eyes are the result of an evolutionary adaptation to the Sun's light. The Sun is a G dwarf and emits most of its light in only a small part of the electromagnetic spectrum. As a result our eyes are very limited in their capability to really show us the Universe.

- The electromagnetic spectrum
- The creation of light
- Thermal (blackbody): Why are there no green stars? The colour of stars, pastel shades
- Spectral lines (fluorescence): The colours of nebulas, the chemistry and dynamics of the universe
- Non-thermal (synchrotron): Particles spiralling in magnetic fields, neutron stars, cosmic rays
- Hot stuff (blackbodies):
- The rest: Non-thermal. Gravitational energy, accretion disks, black holes, AGN, particles in magnetic fields
- Box: Sources of heat: Fusion, gravitational energy/accretion disks/black holes, explosions/supernovae, spinning magnetic fields/neutron stars
- Box: The colour of the Sun

2. The View from the Ground
- Our limiting atmosphere: limited windows on the sky
- Classic optical telescopes
- Blurring, lack of stability
- Near-infrared observations from the ground: Mauna Kea etc.
- Radio & Microwave telescopes
- Alma
- SKA
- Exotic observatories
- Cosmic ray observatories
- Neutrino observatories
- Box: Detectors on the ground

3. Space observatories - our new eyes on the Universe
- The space age started with Sputnik in 1957
- The Advantages of Space
- Always night
- No interfering atmosphere
- The Challenges of Space
- Automation & Reliability
- Hostile environment: cosmic rays and solar storms
- What's Inside a Space Observatory?
- More than 100 space observatories have been launched into space so far
- The ten most famous space observatories in facts and pictures (one page per observatory).
- What do they observe?
- Box: Detectors in space

4. The Radio Universe
- What emits radio waves?
- The first radio telescopes emerge
- Visible light - radio

Lars Lindberg Christensen is press officer of the International Astronomical Union, as well as IAU EC International Year of Astronomy 2009 Working Group Secretary. An astronomer by profession, he is a science communication specialist heading the Hubble European Space Agency Information Centre group, responsible for public outreach and education for the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope in Europe.
Robert (Bob) Fosbury is an astronomer working for the European Space Agency (ESA) as part of ESA's collaboration with NASA on the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) project at ST-ECF. Bob also served on NASA's Ad Hoc Science Working Group and ESA's Study Science Team as they developed the instrument concepts for the James Webb Space Telescope, the next generation space observatory. Bon and Lars wrote the highly successful "Hubble - 15 Years of Discovery".
Robert Hurt is professional artist, specialized on art in astronomy.

"This book is an exhilarating and remarkable voyage into a universe that the naked eye cannot see... Hidden Universe will, without a doubt, open your eyes and your mind to the dramatic and dazzling light-show that is out hidden universe." ( Spaceflight , May 2009) "[This] story of how different telescopes have peeled away layers of the "cosmic onion" offers a useful counterpoint to the history of the telescopes." ( Physics World , March 2009) " Hidden Universe provides a technical description of efforts to study beyond the visual but has been written in a way which would appeal to amateur astronomers who seek to understand the work of professionals especially in PRO-AM projects. Recommended." ( The Astronomer , February 2009)

"This book is an exhilarating and remarkable voyage into a universe that the naked eye cannot see.... Hidden Universe will, without a doubt, open your eyes and your mind to the dramatic and dazzling light-show that is out hidden universe." ( Spaceflight , May 2009)
"[This] story of how different telescopes have peeled away layers of the "cosmic onion" offers a useful counterpoint to the history of the telescopes." ( Physics World , March 2009)

" Hidden Universe provides a technical description of efforts to study beyond the visual but has been written in a way which would appeal to amateur astronomers who seek to understand the work of professionals especially in PRO-AM projects. Recommended." ( The Astronomer , February 2009)