First Light : The Search for the Edge of the Universe

Rating:
Summary: A Great Read, but.....
Review: This is a first class read for anyone interested in astronomy and the people who make it their calling. Little details, such as Maarten Schmidt leaving the Hale control room to go out on the catwalk and actually enjoy the sky, or the ever present music or light banter that accompanies a night of observation....these are things that make this book unique and well worth the time.

On the other hand, it could have benefitted by a little editing, as someone has pointed out. Having the scale of the 200-inch scope described multiple times and seeing "Palomar glue" defined a number of times in the text AND repeated in a glossary is a bit much. Further, while the sections on the Shoemakers and their search for asteroids and comets is a highlight of the book, one wonders how that fits in with the subtitle, "Search for the Edge of the Universe".

Quite a book, however.....