''First Light: The Search for the Edge of the Universe'' is a 1987

non-fiction Nonfiction, or non-fiction, is any document or media content that attempts, in good faith, to provide information (and sometimes opinions) grounded only in facts and real life, rather than in imagination. Nonfiction is often associated with b ...

book on

astronomy Astronomy () is a natural science that studies astronomical object, celestial objects and phenomena. It uses mathematics, physics, and chemistry in order to explain their origin and chronology of the Universe, evolution. Objects of interest ...

and astronomers by

Richard Preston Richard Preston (born August 5, 1954) is a writer for ''The New Yorker'' and bestselling author who has written books about infectious disease, bioterrorism, redwoods and other subjects, as well as fiction. Biography Preston was born in Cambri ...

. The title refers to the astronomical term first light, which is when a telescope is first used to take an astronomical image after it has been constructed. First light also refers to the moment when stars and galaxies first formed out of a dark universe.

Content

The central character of ''First Light'' is the

Hale telescope The Hale Telescope is a , 3.3 reflecting telescope at the Palomar Observatory in San Diego County, California, US, named after astronomer George Ellery Hale. With funding from the Rockefeller Foundation in 1928, he orchestrated the planning, de ...

Palomar Mountain Palomar Mountain ( ; es, Monte Palomar ) is a mountain ridge in the Peninsular Ranges in northern San Diego County. It is famous as the location of the Palomar Observatory and Hale Telescope, and known for the Palomar Mountain State Park. Hist ...

, which was the world's biggest telescope for more than three decades. Preston describes its history and technical details, and he profiles many of the people involved in astronomical research at Palomar. ''First Light'' portrays astronomers scanning the

Solar System The Solar System Capitalization of the name varies. The International Astronomical Union, the authoritative body regarding astronomical nomenclature, specifies capitalizing the names of all individual astronomical objects but uses mixed "Solar ...

for

minor planets According to the International Astronomical Union (IAU), a minor planet is an astronomical object in direct orbit around the Sun that is exclusively classified as neither a planet nor a comet. Before 2006, the IAU officially used the term ''minor ...

and those seeking the outermost astronomical objects in universe. It describes historical events such as the discovery of

quasar A quasar is an extremely luminous active galactic nucleus (AGN). It is pronounced , and sometimes known as a quasi-stellar object, abbreviated QSO. This emission from a galaxy nucleus is powered by a supermassive black hole with a mass rangin ...

s and celebrates the scientists' joy in their endeavors, their obsessions and even their thoughts.

Structure

The book is structured as follows. * Foreword: To Readers and Teachers * Part 1: Big Eye * Part 2: The Shoemaker Comets * Part 3: Gadgeteers * Part 4: Discoveries * (List of) Main Characters * Glossary * Credits ''First Light'' provides neither an index nor a bibliography.

Criticism

As of today, some of the astronomical approaches and views are out of date. However, ''First Light'' is considered one of the best books written about astronomers.

Awards

* ''First Light'' won the 1988 American Institute of Physics award in science writing. *

Carolyn Shoemaker Carolyn Jean Spellmann Shoemaker (June 24, 1929 – August 13, 2021) was an American astronomer and a co-discoverer of Comet Shoemaker–Levy 9. She discovered 32 comets (then a record for the most by an individual) and more than 500 astero ...

, who was a subject of ''First Light'', named an

asteroid An asteroid is a minor planet of the Solar System#Inner solar system, inner Solar System. Sizes and shapes of asteroids vary significantly, ranging from 1-meter rocks to a dwarf planet almost 1000 km in diameter; they are rocky, metallic o ...

''3792 Preston''. List of asteroids/3701–3800

Notes

References

* Preston, Richard. ''First Light.'' New York: Atlantic Monthly Press. {{ISBN, 9780871132000
OCLC 16004290

External links

Astronomy books American non-fiction books 1987 non-fiction books Palomar Observatory