"Death Stars, Weird Galaxies, and a Quasar-Spangled Universe" is a new book by Karen Taschek of Corrales about the discoveries made by the Very Large Array Telescope, located on the Plains of St. Augustín west of Magdalena.
http://steppinoutnewmexico.com/images/DeathStars.jpg
"Future discoveries in radio astronomy
are sure to be bizarre, extraordinary,
and out of this world."
Published by the University of New Mexico Press (www.unmpress.com (http://www.unmpress.com/)), the hard cover, 78-page book, is targeted for young adults, and it certainly should catch their eye from the eerie title and the long row of giant dish antennae on the front cover to the two final, challenging sentences: "Ten people have won Nobel Prizes in physics for work on astronomy, and of those 10, six won the prize for work with radio telescopes. Future discoveries in radio astronomy are sure to be bizarre, extraordinary, and out of this world."
The VLA, of course, is a radio telescope, and the first chapter is about it. The last chapter anticipates the future of radio astronomy, and the "expanded" VLA. Chapter two is a rundown of other famous telescopes. The remainder of the book is a primer on the universe, starting with the order of planets in our solar system, and advancing through black holes, Big Bangs and the potential size of the whole ballpark.
Although the book was a comfortable, if not heart-thumping (I'm no teenager), read for me, the National Radio Astronomy Observatory (NRAO), operators of the VLA, found it lacking.
When I inquired of VLA, which contributed some 28 illustrations to the book, about its status as a sales item, I received the following statement. "The (NRAO)... does not endorse or recommend this book.. Members of the Observatory's staff have reviewed this book. Based on this review, the NRAO has chosen not to offer the book in our gift shop at the VLA. Those who are interested in the VLA and in the numerous scientific discoveries made using the VLA can find information aimed at the general public on the Observatory's Web site. Basic information for the general public: http://www.nrao.edu/epo/ (http://www.nrao.edu/epo/).
I checked out the NRAO website and it is, indeed, extremely valuable and interesting, as I already knew. But I'm going to give Taschek's book the benefit of the doubt. It certainly can't hurt Socorro, Magdalena or New Mexico Tech to have such a book being read by kids who are potential Tech students. If it can generate enthusiasm among potential young scientists, it seems worthwhile.
http://steppinoutnewmexico.com/images/taschek.jpg
"...while I was writing it, (astronomers)
kept finding more moons circling Jupiter."
I asked Taschek about the likelihood of its becoming quickly outdated, based on new discoveries, and she conceded the likelihood. "All the while I was writing it, (astronomers) kept finding more moons circling Jupiter," she said.
As a former National Park Service information officer, I know the problems writers have in getting books into gift shops. The standards are rigid, and rightfully so for a variety of reasons. In the case of National Park Service bookstores, run by cooperating associations, far more books are rejected than accepted. The rejected books nonetheless often have great merit.
Tongue-in-cheek, I will note in NRAO's behalf that it does not appear to have a double standard. I could not find a single mention on its website of the movie "Contact," the PG rated (for sensuality, intense action and language) movie starring Jodie Foster that was filmed in large part at the VLA. Nor it is sold at the gift shop.
The Foster movie, however, sometimes sneaks into the recruiting bulletins and advertisements of VLA corroborator New Mexico Tech, which I find entirely acceptable. If you can connect Jodie Foster's name, and "Contact" writer Carl Sagan's name to your school, however tangentially, why not?
Taschek majored in biology and English at Franklin and Marshall College. According to a news release, her work history including time as a copy editor for Scientific American, Inc., and copy chief at Random House Children's Books. She has written 17 book, mostly fiction, 12 about horses, including a series on thoroughbreds. Most are aimed at a young adult audience, and her earlier books are under the name Karen Bentley.
She is the author of Horse of Seven Moons, UNM Press, a recent work of fiction for young people, set in the Bootheel area of New Mexico.
"Death Stars," has a cover price of $17.95, but you can find it Internet bookstores for far less.
For young people, who have an incurable interest, as I do, in exploration and wonder about deep space and deep time, it may well be worth the read.
(Ben Moffett is a San Antonio, N.M., native. If you can't find him at his desk he can be "contacted" on the planet Vega, many worm holes beyond our Milky Way looking for Jodie Foster. Email: benmoffett@comcast.net (E-mailenmoffett@comcast.net))
By Ben Moffett - Contributing Reporter
© 2006 Ben Moffett - Reprint Permission Granted
"Death Stars, Weird Galaxies, and a Quasar-Spangled Universe" is a new book by Karen Taschek of Corrales about the discoveries made by the Very Large Array Telescope, located on the Plains of St. Augustín west of Magdalena.
http://steppinoutnewmexico.com/images/DeathStars.jpg
"Future discoveries in radio astronomy
are sure to be bizarre, extraordinary,
and out of this world."
Published by the University of New Mexico Press (www.unmpress.com (http://www.unmpress.com/)), the hard cover, 78-page book, is targeted for young adults, and it certainly should catch their eye from the eerie title and the long row of giant dish antennae on the front cover to the two final, challenging sentences: "Ten people have won Nobel Prizes in physics for work on astronomy, and of those 10, six won the prize for work with radio telescopes. Future discoveries in radio astronomy are sure to be bizarre, extraordinary, and out of this world."
The VLA, of course, is a radio telescope, and the first chapter is about it. The last chapter anticipates the future of radio astronomy, and the "expanded" VLA. Chapter two is a rundown of other famous telescopes. The remainder of the book is a primer on the universe, starting with the order of planets in our solar system, and advancing through black holes, Big Bangs and the potential size of the whole ballpark.
Although the book was a comfortable, if not heart-thumping (I'm no teenager), read for me, the National Radio Astronomy Observatory (NRAO), operators of the VLA, found it lacking.
When I inquired of VLA, which contributed some 28 illustrations to the book, about its status as a sales item, I received the following statement. "The (NRAO)... does not endorse or recommend this book.. Members of the Observatory's staff have reviewed this book. Based on this review, the NRAO has chosen not to offer the book in our gift shop at the VLA. Those who are interested in the VLA and in the numerous scientific discoveries made using the VLA can find information aimed at the general public on the Observatory's Web site. Basic information for the general public: http://www.nrao.edu/epo/ (http://www.nrao.edu/epo/).
I checked out the NRAO website and it is, indeed, extremely valuable and interesting, as I already knew. But I'm going to give Taschek's book the benefit of the doubt. It certainly can't hurt Socorro, Magdalena or New Mexico Tech to have such a book being read by kids who are potential Tech students. If it can generate enthusiasm among potential young scientists, it seems worthwhile.
http://steppinoutnewmexico.com/images/taschek.jpg
"...while I was writing it, (astronomers)
kept finding more moons circling Jupiter."
I asked Taschek about the likelihood of its becoming quickly outdated, based on new discoveries, and she conceded the likelihood. "All the while I was writing it, (astronomers) kept finding more moons circling Jupiter," she said.
As a former National Park Service information officer, I know the problems writers have in getting books into gift shops. The standards are rigid, and rightfully so for a variety of reasons. In the case of National Park Service bookstores, run by cooperating associations, far more books are rejected than accepted. The rejected books nonetheless often have great merit.
Tongue-in-cheek, I will note in NRAO's behalf that it does not appear to have a double standard. I could not find a single mention on its website of the movie "Contact," the PG rated (for sensuality, intense action and language) movie starring Jodie Foster that was filmed in large part at the VLA. Nor it is sold at the gift shop.
The Foster movie, however, sometimes sneaks into the recruiting bulletins and advertisements of VLA corroborator New Mexico Tech, which I find entirely acceptable. If you can connect Jodie Foster's name, and "Contact" writer Carl Sagan's name to your school, however tangentially, why not?
Taschek majored in biology and English at Franklin and Marshall College. According to a news release, her work history including time as a copy editor for Scientific American, Inc., and copy chief at Random House Children's Books. She has written 17 book, mostly fiction, 12 about horses, including a series on thoroughbreds. Most are aimed at a young adult audience, and her earlier books are under the name Karen Bentley.
She is the author of Horse of Seven Moons, UNM Press, a recent work of fiction for young people, set in the Bootheel area of New Mexico.
"Death Stars," has a cover price of $17.95, but you can find it Internet bookstores for far less.
For young people, who have an incurable interest, as I do, in exploration and wonder about deep space and deep time, it may well be worth the read.
(Ben Moffett is a San Antonio, N.M., native. If you can't find him at his desk he can be "contacted" on the planet Vega, many worm holes beyond our Milky Way looking for Jodie Foster. Email: benmoffett@comcast.net (E-mailenmoffett@comcast.net))