Open Skies

K. I. Kellermann has 60 years of experience in radio astronomy including more than 50 years at NRAO. He is the former Chair of the IAU Historical Radio Astronomy Working Group, and editor of several books on the history of radio astronomy.E. N. Bouton has been at NRAO for more than 40 years, first as Librarian and for the last 16 years as the Archivist.S. S. Brandt is an historian of science who has worked with the NRAO Archives for the past eight years.

• A New Window on the Universe.- The Post War Explosion in Radio Astronomy: The US Falls Behind.- A New Era in Radio Astronomy.- Growing Pains.- Is Anyone Out There?.- The Bar Is Open.- The Very Large Array.- VLBI and the Very Long Baseline Array.- The Largest Feasible Steerable Telescope.- Exploring the Millimeter Sky.- NRAO and Radio Astronomy in the 21st Century.- Appendix A.- Appendix B.- Index.

“Well researched and well illustrated, Open Skies contains copious references at the end of each chapter for those wanting to learn more. It is also an open- access book … . Open Skies places the NRAO’s achievements in both a domestic and an international context. For those wanting to know about the development of post– World War II radio astronomy— and not just about the NRAO— Open Skies is essential reading.” (Wayne Orchiston, Physics Today, Vol. 75 (7), July, 2022)“A beautifully vivid narrative bringing readers, general and professional, closer to the action, the pioneers, and their discoveries. Many photographs not seen before in the public domain add interest. Notes and bibliographies at the end of each chapter will effortlessly guide future scholars. A handy timeline of NRAO history features in an appendix. ... It is a landmark publication in the history of modern astronomy, a true masterpiece exhibiting the highest standards of scholarship." (Simon Mitton, TheObservatory, Issue 141, June, 2021)