Surveying the Skies - How Astronomers Map the Universe (Broché)

Since the time of Galileo, astronomy has been driven by technological innovation. With each major advance has come the opportunity and enthusiasm to survey the sky in a way that was not possible before. Visible-light surveys began with the naked eye, progressed to telescopes in the seventeenth century, and were followed by photography in the nineteenth century. In the second half of the twentieth century, the skies began to be swept by radio, infrared, ultraviolet, x-ray and gamma ray telescopes, many of which had to be flown in satellites above the Earth's atmosphere.
These surveys led to the discovery of pulsars, quasars, molecular clouds, protostars, bursters, and black holes. In addition to showing the historical progression of sky surveys, the book describes several currently active large-scale projects that methodically collect images, photometry and spectra that are then stored in vast publicly-accessible databases, as well as several recent "microsurveys" - detailed studies of small patches of sky that have led to major advances in our understanding of cosmology and exoplanets.
These surveys of discovery have taught scientists vast amounts, and by reviewing their history and progress over time this book presents a comprehensive overview of the growth of astronomical knowledge of our Universe.