This got returned before I could read it but the chapters I did read convinced me that this is one I'm happy to skip.

I must admit I am not very keen on science and astronomy, but once in a while, I enjoy reading books about this topic. This recent read felt like the perfect fit for me, and indeed it was.

Despite being an amateur in the field, I found the explanations within the book to be both compelling and understandable. Admittedly, there were moments where I needed to revisit certain paragraphs to fully grasp the intricacies of space and telescope mechanisms, but in the end, everything clicked into place.

Divided into 7 chapters, the book offers a captivating journey through the history of telescopes, ranging from those based on Earth to those in space. The narrative is engagingly presented in simple language, making it accessible to all readers.

For enthusiasts of space exploration, this book is a must-read! The only downside was the formatting: the placement of asterisks seemed random and occasionally disrupted the flow of the narrative.

Most people have heard of the Hubble Space Telescope and seen some of the stunning images that it has produced. Most people however do not actually know what this scientific instrument is actually capable of doing, and that it was actually not the first telescope to be put into space. That is where this book, Eyes In The Sky, comes into fill in your knowledge.

The book is set chronologically into 7 chapters that start with why telescopes work better in space than they do here on Earth. You do not need a masters degree in astrophysics to be able to understand and enjoy this book, which is a testament to how well May understands the subject to be able to make it consumable to the average person. From explaining about wavelengths and how the most useful information is actually not in the visible light spectrum to why x-ray telescope are a impossibility here on Earth, I never once felt I was being talked down to, or that my lack of knowledge was a bad thing. This entire book felt like a very nice conversation with someone who is passionate about space telescopes and is just excited that someone wants them to explain what they are actually able to do.

I found it very easy to get through this book, all the technical language that is often associated with any science was explained very well, and anything that was not directly relevant to a base understanding was just omitted! The footnotes also provided extra context without taking up too much space. Diagrams were used regularly thought to assist in explaining concepts that you may not be familiar with, which did their job very well. And at the end a section on further reading that is relevant to each chapters focus is a great addition that will give you more to read if Eyes In The Sky has pique your interest enough.

A very good read that I loved, but is aimed more to individuals who already have a passing interest in astronomy and are curious to know more.

We have all heard of the Hubble Space Telescope but not many of the successors and supplementary sensor platforms, both earth and space-bound, that supply us with a multitude of data. One of the first myths that was shattered for me was the fact that Hubble can only take black and white photographs and the beautiful photos of the gas nebulae have been coloured by NASA for PR purposes. That said, the rest of the book is a wonderful description of the scientific achievements that have been increasing our knowledge of the universe as well as advancing our technical expertise.
The biggest impression on me was that there are many platforms that are positioned in critical locations in space to provide critical scans of the deep universe without interference from the sun, earth or the moon. These platforms all have a limited life because of fuel and cooling limitations, but some have exceeded expectations and continued for years. These exploratory missions take many years to plan and implement and it is exciting to read of what the future may hold of our increasing understanding of the universe in which we live on our very small planet.

If you get the chance, visit the Kennedy Space Centre in Florida. I once saw a space shuttle launch there. Unforgettable! This book covers that and a lot more., from the Apollo spacecraft mission to the Challenger crash in 1986. Andrew May does a good job of explaining the purpose of spacewalks, Ultra Deep Field images and the Herschel Space Observatory. Great for anyone with an interest in our night skies and the history of deep space exploration.

This book is a great introduction to the concepts it talks about, explaining things in ways that are understandable. It's also short and more casually written than more technical books on the subject, which makes it more accessible to the average person. It did a good job of being both entertaining and informative.

We’ve all seen the amazing pictures and photographs produced by telescopes, showing us the super close up shots of far distant planets in such clarity it’s hard to get your head around. But how do they work? How do we get such amazing images when we can barely even see what we’re looking at with the naked eye?

The book explains an awful lot in such an easy to understand way. From the fundamental physics, how telescopes work and how they were first created, to our applications and uses of the technology. It was so interesting.

I loved getting to know about the different telescopes we currently have, from Hubble, JWST to Chandra and Compton and what they all do. There’s also a brief look into the future and what we hope to achieve and with such questions like ‘what is dark matter’ and the question of exoplanets, there’s still so much more to discover.

Greatly written by Andrew May and a fab little read on all things telescopes. It’s a must for fans of science, astrophysics and astronomy.