Eye Beyond the Sky

Introduction

This book highlights stories of the most important 13 ground-based observatories and 14 space probes in human history, leading readers through each significant step of human’s astronomical observation journey. From the earliest Hooker Telescope and the Mount Wilson Observatory, to the latest FAST, JWST and DAMPE, the targets of observation range from large systems such as the solar system, the milky way, and the universe, to individual planets such as Jupiter, Saturn, Mars, and the remote stars, and to the matters that reveal the origin of the universe, such as dark matter and cosmic background radiation. The book presents the mysteries of the sky in an easily readable manner suitable for audiences of all ages who are curious about the universe and thirsty to know all the important discoveries in the past century, especially the last decade. With carefully-selected contents, the book weaves together a series of tales to make the convoluted history of astronomical observation full offun and excitement, ensuring that readers never lose interest during reading.