Our Present Knowledge of the Universe [antikvár]

PrefaceOn May 3, 1966, the Chancellor of the University of Manchester, His Grace The Duke of Devonshire, opened the Concourse Building at Jodrell Bank. This building, situated under the shadow of the great radio telescope, fulfilled an urgent need by providing a means whereby the public could visit Jodrell Bank, approach close to the telescope and study at leisure exhibits, models and displays relating to the contemporary researches in astronomy, radio astronomy and space. On the evenings of May 24, May 31 and June 7 I fulfilled a long-standing promise to the Extra-Mural Department of the University by delivering three public lectures in the large hall of the Concourse Building.The University Press had previously asked if they might have the text ofthe lectures for publication. This was impossible since there was no text, but this objection was surmounted by recording what I said on tape. The transcript of these tapes was extremely unsatisfactory partly because I used slides, models, and live demonstrations with the two large radio telescopes, and it would have been useless to publish it in the original form. These lectures appear here under their original titles and although the three chapters follow closely the material ofthe lectures the actual transcript has been almost entirely rewritten. In an attempt to convey the actuality of the demonstrations I have placed the description of these in italics.Those who attended the lectures were seated within yards ofthe radio telescope and were surrounded by the permanent explanatory charts in the Concourse Building. I have tried to replace this environmental aspect of the lectures by including the Appendix describing the five main radio telescopes which are in use at Jodrell Bank.Bernard Lovell October 1966University of Manchester,Nuffield Radio Astronomy LaboratoriesJodrell Bank