"At a time when very little was known about the ionosphere and upper atmosphere, armchair astronomers of all backgrounds turned out in the thousands to aid the scientific pursuit of knowledge; when the Soviet Union launched Sputnik in 1957, it was the Moonwatchers who provided the first observations to astronomers. McCray's history is full of fascinating individuals. This pop science takes a fascinating look at a fundamental, and almost-forgotten, moment in Space Age history."--Publishers Weekly
"Patrick McCray reconstructs an era when the world was taking its baby steps into the space age. He views it through the eyes of amateur star-gazers who experienced the excitement of those Sputnik days by joining Moonwatch, a worldwide effort to track satellites. McCray went beyond the official documents, ferreting out records from several of the most effective team leaders, and spotlights these throughout his well-illustrated presentation. McCray's account is an important contribution towards preserving the history of a fascinating episode at the dawn of the space age. [A] genuine page-turner."--Owen Gingerich, Nature (read the full review)
"Keep Watching the Skies! is the story of the worldwide effort...by amateur astronomers...to monitor the artificial moon Sputnik 1 launched by the Soviet space programme. This book is a superb history."--Colin Pillinger, Times Higher Education
"Patrick McCray's book tells the story of [the] devoted 'Moonwatchers' as they embarked upon Operation Moonwatch, to carefully study early satellite activity. McCray's text is meticulous, well written and follows the stories of the fabled Moonwatchers. If you want to explore the fascinating task that this diverse worldwide ensemble of amateurs and professionals undertook, this book would be an excellent place to start."--Will Gater, BBC Focus Magazine
"Eagerly peering into the predawn skies of October 1957, amateur scientists kept watch for a glimpse of a faint dot in the sky: Sputnik! Patrick McCray tells us who these people were and how their observations helped Operation Moonwatch become a rousing success for Fred Whipple and the scientists of the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory. Keep Watching the Skies! highlights this unique alliance of amateur and professional scientists at the dawn of the Space Age. If you are among those who remember the thrill of the first satellites--even more so if you are not--you need to read this book."--Robert P. Kirshner, The Extravagant Universe
What Some Readers Have Said
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The Story of Operation Moonwatch and the Dawn of the Space Age
W. Patrick McCray
I am a history professor at the University of California, Santa Barbara, where I write and teach about history, science, technology and popular culture. If you are interested in my other professional activities, click here.
Keep Watching the Skies is my third book. While researching the Moonwatch story, I was fortunate to interview many of the people in it, making it super-fun to write. When I’m not in the office or the archive, I like to enjoy all forms of two-wheeled transportation (I rode my bicycle cross-country not too long ago) and cook...the fact that there is good surfing near my house hasn’t escaped my attention either.
Keep Watching the Skies is my third book. While researching the Moonwatch story, I was fortunate to interview many of the people in it, making it super-fun to write. When I’m not in the office or the archive, I like to enjoy all forms of two-wheeled transportation (I rode my bicycle cross-country not too long ago) and cook...the fact that there is good surfing near my house hasn’t escaped my attention either.
Keep Watching the Skies! Links
Author's Blog & Current Events
Read The Page 99 Test
Listen to the interview on NPR
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Read the Introduction
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What Some Readers Have Said
Amazon.com
Read The Page 99 Test
Listen to the interview on NPR
MP3
Read the Introduction
HTML or PDF
What Some Readers Have Said
Amazon.com