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The Perfect Machine
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The Perfect Machine Paperback - 1995

by Ronald Florence

A stirring chronicle of the potential of Big Science and a poignant rendering of an America mired in the Depression, The Perfect Machine weaves a tale of human effort and technical splendor that culminates in the completion of the Palomar Telescope. 16 page photo insert. Line drawings.


From the publisher

Almost a half-century after is completion, the 200-inch Palomar telescope remains an unparalleled combination of vast scale and microscope detail. As huge as the Pantheon of Rome and as heavy as the Statue of Liberty, this magnificent instrument is so precisely built that its seventeen-foot mirror was hand-polished to a tolerance of 2/1,000,000 of an inch. The telescope's construction drove some to the brink of madness, made others fearful that mortals might glimpse heaven, and transfixed an entire nation. Ronald Florence weaves into his account of the creation of "the perfect machine" a stirring chronicle of the birth of Big Science and a poignant rendering of an America mired in the depression yet reaching for the stars.

Details

  • Title The Perfect Machine
  • Author Ronald Florence
  • Binding Paperback
  • Pages 480
  • Volumes 1
  • Language ENG
  • Publisher Harper Perennial, New York, New York, U.S.A.
  • Date September 13, 1995
  • Illustrated Yes
  • ISBN 9780060926700 / 0060926708
  • Weight 1.19 lbs (0.54 kg)
  • Dimensions 8.4 x 5.56 x 1.18 in (21.34 x 14.12 x 3.00 cm)
  • Library of Congress subjects Reflecting telescopes - California -, Mount Wilson and Palomar Observatories -
  • Dewey Decimal Code 522.2
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The Perfect Machine: Building the Palomar Telescope
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The Perfect Machine: Building the Palomar Telescope

by Florence, Ronald

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The Perfect Machine: Building the Palomar Telescope
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The Perfect Machine: Building the Palomar Telescope

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The Perfect Machine: Building the Palomar Telescope
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The Perfect Machine: Building the Palomar Telescope

by Florence, Ronald

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ISBN 10 / ISBN 13
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