Europe's Quest for the Universe : ESO and the VLT, ESA and other projects

CONTENTS......Page 5
Preface......Page 7
Préface......Page 8
Acknowledgements......Page 9
Introduction......Page 11
I. The Development of European Astronomy during the 20th Century......Page 15
II. ESO, La Silla, the 3.6-m Telescope, Other Telescope Projects in Europe......Page 29
III. Origin of the VLT Project; The NTT......Page 47
IV. Technological, Financial and Scientific Planning of the VLT......Page 63
V. Construction of the VLT......Page 73
VI. Sites for Telescopes......Page 91
VII. The VLT Observatory: Adaptive Optics, Instruments, Interferometry and Survey Telescopes......Page 113
VIII. Ground and Space Based Optical Telescopes......Page 127
IX. Radio Astronomy; ALMA and SKA......Page 143
X. Europe in Space: ESA’s Horizons 2000......Page 165
XI. European Space Missions: IR, X- and Gamma Rays......Page 179
XII. European Space Missions: The Solar System......Page 207
XIII. European Space Missions: The Sun and the Heliosphere; Ground based Solar Telescopes......Page 223
XIV. Astroparticles and Gravitational Waves......Page 235
XV. Looking for Planets and Life in the Universe......Page 247
XVI. Publications......Page 257
XVII. European Astronomy: Researchers and Funding......Page 269
XVIII. The Future......Page 281
XIX. Epilogue......Page 293
Notes......Page 295
Acronyms and Concepts......Page 305
Index......Page 321
Photo credits......Page 329