certify image
Rated 4.8/5 based on 2131 reviews.
Secrets of the Hoary Deep: A Personal History of Modern Astronomy
  • Product ID: 9780801888090-SECONDHAND
  • Availability: in stock. Ships next working day In stock Out of stock -

Secrets of the Hoary Deep: A Personal History of Modern Astronomy

$15.00 $99.99
NB: This is a secondhand book in very good condition. See our FAQs for more information. Please note that the jacket image is indicative only.

Author: Riccardo Giacconi (President, Associated Universities, Inc.)

Format: Hardback

Number of Pages: 432


The discovery of x-rays continues to have a profound and accelerating effect on the field of astronomy. It has opened the cosmos to exploration in ways previously unimaginable and fundamentally altered the methods for pursuing information about our solar system and beyond. Nobel Prize winner Riccardo Giacconi's highly personal account of the birth and evolution of x-ray astronomy reveals the science, people, and institutional settings behind this incalculably important and deeply influential discipline. Part history, part memoir, and part cutting-edge science, Secrets of the Hoary Deep is the tale of x-ray astronomy from its infancy through what can only be called its early adulthood. It also offers the companion story of how the tools, techniques, and practices designed to support and develop x-ray astronomy were transferred to optical, infrared, and radio astronomy, drastically altering the face of modern space exploration. Giacconi relates the basic techniques developed at American Science and Engineering and explains how, where, and by whom the science was advanced. From the first Earth-orbiting x-ray satellite, Uhuru, to the opening of the Space Telescope Science Institute and the lift-off of the Hubble Space Telescope to the construction of the Very Large Telescope, Giaconni recounts the ways in which the management methods and scientific methodology behind successful astronomy projects came to set the standards of operations for all subsequent space- and Earth-based observatories. Along the way he spares no criticism and holds back no praise, detailing individual as well as institutional failures and successes, reflecting upon how far astronomy has come and how far it has yet to go. Crisp, informative, and prognostic, Giacconi's story will captivate, inspire, and, at times, possibly infuriate professional and amateur astronomers across the breadth of the field and at all stages of their personal and professional development.
  • Format: Secondhand, Hardback
  • Tags: Astronomy, Hardback, Nov-2022, Science & Mathematics, Secondhand
  • Barcode: 9780801888090-SECONDHAND
  • Please note that some books may be Remainder Marked
  • We offer Flat Rate Shipping Australia-wide on all orders, no matter how many books you buy. We also offer FREE in-store pickup at any of our Book Grocer stores around Australia.

    Currently we do not ship outside Australia. We have a separate website for New Zealand customers which can be found here.

    NB. Occasionally we open up a shipping window to allow New Zealand customers to order from the Australian website, and have their order shipped in the next shipping container.  Details of our shipping window can be found in our blog

    Shipping Costs

    Please see the table below for your shipping rate:

     State Shipping Cost (Flat rate)
    VIC, NSW, ACT, SA, TAS and QLD $10
    WA and NT

    $20

     

    If you would like to ship items to more than one address, please place separate orders for these items. 

    Shipping Time

    We endeavour to process your item(s) within 24/48 business hours. We use a combination of Australia Post (for smaller orders) and a shipping company to deliver your order.  You can expect your items within 4-5 days outside peak (Christmas) season. 

    For in-store pickup: Our warehouse is Melbourne-based. We deliver customer orders to our stores on a regular but somewhat unpredictable schedule. If you are based in Melbourne your order is likely to arrive at your selected store earlier than if you select an interstate in-store pickup option.

    Pickup from our Bourke, Spencer and Northcote stores could take up to 1 week to receive your order. 

    Pickup from our Newcastle and Majura stores could take up to 2 weeks to receive your order.

    Pickup from our Tullamarine Warehouse your order will be ready the next business day.

    Your chosen store will get in touch with you by email to let you know your book has arrived. 

    Wondering about what happened to our previous Free Shipping policy? Our reasons for making this change can be found here

    Change of Mind - Remainder Marks

    Generally we do not accept returns due to a change of mind. 

    Our books are remainders which means that they occasionally have a texta mark at the base of the book.  This is one reason our prices are so low.  Unfortunately we cannot accept returns for books that are marked in this way. 

    Change of Mind - Mystery Boxes

    We do not generally provide a change-of-mind refund simply because a Mystery Box contains books you are not interested in.  Any refunds we may give will be on a discretionary basis and will depend on the box being shipped back to us. You would be required to pay return shipping for your box.

    Mystery Box - Important to Read:  We do our best to ensure that our Mystery Boxes contain books selected from a wide range of categories.  (Aside from specific Mystery Boxes such as YA Mystery, of course).  As such, you're almost certainly not going to love all the books.  However, they are about $3 each, so can be re-gifted, used for craft, used to bulk out your collection, saved for a hobby you don't yet have... it's up to you!

    We will, however, provide you with a refund for any duplicates of the same title in a Mystery (or any) Box.  Please send a photograph with your email.  The refund is calculated as a proportion of the number of books in the box. 

    If you are concerned you might not like the books in a Mystery Box, we strongly encourage you to try one of our category boxes instead - which have the full book list published in the description.  

    Damaged or incorrect orders 

    If you have received items that are damaged or incorrect please contact us at help@bookgrocer.com.

    Please note that we will assess damages and any returns/refunds are at our discretion.  Full information about damage criteria can be found here.

    If your return is accepted, we’ll send you a return shipping label, as well as instructions on how and where to send your package. Items sent back to us without first requesting a return will not be accepted. 

    Please inspect your order upon reception and contact us immediately if the item is defective, damaged or if you receive the wrong item, so that we can evaluate the issue and make it right.

    Exceptions / non-returnable items

    Unfortunately, we cannot accept returns on sale items or gift cards. 

    Refunds

    We will notify you once we’ve received and inspected your return, and let you know if the refund was approved or not. If approved, you’ll be automatically refunded on your original payment method. Please remember it can take some time for your bank or credit card company to process and post the refund too.

    Customer Reviews

    Be the first to write a review
    0%
    (0)
    0%
    (0)
    0%
    (0)
    0%
    (0)
    0%
    (0)

    Related Products

    Recently Viewed Products

    Customer Reviews

    Be the first to write a review
    0%
    (0)
    0%
    (0)
    0%
    (0)
    0%
    (0)
    0%
    (0)
    BACK TO TOP