Guidebook for the Scientific Traveler: Visiting Astronomy and Space Exploration Sites Across America (Scientific Traveler) (Scientific Traveler) (Scientific Traveler) (Scientific Traveler)

261 Pages·2008·4.64 MB·English

by  Duane S. Nickell

Nickell_final 6/26/08 5:35 PM Page i
Guidebook for the
Scientific Traveler
Nickell_final 6/26/08 5:35 PM Page ii
THE SCIENTIFIC TRAVELER
Duane S. Nickell, Series Editor
The Scientific Traveler series celebrates science and technology in America by high-
lighting places to visit of interest to educators, vacationers, and enthusiasts alike.
Each book gives readers an introduction to the stories behind the sites, museums,
and attractions related to topics like astronomy and space exploration, industry
and innovation, geology and natural science. Doubling as a guidebook, each pro-
vides readers with useful and practical information for planning their own science-
themed trips across America.
Nickell_final 6/26/08 5:35 PM Page iii
Guidebook for the
Scientific Traveler
VISITING ASTRONOMY AND
SPACE EXPLORATION SITES
ACROSS AMERICA
DUANE S. NICKELL
Rutgers University Press
New Brunswick,New Jersey,and London
Nickell_final 6/26/08 5:35 PM Page iv
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Nickell,Duane S.
Guidebook for the scientific traveler : visiting astronomy and space exploration sites
across America / Duane S.Nickell.
p.cm. — (Scientific traveler)
Includes index.
ISBN 978–0-8135–4374–1 (pbk :alk.paper)
1. Astronomy—Popular works. 2. Astronomy—Miscellanea. I. Title.
QB44.3.N53 2008
520.973—dc22
2008000881
A British Cataloging-in-Publication record for this book is available from the British Library.
Copyright © 2008 by Duane S.Nickell
All rights reserved
No part of this book may be reproduced or utilized in any form or by any means,electronic
or mechanical,or by any information storage and retrieval system,without written permission
from the publisher.Please contact Rutgers University Press,100 Joyce Kilmer Avenue,
Piscataway,NJ 08854–8099.The only exception to this prohibition is “fair use”as defined by
U.S.copyright law.
Visit our Web site:http://rutgerspress.rutgers.edu
Manufactured in the United States of America
Nickell_final 6/26/08 5:35 PM Page v
This book is dedicated to my parents,
Anna June and Carl Duane “Red” Nickell.
Nickell_final 6/26/08 5:35 PM Page vi
Nickell_final 6/26/08 5:35 PM Page vii
CONTENTS
Preface ix
Acknowledgments xiii
1 Native American Astronomy 1
2 Optical Telescopes 28
3 Radio Telescopes 78
4 Planetaria—Theaters of the Sky 89
5 NASA and Space Exploration 107
6 Space Museums 131
7 Astronomers, Astronauts, and Einstein 159
8 Aliens? 183
9 Space Rocks 194
10 Top Ten Out-of-This-World Experiences 212
AState-by-State List of Sites 231
Index 235
Nickell_final 6/26/08 5:35 PM Page viii
Nickell_final 6/26/08 5:35 PM Page ix
PREFACE
We are privileged to live in a modern world that is profoundly shaped by sci-
ence and technology. Our everyday lives depend heavily on conveniences
derived from advances in science and the technological applications that
follow them. Our information, transportation, communications, and health
care systems are deeply rooted in science. Even our democratic system of
government has its origins in The Enlightenment when reason and ration-
ality, as demonstrated by the science of Galileo and Newton, were applied to
government. Most significant, we owe our understanding of how the uni-
verse works and of our place in it to the scientific enterprise. Science stands
at the pinnacle of human intellectual achievement, and American science is
the envy of the world. Our citizens have won far more Nobel Prizes in the
sciences than any other country, and the best students from around the
world flock to our universities for their scientific training. Yet the vast major-
ity of the population has no formal scientific training beyond a few required
science courses in high school and college. Relatively few people have
careers in science and technology. But, of course, just because your job
doesn’t directly involve science doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy it. Just as
music is not just for musicians, science is not just for scientists. Popular
interest in science is high and should be encouraged. To experience and
appreciate music, people go to concert halls, opera houses, and other music
venues. Where are the places everyday people—nonscientists—can go to
experience and appreciate science?
This is the first in a series of books that answers that question. This book
series celebrates science and technology in America by listing, describing,
and providing background information on scientific and technological
points of interest across the United States, places that conventional travel
guides tend to ignore. Some of these sites are obvious and others obscure. In
addition to choosing the sites based on their scientific or historical signifi-
cance, the central practical criterion for selecting a site is its accessibility to
the public. Some sites, especially those on military and government property,
may require that visitors reserve a spot for a tour well in advance. A few very
notable sites are not publicly accessible, but they can be made accessible with
minimal effort. I hope these sites eventually open their doors to the public.
ix
Nickell_final 6/26/08 5:35 PM Page x
x Preface
The first book in this series focuses on scientific sites related to astron-
omy and space exploration. There are simply too many sites to list, much
less describe, so I have been very selective and included only the most sig-
nificant sites in each category. I have also made an effort to search out sites
that are not well known. I have personally visited about half of the sites, but
time and resources have precluded me from visiting all of them. The reader
may quibble with the inclusion or exclusion of some sites. In particular, sci-
entific purists may object to inclusion of Roswell and Area 51 in a book of
purportedly scientific sites. Fear not! The chapter on these sites is written
from a highly skeptical point of view. Like it or not (and I assure you I don’t),
these sites have captured the public imagination, and many people associ-
ate space travel and exploration with UFOs. I hope that my approach to
these sites counters the uncritical view that one finds in the mass media,
especially television. Besides, many scientific travelers may have an interest
in pseudoscientific sites as well.
I would strongly encourage readers to contact me if they know of sites
that may be worthy of inclusion in possible future editions of this book. I
have striven to be factually accurate and correct. I regret any errors that may
appear in this book and take full responsibility for them. Information
regarding hours and admissions fees was accurate at the time of writing, but,
of course, they may have changed since 2008. Please check the individual
websites for up-to-date information. I have only included driving instruc-
tions for a few of the more isolated locations. Again, most websites have
maps and directions as well as information regarding disabled access. Feel
free to send any comments, corrections, critiques, and site suggestions
directly to me at [email protected].
In addition to listing the sites, the book provides background informa-
tion on each location so that these special places may be more deeply appre-
ciated. Every effort has been made to present the background information
in a way that is comprehensible to the lay person. If the site is a museum,
then I describe some of the “must see” exhibits so you know what to look
for and won’t miss anything. I recall finding the famous Martian meteorite
ALH84001—the one that caused quite a stir a few years ago when NASA sci-
entists claimed the rock contained microfossils of Martian bacteria—in the
Smithsonian’s Natural History Museum. Yet because of its inconspicuous
location and signage, people were walking right by. I try to alert you to the
little gems hidden in the big museums.