The Ghost in the Telescope

The Story of the Herschel Space Observatory

Stephen Eales

$41.99

Paperback

Forthcoming
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English

CRC Press
07 August 2025

Astronomical observation: observatories, equipment & methods; Cosmology & the universe; Astrophysics; Earth sciences; Space science

The Ghost in the Telescope is an insider’s account of the Herschel Space Observatory, which was launched to answer two of the biggest questions in astronomy: How were the stars and galaxies born?

Written in an engaging manner for a general audience, this book tells the stories of the telescope itself, the discoveries it made, and the engineers and astronomers who built and used it.

This book, based on the author’s own experience and interviews with the key astronomers and engineers, tells the story of the mission, from its original concept on a piece of paper in Venice to the moment after the end of the mission when the engineers had to decide whether to crash the spacecraft into the Moon. Containing some of the most spectacular pictures ever taken of the universe, this book describes all the major discoveries made with the telescope. It also gives an account, accessible to anyone without previous scientific knowledge, of the latest research into the births of stars and galaxies.

This book may interest anyone who is curious about astronomy, space missions, and how astronomy is done in practice. It is designed to be easy to read and does not require any previous scientific background.

By: Stephen Eales
Imprint: CRC Press
Country of Publication: United Kingdom
Dimensions: Height: 254mm, Width: 178mm,
Weight: 453g
ISBN: 9781032043821
ISBN 10: 1032043822
Pages: 256
Publication Date: 07 August 2025
Audience: General/trade , Professional and scholarly , ELT Advanced , Undergraduate
Format: Paperback
Publisher's Status: Forthcoming

Stephen Eales spends his time trying to understand the births and life cycles of galaxies, using telescopes all over the world and in space. He is the author of over 300 peer-reviewed papers and, in 2016, he was awarded the Herschel Medal by the Royal Astronomical Society for his contributions to observational astrophysics.