Life of an Astronomer

Helmut Abt opted for astronomy as a vocation because... well, it was fun. Dr. Abt will delight readers with this light-hearted memoir of a career in 20th century astrophysics, its challenges, its participants, and the fascinating places in the world he visited. With humor and insight he takes readers on the journey of a lifetime filled with stars and exciting adventures. Among other stories, he tells how he located the site of the first national observatory at Kitt Peak in the Arizona desert, and about the joys of being the chief editor of the Astrophysical Journal for 29 years, plus how he helped the Chinese get started in astrophysics, and about his work on double stars that led to the discovery of exoplanets, all interspersed with tales of his travels to dozens of interesting places.