Author: W. Patrick McCray Hardcover: 324 pages When the Soviets
launched Sputnik in 1957, thousands of ordinary people across
the globe seized the opportunity to participate in the start of
the Space Age. Known as the "Moonwatchers," these largely
forgotten citizen-scientists helped professional astronomers by
providing critical and otherwise unavailable information about
the first satellites. In Keep Watching the Skies!, Patrick
McCray tells the story of this network of pioneers who, fueled
by civic pride and exhilarated by space exploration, took part
in the twentieth century's biggest scientific endeavor. Around
the world, thousands of teenagers, homemakers, teachers, amateur
astronomers, and other citizens joined Moonwatch teams. Despite
their diverse backgrounds and nationalities, they shared a
remarkable faith in the transformative power of science--a faith
inspired by the Cold War culture in which they lived. Against
the backdrop of the space race and technological advancement,
ordinary people develope