Patrick McCray research material for his book, Giant Telescopes,
1970-1997
Repository
American Institute of Physics. Niels Bohr Library & Archives.
Papers created by
McCray, Patrick (W. Patrick)
Size of collection
5 linear feet
5 records box(s)
Short description of collection
Correspondence, reports, notes, press items and clippings and other research material assembled and created by McCray while writing his book "Giant Telescopes: astronomical ambition and the promise of technology" (Harvard University Press, 2004).
Language(s) of collection
English
Collection number:
AR2009875
Professor, Department of History, UC Santa Barbara. Research interests: the confluence of science and technology with politics and popular culture; technology during the Cold War (nuclear and space-related).
This collection contains correspondence, reports, notes, press items and clippings and other research material assembled and created by McCray while writing his book "Giant Telescopes: astronomical ambition and the promise of technology" (Harvard University Press, 2004). Topics and individuals discussed in these files include: Gemini 8M Telescope Project; other large telescopes such as the Next Generation Telescope (NGT) and National New Technology Telescope (NNTT); observatories and organizations such as Kitt Peak National Observatory (KPNO), Steward Observatory Mirror Lab (SOML), National Optical Astronomy Observatory (NOAO) and Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy (AURA); government funding of telescope construction by the National Science Foundation and the National Academy of Sciences; and developments in astronomy and telescope construction.
Researchers must have an approved access application on file in order to access archival materials. https://www.aip.org/history-programs/niels-bohr-library/item-request.
These papers have been indexed in the
International Catalog of Sources for History of Physics and Allied Sciences (ICOS)
using the following terms. Those seeking related materials should search under these terms.
Persons
McCray, Patrick (W. Patrick)
Institutions
Gemini Project
Kitt Peak National Observatory
Multiple Mirror Telescope Observatory
National Academy of Sciences (U.S.)
National Optical Astronomy Observatory (U.S.)
National Science Foundation (U.S.)
Next Generation Telescope
Steward Observatory
Subject terms
Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy
Astronomy.
Telescopes. Design and construction.
Genre terms
Reports.
Research notes.
The collection is organized into six series:
- Series I: Gemini 8M Telescope Project
- Series II: Next Generation Telescope (NGT) and National New Technology Telescope (NNTT) - Kitt Peak National Observatory (KPNO), National Optical Astronomy Observatory (NOAO) and Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy (AURA)
- Series III: Steward Observatory Mirror Lab (SOML)
- Series IV: Telescopes
- Series V: Astronomy
- Series VI: Miscellaneous
Arranged chronologically within each series.
Gift of Patrick McCray, 2007.
This collection was processed by
Melanie J. Brown in
2009.
Box [number], Folder [number], Patrick McCray research material for his book, Giant Telescopes, 1904-2003. American Institute of Physics, Niels Bohr Library & Archives, College Park, MD 20740, USA.
Title
Finding Aid to the Patrick McCray research material for his book, Giant Telescopes, 1970-1997
Publisher
American Institute of Physics Niels Bohr Library & Archives
One Physics Ellipse
College Park, MD 20740
USA
nbl@aip.org
2009
Encoding Information
Machine-readable finding aid encoded by Melanie J. Brown in 2009. Any revisions made to this finding aid occurred as part of the editing and encoding process.
| Box 1 |
Folder 1 |
Gemini Project - U.S. politics (formal and informal) regarding Gemini, 1983-1993 |
|
Folder 2 |
Gemini - mirror selection (with index) (1 of 2), 1985-1993 |
|
Folder 3 |
Gemini - mirror selection (with index) (2 of 2), 1985-1993 |
|
Folder 4 |
Gemini - international collaboration: United Kingdom and Canada, 1987-2001 |
|
Folder 5 |
Gemini - forums on "megascience" (with index), 1988-1992 |
|
Folder 6 |
Gemini management - board and committee meeting minutes, 1990-1993 |
|
Folder 7 |
Gemini - project management - correspondence and reports, 1990-2001 |
|
Folder 8 |
Gemini - "Science" requirements, science/design issues, 1991-1996 |
|
Folder 9 |
Gemini board meeting book, November 1992 |
|
Folder 10 |
Gemini - international collaboration: South America and Australia, 1992-2002 |
|
Folder 11 |
Gemini 8M Telescope Project - materials for the Gemini oversight committee, May 1993 |
|
Folder 12 |
Gemini project - telescope instrumentation, 1993-2002 |
| Box 2 |
Folder 1 |
Gemini 8M Telescope Project - papers submitted to SPIE 1994 Symposium on Astromonmical Telescope and Instrumentation for the 21st Century (RPT-PS-60029), March 1994 |
|
Folder 2 |
Gemini - board meeting minutes, 1994-1998 |
|
Folder 3 |
Gemini - telescopes - management issues and tools, 1995-2001 |
|
Folder 4 |
Gemini - miscellaneous documents, 1996-1997 |
|
Folder 5 |
Gemini - miscellaneous material, 1999-2002 |
|
Folder 6 |
Gemini finding aids, 2000 |
|
Folder 7 |
Gemini - science results (press releases, reports), 2000-2002 |
|
Folder 8 |
List of Gemini and telescope documents at National Science Foundation (NSF) Division of Astronomical Sciences, 2001 |
| Box 2 |
Folder 9 |
Kitt Peak National Observatory (KPNO) - history and establishment, National Optical Astronomy Observatory (NOAO) - miscellaneous press, 1992-2000 |
|
Folder 10 |
Kitt Peak National Observatory (KPNO) - "X"-inch project, 1953; undated |
|
Folder 11 |
Kitt Peak National Observatory (KPNO) telescopes - 150", 80", 1965; undated |
|
Folder 12 |
Next Generation Telescope (NGT) to National New Technology Telescope (NNTT) - primary material and notes (w/index), 1975-1987 |
|
Folder 13 |
Next Generation Telescope (NGT) - technology development program, 1977 |
|
Folder 14 |
NSF proposal - "The Palantir": a concept for a 25M telescope - Kitt Peak National Observatory (KPNO), January 1977 |
|
Folder 15 |
Next Generation Telescope (NGT) report #2 - a concept for a 25M telescope - the rotating shoe array, Kitt Peak National Observatory (KPNO), May 1977 |
|
Folder 16 |
Next Generation Telescope (NGT), National New Technology Telescope (NNTT), Gemini - miscellaneous documents (w/index), 1977-1993 |
|
Folder 17 |
Next Generation Telescope (NGT) to National New Technology Telescope (NNTT) - technology articles, staff publications and news updates, 1978-1988 |
|
Folder 18 |
Kitt Peak National Observatory (KPNO) 2M Advanced Technology Telescope (ATT), 1979 |
|
Folder 19 |
Kitt Peak National Observatory (KPNO) - additional newletters, 1979-1992 |
|
Folder 20 |
Kitt Peak National Observatory (KPNO), National Optical Astronomy Observatory (NOAO), Gemini - newsletters, 1980-1994 |
|
Folder 21 |
National New Technology Telescope (NNTT) - status report, April 1983 |
|
Folder 22 |
National New Technology Telescope (NNTT) Scientific Advisory Committee meeting #s 5, 6, and 7, November 1983-January 1984 |
|
Folder 23 |
Consultant notes from National New Technology Telescope (NNTT) Scientific Advisory Committee technology assessment workshops, 1984 |
| Box 3 |
Folder 1 |
Larry Barr files - notes on National New Technology Telescope (NNTT)/National Optical Astronomy Observatory (NOAO) 8M telescope, 1998, 1977-1986 |
|
Folder 2 |
National New Technology Telescope (NNTT) - technology development program - Report number 3 - notes on the NNTT design workshop, 1982 |
|
Folder 3 |
Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy (AURA)/National Optical Astronomy Observatory (NOAO) - correspondence, minutes, reports (w/index) (1 of 2), 1983-1999 |
|
Folder 4 |
Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy (AURA)/National Optical Astronomy Observatory (NOAO) - correspondence, minutes, reports (w/index) (2 of 2), 1983-1999 |
|
Folder 5 |
National Optical Astronomy Observatory (NOAO) - report of the National New Technology Telescope (NNTT) Scientific Advisory Committee, December 1984 |
|
Folder 6 |
National Optical Astronomy Observatory (NOAO) 8M telescopes - executive summary and scientific programs, 1989 |
|
Folder 7 |
National Optical Astronomy Observatory (NOAO) 8M telescopes - technical description, September 1989 |
| Box 3 |
Folder 8 |
Mirror Lab - popular press, articles, 1977-2002 |
|
Folder 9 |
Steward Observatory Mirror Lab (SOML) proposals of the 1980s (NSF, AURA, KPNO, NOAO), 1981-1989 |
|
Folder 10 |
Steward Observatory Mirror Lab (SOML) - publications, 1981-2001 |
|
Folder 11 |
University of Arizona Steward - Observatory Mirror Lab (SOML) - proposal for the fabrication of telescope primary mirror blanks for the Gemini project, June 1992 |
|
Folder 12 |
Steward Observatory Mirror Lab (SOML) project - internal reports and documents, 1982-1989 |
|
Folder 13 |
Steward Observatory Mirror Lab (SOML) - press releases, news and popular articles, 1987-1998 |
| Box 3 |
Folder 14 |
Lick Observatory 120" telescope, undated |
|
Folder 15 |
Telescopes - Hale 200" - papers by Ritchy Hale, 1904-2001 |
|
Folder 16 |
Papers on large telescopes - demand, issues, general design, reviews, panel discussions (1 of 2), 1961-2002 |
| Box 4 |
Folder 1 |
Papers on large telescopes - demand, issues, general design, reviews, panel discussions (2 of 2), 1961-2002 |
|
Folder 2 |
Canadian Queen Elizabeth II (QE2) 157" telescope, 1964-1968; undated |
|
Folder 3 |
Corning Glass Works astronomical telescopes, 1965 |
|
Folder 4 |
Telescopes - computers, data handling, automation, 1967-2001 |
|
Folder 5 |
Telescopes - site selection, Hawaii and Mt. Graham, 1968-2001 |
|
Folder 6 |
Multiple Mirror Telescope (MMT) - upgrade, 1970-2002 |
|
Folder 7 |
Telescopes - Soviet 6M, 1977-1992 |
|
Folder 8 |
Keck Telescope, University of California (UC) 10M telescope, UC Segmented Mirror Telescope (SMT) - tech development, 1978-1998 |
|
Folder 9 |
Multiple Mirror Telescope (MMT) - the MMT and the future of ground-based astronomy (Special Report number 385), May 1979 |
|
Folder 10 |
Telescopes - technical literature (A-L), 1980-1999 |
|
Folder 11 |
Telescopes - technical literature (M-Z), 1980-1999 |
|
Folder 12 |
National Science Foundation (NSF) development program for a national 15M telescope, 1981 |
|
Folder 13 |
Mirrors and telescopes - commercial interest, 1982-2000 |
|
Folder 14 |
European Southern Observatory (ESO) Very Large Telescope (VLT), 1983-1998 |
|
Folder 15 |
University of Texas (Astronomy, number 22) - report of the optical conference on the 7.6M telescope, March 1992, May 1984 |
|
Folder 16 |
Telescopes - Subaru project, 1984-1999 |
|
Folder 17 |
Telescopes - Large Binocular Telescope (LBT), 1985-1998 |
|
Folder 18 |
Hubble Space Telescope, 1985-1999 |
|
Folder 19 |
Vatican Advanced Technology Telescope (VATT), Southern Observatory for Astrophysical Research (SOAR), Wisconsin Indiana Yale NOAO (WIYN) telescope, Astrophysical Research Consortium (ARC), and Starfire Optical Range (SOR) 3.5M, 1986-1998 |
|
Folder 20 |
Telescopes - miscellaneous material and news, 1986-2002 |
|
Folder 21 |
Science and Engineering Research Council - astronomy and planetary science board - report of the large telescope panel, 1987 |
|
Folder 22 |
National Science Foundation (NSF) proposal - making large borosilicate glass honeycomb mirrors for astronomical telescopes, 1987 |
|
Folder 23 |
National Science Foundation (NSF) proposal - casting and polishing telescope mirrors, 1989 |
| Box 5 |
Folder 1 |
William Herschel Telescope - La Palma, 1990 |
|
Folder 2 |
Telescopes - Magellan, 1994-2001 |
|
Folder 3 |
California Extremely Large Telescope (CELT), Giant Segmented Mirror Telescope (GSMT), Overwhelmingly Large Telescope (OWL) - press, 1998-2002 |
| Box 5 |
Folder 4 |
Astronomy - detectors and Charge-Coupled Devices (CCDs), 1955-2001 |
|
Folder 5 |
Astronomy - "practice" and use of telescopes, 1972-2002 |
|
Folder 6 |
History of astronomy - funding and policy, 1972-2003 |
|
Folder 7 |
Astronomy - publication, citation, productivity papers, 1980-2001 |
|
Folder 8 |
Astronomy - policy papers and reports, 1990-1999 |
|
Folder 9 |
Astronomy - visibility and publicity, 1994-2001 |
| Box 5 |
Folder 10 |
R. Gehrz - personal/working file material, University of Minnesota (w/index), 1976-1983 |
|
Folder 11 |
Adaptive optics (1 of 2), 1978-2002 |
|
Folder 12 |
Adaptive optics (2 of 2), 1978-2002 |
|
Folder 13 |
U.S. science policy and funding (general), 1980s through 1990s, 1980-2000 |
|
Folder 14 |
United Kingdom science - background, 1982-2001 |
|
Folder 15 |
Richard Ellis - personal papers on various topics (w/index), 1986-1995 |
|
Folder 16 |
European Southern Observatory (ESO) - general, 1988-2002 |
|
Folder 17 |
National Academy of Science (NAS) - McKee-Taylor decadal survey, 2000, 1999-2001 |
|
Folder 18 |
Guides to primary documents and finding aids, 2001; undated |
|
Folder 19 |
National Academy of Science (NAS) - blue ribbon panel, 2001 |
|
Folder 20 |
Sloan Digital Sky Survey, 2001 |
