In the centennial year, 1985-86, of Harlow Shapley's birth, the study of globular clusters was no less important to the development of astronomy than in 1915, when Shapley first noted their concentration on the sky. By 1917 Shapley had used the properties of the system of globular clusters to complete the Copernican revolution and locate the solar system, and its Earth-bound observers, far from the center of the Galaxy and the globular cluster distribution. Seven decades later, in the year of these proceedings, globular cluster research and the study of the system of globular clusters in our own and distant galaxies is undergoing a renaissance of activity. The introduction of new observational tools, particularly CCD imagers and digital spectrographs, as well as powerful theoretical methods have transformed the study of globular clusters into one of the main line areas of modern astrophysics. Thus it seemed particularly appropriate to one of us, when considering how the Harvard College Observatory might mark the Shapley centennial, to propose and plan for an IAU Symposium on Globular Cluster Systems in Galaxies. Planning for the Shapley Symposium, as it came to be called, was even more drawn out than the preparation of this volume. The Symposium was originally proposed to the IAU Secretariat in time for it to be held in August, 1985, so that it might occur in the centennial (calendar) year.

In the centennial year, 1985-86, of Harlow Shapley's birth, the study of globular clusters was no less important to the development of astronomy than in 1915, when Shapley first noted their concentration on the sky. By 1917 Shapley had used the properties of the system of globular clusters to complete the Copernican revolution and locate the solar system, and its Earth-bound observers, far from the center of the Galaxy and the globular cluster distribution. Seven decades later, in the year of these proceedings, globular cluster research and the study of the system of globular clusters in our own and distant galaxies is undergoing a renaissance of activity. The introduction of new observational tools, particularly CCD imagers and digital spectrographs, as well as powerful theoretical methods have transformed the study of globular clusters into one of the main line areas of modern astrophysics. Thus it seemed particularly appropriate to one of us, when considering how the Harvard College Observatory might mark the Shapley centennial, to propose and plan for an IAU Symposium on Globular Cluster Systems in Galaxies. Planning for the Shapley Symposium, as it came to be called, was even more drawn out than the preparation of this volume. The Symposium was originally proposed to the IAU Secretariat in time for it to be held in August, 1985, so that it might occur in the centennial (calendar) year.

A thought provoking study of the powerful impact of images in guiding astronomers' understanding of galaxies through time.

The large-scale structure of the Universe is dominated by vast voids with galaxies clustered in knots, sheets, and filaments, forming a great 'cosmic web'. In this personal account of the major astronomical developments leading to this discovery, we learn from Laird A. Thompson, a key protagonist, how the first 3D maps of galaxies were created. Using non-mathematical language, he introduces the standard model of cosmology before explaining how and why ideas about cosmic voids evolved, referencing the original maps, reproduced here. His account tells of the competing teams of observers, racing to publish their results, the theorists trying to build or update their models to explain them, and the subsequent large-scale survey efforts that continue to the present day. This is a well-documented account of the birth of a major pillar of modern cosmology, and a useful case study of the trials surrounding how this scientific discovery became accepted.

From the reviews: "Astronomy and Astrophysics Abstracts has appeared in semi-annual volumes since 1969 and it has already become one of the fundamental publications in the fields of astronomy, astrophysics and neighbouring sciences. It is the most important English-language abstracting journal in the mentioned branches. ...The abstracts are classified under more than a hundred subject categories, thus permitting a quick survey of the whole extended material. The AAA is a valuable and important publication for all students and scientists working in the fields of astronomy and related sciences. As such it represents a necessary ingredient of any astronomical library all over the world." Space Science Reviews#1 "Dividing the whole field plus related subjects into 108 categories, each work is numbered and most are accompanied by brief abstracts. Fairly comprehensive cross-referencing links relevant papers to more than one category, and exhaustive author and subject indices are to be found at the back, making the catalogues easy to use. The series appears to be so complete in its coverage and always less than a year out of date that I shall certainly have to make a little more space on those shelves for future volumes." The Observatory Magazine#2

Globular clusters are roughly spherical, densely packed groups of stars found around galaxies. Most globular clusters probably formed at the same time as their host galaxies. Therefore they provide a unique fossil record of the conditions during the formation and early evolution of galaxies. This volume presents a comprehensive review of globular cluster systems. It summarizes their observed properties and shows how these constrain models of the structure of stars, the formation and evolution of galaxies and globular clusters, and the age of the Universe. For graduate students and researchers, this timely volume provides the definitive reference on globular cluster systems.

Dramatic progress is a trademark of the recent study of globular cluster systems. Considerations about the formation and evolution compose the first chapter, followed by a chapter on young star clusters. Then come four chapters reviewing the globular cluster system of early-type, late-type and dwarf galaxies, as well as of groups of galaxies. One chapter is dedicated to stellar population models and their applications to the field. Finally a chapter reviews the kinematics of galaxies derived from globular cluster systems and another their role in the context of galaxy formation and evolution studies. As a whole, the book gives an up-to-date view of the field at the beginning of the new decade, which will without doubt again bring significant progress in our understanding of globular cluster systems and galaxy formation and evolution.

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Contains 250 questions and answers about astronomy, particular for the amateur astronomer.

One of the world's most distinguished astrophysicists presents a comprehensive theoretical treatment of the dynamical evolution of globular clusters. Lyman Spitzer's research in this field established the framework for decades of investigation. Now he summarizes in a unified, systematic way this branch of theoretical astrophysics with its still challenging problems. Originally published in 1988. The Princeton Legacy Library uses the latest print-on-demand technology to again make available previously out-of-print books from the distinguished backlist of Princeton University Press. These editions preserve the original texts of these important books while presenting them in durable paperback and hardcover editions. The goal of the Princeton Legacy Library is to vastly increase access to the rich scholarly heritage found in the thousands of books published by Princeton University Press since its founding in 1905.