1. The naked-eye universe
2. The development of the telescope
Diffraction and the perfect image
5. When good telescopes go bad
Imaging devices - the camera
Interference - how light waves combine
Michelson stellar interferometer
8. So you want to build an observatory?
9. The Hubble Space Telescope
10. Advanced telescope techniques
11. Laser communications and remote sensing
Other surveillance methods
13. Non-traditional observatories
Gravitational wave observatories
The solar system and Pluto
The first exo-solar planet
Appendix A : Some mathematical basics
Appendix B : Electromagnetic radiation
Appendix C : Getting your own telescope
