MANCHESTER UNIVERSITY PRESS OU KYASSQuasars—or quasi-stellar objects associated with discrete radio sources—look, to op- tical astronomers, like very blue but other- wise normal stars. The recognition, as recently as 1961, that some of these ‘stars’ had big redshifts and yet gave detectable radio emission ushered in a new period of co-operation between astrophysicists and radio astronomers. As the quasars were vestigated further it became clear that they are among the most exciting dis- coveries in astrophysics in this century. They are therefore attracting much inter- est, and some of this has spilled over into the popular press and other media. For this reason the authors of this book were invited to give a series of lectures in Manchester in the autumn of 1965. These lectures attracted considerable interest locally, but it was found that there were no books at all at that time dealing with quasars to which the audience could be referred. These lectures have now been revised to take account of the changes that have occurred since November 1965, and they appear in this book in a form suitable for the general reader who has scientific and astronomical interests. Dr. Kahn has been concerned as theore- tician in detailed studies of the structure of some of the quasars. During the last few years he has held visiting appointments at Leiden, Princeton, Pasadena, and Col- umbia. Dr. Palmer has been engaged for many years in the study of discrete radio sources using the giant radio telescope at Jodrell Bank, usually in conjunction with telescopes in other places. Some of these measurements contributed to the first recognition of the quasars, and are of increasing importance as they are studied in more detail. 30s. net Jacket designed by W. J, SmithBOROUGH OF WHITEHAVEN. PUBLIC LIBRARY LENDING DEPARTMENT \