This book is a synopsis of modern deep-field astronomy based on the powerful telescopes and
instruments developed in recent years. It is organized along topical themes such as the
extragalactic background radiation at different wavelengths the evolution of galaxies the
history of star formation the nature of absorbers the reionization of the intergalactic
medium the validity of photometric redshifts gravitational lensing and clustering of
galaxies. Stellar and substellar objects were not neglected however and one session was
devoted to nearby bodies such as trans-Neptunian solar system objects brown dwarfs and stars
with special characteristics.
