A History of Astronomy: from 1890 to the PresentThe history of astronomy is, like most history, a multidimensional story, and when writing about a specific period, the author has to decide how to handle all the developments of earlier times in order to set the scene. I have done this by starting most chapters of the book with a summary of astronomical knowledge at the beginning of our chosen period, together with a brief review of how such knowledge had been gained. This story is not only interesting in itself, but it will also assist those readers that would appreciate a brief reminder of some of the basic elements of astronomy. It is also necessary to decide when to start our history. Should it be the year 1900 or 1890, or should it be linked to some key development or investigation, e. g. the discovery of the electron by J. J. Thomson in 1897, or the discovery of spectroscopic binary stars by Pickering and Vogel (independently) in 1889, or maybe the year 1890 in which Thomas Edison tried unsuccessfully to detect radio waves from the Sun and Johannes Rydberg published his formula for atomic spectra? I have, in fact, decided to start this history at about 1890, as it was the year of publication of the Draper Memorial Catalogue of stellar spectra which, together with its updates, provided essential data for the understanding of stellar spectra until well into the twentieth century. This date also gives a clear hundred years up to the present. |
Contents
| 11 | |
The Surface | 26 |
Venus | 42 |
The Gas Giants | 62 |
Uranus | 80 |
Small Bodies of the Solar System | 96 |
Comets | 109 |
The Luminosity of Stars | 125 |
Galaxies | 230 |
Dwarf Galaxies | 246 |
Optical Telescopes and Observatories | 259 |
Schmidt Telescopes | 272 |
Spectroscopy | 290 |
Other Tools and Techniques | 304 |
Space Research | 320 |
Missions to the Terrestrial Planets | 327 |
The Source of Energy in Stars | 141 |
Variable and Double Stars | 154 |
NonEclipsing Binaries | 169 |
Black Holes | 204 |
The Interstellar Medium | 221 |
Orbital Observatories | 341 |
Modern Astronomy in Context | 355 |
| 368 | |
Common terms and phrases
absorption lines analysis Andromeda appeared arcsec asteroids astronomers atmosphere atoms axis binary bright carbon caused centre Cepheids clouds comet concluded corona craters density detected diameter disc discovered discovery distance Earth eclipse emission lines emitted energy estimated galactic galaxies globular clusters H-R diagram Harvard Harvard College Observatory helium Hubble hydrogen images inch indicating infrared intensity interstellar ionised Jupiter km/s later launched Lick Observatory light luminosity magnetic field main sequence Mars mass maximum measured Mercury Milky million mirror Moon Mount Wilson Neptune neutron star nineteenth century nova nucleus Observatory observed optical orbit particles photographic planet planetary nebulae Pluto produced pulsar quasars radiation radio source radio telescope reflector refractor ring rocket rotation period satellite Saturn Section seen Shapley showed similar solar system spacecraft spectra spectrum spiral stellar suggested sunspots supernova surface temperature theory thought University Uranus velocity Venus Voyager wavelengths white dwarf X-ray y-rays