Reaching for the Stars : Studies in the History of Swedish Stellar and Nebular Astronomy, 1860–1940
(1999) In Ugglan. Mineravserien 13.- Abstract
- This study considers astrophysics, stellar and nebular astronomy in Sweden. Emphasis is on the role of scientific technologies and practice, and the emergence of a modern observational astronomy, supplanting classical astronomy as the most vital field of Swedish astronomy.
The introduction of photography and spectroscopy is discussed, mainly focused on Nils Dunér. The mechanical nature of the photographic observations was seen as something that entailed objectivity. Photography changed the way astronomers worked; the observations were industrialised. The stellar statistics of C.V.L. Charlier led to models of the distribution of stars in space; Charlier’s statistical astronomy was also connected with an increased interest... (More) - This study considers astrophysics, stellar and nebular astronomy in Sweden. Emphasis is on the role of scientific technologies and practice, and the emergence of a modern observational astronomy, supplanting classical astronomy as the most vital field of Swedish astronomy.
The introduction of photography and spectroscopy is discussed, mainly focused on Nils Dunér. The mechanical nature of the photographic observations was seen as something that entailed objectivity. Photography changed the way astronomers worked; the observations were industrialised. The stellar statistics of C.V.L. Charlier led to models of the distribution of stars in space; Charlier’s statistical astronomy was also connected with an increased interest for statistical methods in other parts of early twentieth-century Swedish culture. Knut Lundmark’s work was mainly on the distances to nebulæ. Lundmark also tried to catalogue the increased numbers of nebulæ observed in a general catalogue. A group centred on Bertil Lindblad worked on developing spectroscopical criteria for determining stellar distances. Lindblad and his group constructed a new observatory at Saltsjöbaden that was geared towards their research interests. Four professorial appointments are studied, where arguments about the relative merits of the fields of astronomy surfaced. The changing patterns of international contacts are also discussed, as are a number of astronomy-related scientists in other fields, publications on the history of astronomy and popular science. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
https://lup.lub.lu.se/record/19181
- author
- Holmberg, Gustav LU
- supervisor
- opponent
-
- Prof. Hufbauer, Karl, Seattle
- organization
- publishing date
- 1999
- type
- Thesis
- publication status
- published
- subject
- keywords
- stellar astronomy, history of astronomy, astrophysics, history of modern Swedish science, scientific practice, Astronomy, Astronomi
- in
- Ugglan. Mineravserien
- volume
- 13
- pages
- 243 pages
- publisher
- History of Science and Ideas
- defense location
- Room 201, department of Cultural Sciences, Biskopsgatan 7, Lund
- defense date
- 1999-12-17 10:15:00
- external identifiers
-
- other:ISRN: LUHFDA/HFIL--99/1004--SE+243
- ISSN
- 1102-4313
- ISBN
- 91-628-3837-7
- language
- English
- LU publication?
- yes
- id
- 56a8767a-7175-4786-94c1-2f31b27c0c00 (old id 19181)
- date added to LUP
- 2016-04-01 16:34:18
- date last changed
- 2020-05-07 10:12:31
@phdthesis{56a8767a-7175-4786-94c1-2f31b27c0c00,
abstract = {{This study considers astrophysics, stellar and nebular astronomy in Sweden. Emphasis is on the role of scientific technologies and practice, and the emergence of a modern observational astronomy, supplanting classical astronomy as the most vital field of Swedish astronomy.<br/><br>
<br/><br>
The introduction of photography and spectroscopy is discussed, mainly focused on Nils Dunér. The mechanical nature of the photographic observations was seen as something that entailed objectivity. Photography changed the way astronomers worked; the observations were industrialised. The stellar statistics of C.V.L. Charlier led to models of the distribution of stars in space; Charlier’s statistical astronomy was also connected with an increased interest for statistical methods in other parts of early twentieth-century Swedish culture. Knut Lundmark’s work was mainly on the distances to nebulæ. Lundmark also tried to catalogue the increased numbers of nebulæ observed in a general catalogue. A group centred on Bertil Lindblad worked on developing spectroscopical criteria for determining stellar distances. Lindblad and his group constructed a new observatory at Saltsjöbaden that was geared towards their research interests. Four professorial appointments are studied, where arguments about the relative merits of the fields of astronomy surfaced. The changing patterns of international contacts are also discussed, as are a number of astronomy-related scientists in other fields, publications on the history of astronomy and popular science.}},
author = {{Holmberg, Gustav}},
isbn = {{91-628-3837-7}},
issn = {{1102-4313}},
keywords = {{stellar astronomy; history of astronomy; astrophysics; history of modern Swedish science; scientific practice; Astronomy; Astronomi}},
language = {{eng}},
publisher = {{History of Science and Ideas}},
school = {{Lund University}},
series = {{Ugglan. Mineravserien}},
title = {{Reaching for the Stars : Studies in the History of Swedish Stellar and Nebular Astronomy, 1860–1940}},
url = {{https://lup.lub.lu.se/search/files/79263807/Ugglan_nr_13.pdf}},
volume = {{13}},
year = {{1999}},
}