The Andromeda Galaxy and the rise of modern astronomy / David Schultz.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Schultz, David.

Series:

Astronomers' universe.

Astronomers' universe, 1614-659X

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Astronomy--History.

Astronomy.

Andromeda Galaxy.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (277 p.)

Edition:

1st ed. 2012.

Place of Publication:

New York : Springer, 2012.

Language Note:

English

Summary:

The Andromeda Galaxy - Messier's M31 - has an almost romantic appeal. It is the most distant object and the only extragalactic object that is visible to the unaided human eye. It is also almost a twin of the Milky Way Galaxy and our neighbor in space, now known to be about 2.5 million light-years away. The Andromeda Galaxy and the Rise of Modern Astronomy examines ancient and modern astronomical studies of Andromeda and the galaxy's critical role in the development of the science of astrophysics and our growing knowledge of the universe. At the start of the twentieth century the universe was thought of as a finite cosmos dominated by the Milky Way. The study of Andromeda shattered that image, leading ultimately to the conception of an infinite universe of countless galaxies and vast distances. Even today, M31 is a major source of new astronomical discoveries, and it also remains one of the most popular (and rewarding) celestial objects for amateur astronomers to observe and study. Andromeda was once a popular object of folklore and later became central to our understanding of the universe. For all who are interested in astronomy, the skies, and perhaps even the origins of the universe, The Andromeda Galaxy and the Rise of Modern Astronomy provides a first-of-its-kind accessible, informative, and highly readable account of how the study and observation of this celestial object has driven the development of astronomy from ancient times to the present.

Contents:

Chapter 1: The Wonder of Andromeda Galaxy

Chapter 2: Early Depictions of Andromeda

Chapter 3: A Single Closed Theory of the Universe

Chapter 4: Andromeda and the Technological Revolution in Astronomy

Chapter 5: Andromeda and Astronomy at the Beginning of the Twentieth Century

Chapter 6: The Andromeda Nebula and the Great Island-Universe Debate

Chapter 7: Edwin Hubble, an Infinite Universe, and the Classification of Galaxies

Chapter 8: Andromeda, Galactic Redshift, and the Big Bang Theory

Chapter 9: Andromeda, Cosmology, and Post-World War II Astronomy

Chapter 10: Astronomy and Andromeda at the Close of the Twentieth Century

Chapter 11: The Andromeda Galaxy

References

Andromeda Statistics

Index.

Notes:

Description based upon print version of record.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN:

1-280-85827-3

9786613711847

1-4614-3049-6

OCLC:

792808425