The Future of AstronomyPickering, Edward C. (Edward Charles)
Science
The Future of Astronomy
Pickering, Edward C. (Edward Charles)
Astronomy
The second great advance in astronomy originated in America, and was in
an entirely different direction, the application of photography to the
study of the stars. The first photographic image of a star was obtained
in 1850, by George P. Bond, with the assistance of Mr. J.A. Whipple, at
the Harvard College Observatory. A daguerreotype plate was placed at the
focus of the 15-inch equatorial, at that time one of the two largest
refracting telescopes in the world. An image of [Greek: alpha] Lyræ was
thus obtained, and for this Mr. Bond received a gold medal at the first
international exhibition, that at the Crystal Palace, in London, in
1851. In 1857, Mr. Bond, then Professor Bond, director of the Harvard
Observatory, again took up the matter with collodion wet plates, and in
three masterly papers showed the advantages of photography in many ways.
The lack of sensitiveness of the wet plate was perhaps the only reason
why its use progressed but slowly. Quarter of a century later, with the
introduction of the dry plate and the gelatine film, a new start was
made. These photographic plates were very sensitive, were easily
handled, and indefinitely long exposures could be made with them. As a
result, photography has superseded visual observations, in many
departments of astronomy, and is now carrying them far beyond the limits
that would have been deemed possible a few years ago.
The third great advance in astronomy is in photographing the spectra of
the stars. The first photograph showing the lines in a stellar spectrum
was obtained by Dr. Henry Draper, of New York, in 1872. Sir William
Huggins in 1863 had obtained an image of the spectrum of Sirius, on a
photographic plate, but no lines were visible in it. In 1876 he again
took up the subject, and, by an early publication, preceded Dr. Draper.
When we consider the attention the photography of stellar spectra is
receiving at the present time, in nearly all the great observatories in
the world, it may well be regarded as the third great advance in
astronomy.
What will be the fourth advance, and how will it be brought about? To
answer this question we must consider the various ways in which
astronomy, and for that matter any other science, may be advanced.
First, by educating astronomers. There are many observatories where
excellent instruction in astronomy is given, either to the general
student or to one who wishes to make it his profession. At almost any
active observatory a student would be received as a volunteer assistant.
Unfortunately, few young men can afford to accept an unpaid position,
and the establishment of a number of fellowships each offering a small
salary sufficient to support the student would enable him to acquire the
necessary knowledge to fill a permanent position. The number of these
scholarships should not be large, lest more students should undertake
the work than would be required to fill the permanent paying positions
in astronomy, as they become vacant.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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