• The Milky Way as Optical Phenomenon: Perception and Photography in the Drawings of Anton Pannekoek

    Author(s):
    Chaokang Tai (see profile)
    Date:
    2019
    Group(s):
    Science Studies and the History of Science
    Subject(s):
    Science, History
    Item Type:
    Book chapter
    Tag(s):
    History of astronomy, History of science
    Permanent URL:
    http://dx.doi.org/10.17613/bm6d-db39
    Abstract:
    One of Anton Pannekoek’s main scientific projects was to provide a representation of the appearance of the Milky Way – an object he believed to be an optical illusion. This paper elucidates how Pannekoek thought the Milky Way appearance was formed by a combination of human psychology and physiology, and why he attributed such significance to it. In doing so, it explores the connections between Pannekoek’s scientific methodology and his socialist epistemology. The paper also outlines the various techniques Pannekoek employed in his research. To observe the Milky Way, he used both extrafocal photography and visual observations by himself and others. To represent the results, he combined naturalistic drawings with verbal descriptions, numerical tables, and isophotic diagrams.
    Metadata:
    xml
    Published as:
    Book chapter     Show details
    Pub. DOI:
    10.2307/j.ctvp7d57c.13
    Publisher:
    Amsterdam University Press
    Pub. Date:
    2019-9-10
    Book Title:
    Anton Pannekoek
    Author/Editor:
    Chaokang Tai
    Chapter:
    11
    Page Range:
    219 - 248
    ISBN:
    9789048535002
    Status:
    Published
    Last Updated:
    4 years ago
    License:
    Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives
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