A History of Optical Telescopes in Astronomy

This book is uniquely about the relationship between the optical telescope and astronomy as they developed together. It covers the time between the telescope's pivotal invention in the 1600's up to the modern era of space-based telescopes. Over the i

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Wilson Wall

A History of Optical Telescopes in Astronomy

Historical & Cultural Astronomy

Series Editor:

WAYNE ORCHISTON, Adjunct Professor, Astrophysics Group, University of Southern Queensland, Toowoomba,  Queensland, Australia ([email protected])

Editorial Board: JAMES EVANS, University of Puget Sound, USA MILLER GOSS, National Radio Astronomy Observatory, USA DUANE HAMACHER, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia JAMES LEQUEUX, Observatoire de Paris, France SIMON MITTON, St. Edmund’s College Cambridge University, UK MARC  ROTHENBERG,  AAS Historical Astronomy Division Chair, USA VIRGINIA TRIMBLE, University of California Irvine, USA XIAOCHUN  SUN,  Institute of History of Natural Science, China GUDRUN  WOLFSCHMIDT,  Institute for History of Science and Technology, Germany

More information about this series at http://www.springer.com/series/15156

Wilson Wall

A History of Optical Telescopes in Astronomy

Wilson Wall Bewdley, UK

ISSN 2509-310X     ISSN 2509-3118 (electronic) Historical & Cultural Astronomy ISBN 978-3-319-99087-3    ISBN 978-3-319-99088-0 (eBook) https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-99088-0 Library of Congress Control Number: 2018953321 © Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2018 This work is subject to copyright. All rights are reserved by the Publisher, whether the whole or part of the material is concerned, specifically the rights of translation, reprinting, reuse of illustrations, recitation, broadcasting, reproduction on microfilms or in any other physical way, and transmission or information storage and retrieval, electronic adaptation, computer software, or by similar or dissimilar methodology now known or hereafter developed. The use of general descriptive names, registered names, trademarks, service marks, etc. in this publication does not imply, even in the absence of a specific statement, that such names are exempt from the relevant protective laws and regulations and therefore free for general use. The publisher, the authors, and the editors are safe to assume that the advice and information in this book are believed to be true and accurate at the date of publication. Neither the publisher nor the authors or the editors give a warranty, express or implied, with respect to the material contained herein or for any errors or omissions that may have been made. The publisher remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations. This Springer imprint is published by the registered company Springer Nature Switzerland AG The registered company address is: Gewerbestrasse 11, 6330 Cham, Switzerland

Book Summary

Preface The importance and pivotal position of the optical telescope in moving astronomy into the modern era. The way that the telescope became simultaneously a vital tool and a source of disbelief and illusions, as it seemed able to alter the way the world was perceived.

Chapter 1: Astronomy as a Science in Need of a Tool The limitations of unaided vision in determining the nature of the universe. Early ideas of the Solar