Discovery and Classification in Astronomy
Controversy and Consensus

This book shows that astronomical discovery is a complex and ongoing process comprising various stages of research, interpretation and understanding.

Steven J. Dick (Author)

9781107033610, Cambridge University Press

Hardback, published 9 September 2013

472 pages, 60 b/w illus.
25.4 x 18.1 x 2.7 cm, 0.96 kg

'… an intellectual banquet … composed of different courses: first an introductory entrée, followed by a main course comprising historical narrative garnished with theory provided by the history of science, and then a dessert that looks at the the present and the future of astronomical discovery. It is masterfully written (as are all of Steven J. Dick's books), and is full of thought-provoking ideas and discussion. … it is very well-priced, and should join the bookshelf of many astronomers - not just those committed to the history of astronomy.' Wayne Orchiston, Journal of Astronomical History and Heritage

Astronomical discovery involves more than detecting something previously unseen. The reclassification of Pluto as a dwarf planet in 2006, and the controversy it generated, shows that discovery is a complex and ongoing process – one comprising various stages of research, interpretation and understanding. Ranging from Galileo's observation of Jupiter's satellites, Saturn's rings and star clusters, to Herschel's nebulae and the modern discovery of quasars and pulsars, Steven J. Dick's comprehensive history identifies the concept of 'extended discovery' as the engine of progress in astronomy. The text traces more than 400 years of telescopic observation, exploring how the signal discoveries of new astronomical objects relate to and inform one another, and why controversies such as Pluto's reclassification are commonplace in the field. The volume is complete with a detailed classification system for known classes of astronomical objects, offering students, researchers and amateur observers a valuable reference and guide.

Preface
Abbreviations
Introduction: the natural history of the heavens and the natural history of discovery
Part I. Entrée: 1. The Pluto affair
Part II. Narratives of Discovery: 2. Moons, rings, and asteroids: discovery in the realm of the planets
3. In Herschel's gardens: nebulous discoveries in the realm of the stars
4. Dwarfs, giants, and planets (again!): the discovery of the stars themselves
5. Galaxies, quasars, and clusters: discovery in the realm of the galaxies
Part III. Patterns of Discovery: 6. The structure of discovery
7. The varieties of discovery
8. Discovery and classification
Part IV. Drivers of Discovery: 9. Technology and theory as drivers of discovery
Part V. The Synthesis of Discovery: 10. Luxuriant gardens and the master narrative
11. The meaning of discovery
Appendix I
Appendix II.

Subject Areas: Astronomy, space & time [PG], History of science [PDX], Mathematics & science [P]