The Measurement of Starlight
Two Centuries of Astronomical Photometry

A well-illustrated historical survey of the science of measuring the brightness and colours of stars - for professional astronomers, amateur astronomers and historians of science.

J. B. Hearnshaw (Author)

9780521018289, Cambridge University Press

Paperback, published 22 August 2005

528 pages, 104 b/w illus. 13 tables
23.4 x 15.6 x 2.8 cm, 0.734 kg

' … Hearnshaw masterfully reviews the development of photometry … comprehensive account includes fine, critical comparisons of the instruments … the illustrations are impressive and add to the richness of the story … well-written and lively history … Everyone should relish the rich history of astronomical photometry and Hearnshaw's skill in presenting it.' Sky and Telescope

Astronomical photometry is the science of measuring the brightness and colours of stars and other celestial objects. It is a technique at the very heart of modern astrophysics. This authoritative volume traces the fascinating historical development of astronomical photometry - from visual techniques at the time of William Herschel in the 1780s, through to the birth of photometry with charge-coupled devices in the 1970s. In this intriguing survey, we see how the advent of new technology has revolutionized the science of photometry at each stage of its development, and what dramatic advances have been achieved, despite several major disasters - especially in the practice of photographic photometry. This book also clearly illustrates the critical relationship between the development of a science and the technology it uses. This volume provides professional astronomers with a valuable guide to the background and development of this fundamental technique. It will also be of great interest to amateur astronomers and historians of the physical sciences.

Preface
Acknowledgements
List of illustrations
1. Early stellar magnitudes
2. Visual estimates of stellar magnitudes and colour
3. Visual photometry
4. Photographic photometry, 1839–1922
5. The origins of photoelectric photometry
6. Photometry at longer wavelengths
7. Photographic photometry from 1922
8. Photometry and the birth of astrophysics
9. Photoelectric photometry with the photomultiplier tube
10. Photometry with electronic area detectors
Sources of illustrations
Index of names
Index of star names
Index of subjects.

Subject Areas: History of science [PDX]