Authors:
- Tells the true story behind the discovery of helium while explaining how the curiously distorted narrative of its discovery came into existence
- Includes interesting facts and anecdotes in the narrative, about the personalities of the scientists and the time in which they lived
- Explains the concepts behind the scientific adventures of the nineteenth century in clear and simple language
- Includes supplementary material: sn.pub/extras
Part of the book series: Astronomers' Universe (ASTRONOM)
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Table of contents (13 chapters)
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Front Matter
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Back Matter
About this book
The truth is that Janssen never saw any sign of a new element during his observations in India. His reports and letters do not mention any such claim.
Other sources would have you believe that helium was jointly discovered by Janssen and Norman Lockyer, a British scientist, and that their discovery letters reached Paris the same day, one sent from India, and the other from England.
Again, the truth is completely different. Two letters from Lockyer and Janssen did reach Paris the same day in 1868, but their letters did not mention any new element. What they had discovered was a new way of observing the Sun without a solar eclipse. This would ultimately lead to the discovery of helium, in which Lockyer would play a prominent role, but not Janssen.
At the same time, Norman Robert Pogson, a disgruntled British astronomer stationed in India did notice something peculiar during the eclipse. He was the first one to notice something odd about the spectrum of the Sun that day, and his observations would prove crucial to Lockyer’s own investigations of helium. But Pogson’s report was never published inany peer reviewed journal and it languished on the desk of a local British officer in colonial India.
This book tells the real story behind the discovery of helium, along with biographical sketches of the scientists and descriptions of the milieu in which they worked. It will convey the excitement, confusion, and passion of nineteenth century scientists, using their own words, from their letters and reports.
“The Story of Helium and the Birth of Astrophysics” chronicles one of the most exciting discoveries ever made and explains why it also marked the birth of a new branch of science called ‘astrophysics.’
Reviews
From the reviews:
“This book is a labor of love and a rather personal document, shedding light on a portion of physics and chemistry history that previously seems to have received too little careful analysis. … Astronomer Nath … has done some key detective work in mid-19th-century physics, starting with helium and expanding into the transformational perspective created by spectroscopy. … a fine book that makes good reading and fills a gap in the literature. It belongs in all college libraries. Summing Up: Highly recommended. All readership levels.” (K. L. Schick, Choice, Vol. 50 (11), July, 2013)
“Biman Nath clearly loves helium, and you very probably will too after reading this book. … I think typical ageing astronomers will enjoy the book … .” (Virginia Trimble, The Observatory, Vol. 133 (1233), April, 2013)
Authors and Affiliations
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Raman Research Institute, Bangalore, India
Biman B. Nath
About the author
Biman Nath studied physics at the University of Delhi, India and received his Ph.D. in astronomy from the University of Maryland, College Park, in the United States. He is currently at the Raman Research Institute in Bangalore, India. His research focuses on the interaction of gas with galaxies and its implications for the evolution of galaxies and diffuse gas in the universe. He is also interested in the popularization of science and writing fiction.
Bibliographic Information
Book Title: The Story of Helium and the Birth of Astrophysics
Authors: Biman B. Nath
Series Title: Astronomers' Universe
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-5363-5
Publisher: Springer New York, NY
eBook Packages: Physics and Astronomy, Physics and Astronomy (R0)
Copyright Information: Springer Science+Business Media New York 2013
Softcover ISBN: 978-1-4614-5362-8Published: 10 November 2012
eBook ISBN: 978-1-4614-5363-5Published: 10 November 2012
Series ISSN: 1614-659X
Series E-ISSN: 2197-6651
Edition Number: 1
Number of Pages: XI, 274
Number of Illustrations: 31 b/w illustrations, 6 illustrations in colour
Topics: Astronomy, Astrophysics and Cosmology, Popular Science in Astronomy, History of Science, Quantum Gases and Condensates