The Milky Way Galaxy and Statistical Cosmology, 18901924 [Paperback]

Paul describes the rise of statistical cosmology and how it has set the stage for many of the most significant developments of twentieth-century astronomy.Between 1890 and 1924 the dominant view of the Milky Way galaxy was quite different from that accepted today. Drawing on previously unused archival material, this text presents the first complete examination of the rise and decline of statistical cosmology, paying particualr attention to the accomplishments of J.C Kapteyn and Hugo von Seeliger.Between 1890 and 1924 the dominant view of the Milky Way galaxy was quite different from that accepted today. Drawing on previously unused archival material, this text presents the first complete examination of the rise and decline of statistical cosmology, paying particualr attention to the accomplishments of J.C Kapteyn and Hugo von Seeliger.Drawing on previously unused archival material, Erich Robert Paul presents the first complete examination of cosmological science and the conception of the galaxy during this formative period. He describes the rise of statistical cosmology, its establishment as the leading area of astronomical research, and finally its decline and the transition to modern methods. He pays particular attention to the accomplishments of two influential astronomers of this period, J. C. Kapteyn and Hugo von Seeliger.List of illustrations; Acknowledgments; Abbreviations of manuscript sources; Introduction; Part I. The Nineteenth-Century Background: 1. Early nineteenth-century statistical astronomy; 2. Statistical astronomy and the Milky Way Galaxy; Part II. Statistical Cosmology, 18901924: 3. Seeliger and stellar density; 4. Kapteyn and the distribution of stars; 5. Statistical astronomy as a research program, 190015; 6. Statistical cosmology as a research program, 191522; 7. Internationalization of astronomy; Part III. Statistical Cosmology and the Second Astronomical Revolution: 8. The decline of a research program; 9. Conclusion: research programs l³Q