ENGLISH

Jacobus Cornelius Kapteyn: Born Investigator of the Heavens

By Pieter C. van der Kruit (auth.)

Book information

Publisher
Springer International Publishing
Year
2015
ISBN
978-3-319-10875-9, 978-3-319-10876-6
DOI
10.1007/978-3-319-10876-6
Language
english
Format
PDF
Filesize
26 MB (27400566 bytes)
Series
Astrophysics and Space Science Library 416
Edition
1
Pages
698\722
Time added
2015-02-17 02:00:00
AstronomyObservations and Techniques; History and Philosoph

Description

Jacobus C. Kapteyn (1851-1922) was a Dutch astronomer who contributed heavily to major catalogs of star positions, such as the Cape Photographic Durchmusterung and the Harvard-Groningen Durchmusterung, and arranged extensive international collaboration through his Plan of Selected Areas. He contributed to the establishment of statistical astronomy and structure and dynamics of the Sidereal System. All aspects of Kapteyn’s life are discussed, from his birth in Barneveld, the Netherlands, to his death in Amsterdam, and his entire resume of scientific achievements in between. Kapteyn had some conflicts with others in his field, especially after the world became divided on how to handle scientific contributions from Germany post-World War I. Both Kapteyn's struggles and achievements are written against the backdrop of both the historical context of the world at that time as well as the scientific one.

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