Skip to content

Opening book details…

Can I read The Story of Helium and the Birth of Astrophysics (Astronomers' Universe) on EtoBox?

The Story of Helium and the Birth of Astrophysics (Astronomers' Universe) by Biman B. Nath is a nonfiction available to read on EtoBox.

What is The Story of Helium and the Birth of Astrophysics (Astronomers' Universe) about?

What if one of the most thrilling stories in the history of science turned out to be wrong? Can urban legends creep into the hallowed grounds of scientific history? As incredible as it may sound, the story of one of the most important elements in modern times helium - has been often misrepresented in books, encyclopedias, and online sources, despite the fact that archival materials tell a different story. Open the entry for Helium in any encyclopaedia and you will read a false story that has been repeated over the years. Encyclopaedia Britannica, for example, says that helium was discovered by the French astronomer Pierre Janssen while observing a total solar eclipse from India in 1868. Apparently he noticed something new in the spectrum of the sun, which he thought was the signature of an undiscovered element. 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 E

Who reads The Story of Helium and the Birth of Astrophysics (Astronomers' Universe)?

It is typically read by self-directed learners exploring a subject in depth.

Common subject areas: history, science, philosophy, social sciences.

Author
Biman B. Nath
Publisher
Springer London, Limited
Published
2013
Language
EN
ISBN
9781461453635
Category
nonfiction
Subjects
Science, Chemistry, Astronomy

More by Biman B. Nath

Browse all works by Biman B. Nath