Measurement of Starlight Two Centuries of Astronomical Photometry

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 the 1780s to 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. It provides professional astronomers with a valuable background to this fundamental technique, and will also be of great interest to amateur astronomers and historians of science.Hearnshaw, J. B. is the author of 'Measurement of Starlight Two Centuries of Astronomical Photometry', published 2005 under ISBN 9780521018289 and ISBN 0521018285.