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Physics : Astronomy, Astrophysics and Cosmology

Nath, Biman B. The Story of Helium and the Birth of Astrophysics

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 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 Springer materials tell a different story. Open the entry for Helium in any encyclopaedia and you will 2013, XI, 274 p. 37 illus., 6 read a false story that has been repeated over the years. ‘Encyclopaedia Britannica’, for 1st illus. in color. example, says that helium was discovered by the French astronomer Pierre Janssen while edition 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 Printed book reports and letters do not mention any such claim. Other sources would have you believe that Softcover helium was jointly discovered by Janssen and Norman Lockyer, a British scientist, and that their Printed book discovery letters reached Paris the same day, one sent from India, and the other from England. Softcover Again, the truth is completely different. Two letters from Lockyer and Janssen did reach Paris ISBN 978-1-4614-5362-8 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. £ 29,99 | CHF 41,50 | 34,99 € | 38,49 € (A) | 37,44 € (D) Available Order online at springer.com/booksellers Springer Nature Customer Service Center GmbH Discount group Customer Service Springer Trade (T) Tiergartenstrasse 15-17 Product category 69121 Heidelberg Popular science Germany T: +49 (0)6221 345-4301 Series [email protected] Astronomers' Universe Other renditions Softcover ISBN 978-1-4614-5364-2

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ISBN 978-1-4614-5362-8 / BIC: PG / SPRINGER NATURE: SCP22006 Part of