Statistics – Applications
Scientific paper
Jul 2008
adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=2008jahh...11..116b&link_type=abstract
Journal of Astronomical History and Heritage (ISSN 1440-2807), Vol. 11, No. 2, p. 116 - 123 (2008).
Statistics
Applications
Popularisation Of Science, Astronomical Photography, Ernesto De Vasconcellos
Scientific paper
Portugal, albeit with its own cultural distinctiveness, was not immune to the ideologies permeating nineteenth-century European society, in particular those concerning the social advantages of science and science popularisation. The country's high illiteracy rate hampered but did not prevent several popularisation efforts, which were usually led by professors and armed forces officers. In 1886 Astronomia Photographica (Astronomical Photography), a book popularising astrophotography, was published in Lisbon as part of a collection entitled People and Schools Library. The book seems an odd editorial choice given that, at the time, Portugal's major astronomical institutions pursued astrometric research and there was a virtual absence in the country of amateur astronomers. International astronomical developments, the author's interest in the scientific applications of photography and even the editorial timing are likely explanations for the publication of Astronomia Photographica, but we believe a definitive answer is still not available. The style of Astronomia Photographica is historical and informative, without being technical; clearly it is not a ‘hands-on guide’. The contents of the book show that the author, Ernesto Júlio de Carvalho e Vasconcellos, a naval officer, contacted several experts and was aware of the latest developments in astronomical photography. What makes this a unique book is its content, and its inclusion in a popularisation collection with an exceptionally high circulation at such an early time.
Bonifácio Vitor
Fernandes Joao
Malaquias Isabel
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