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Description of  Pioneer of Galactic Astronomy: A Biography of Jacobus C. Kapteyn (Springer Biographies)

3030554228 pdf 3030554228 pdf This non-technical biography of Jacobus Cornelius Kapteyn (1851-1922) presents to the general reader the scientific life of the astronomer who pioneered the studies of the structure of the Milky Way Galaxy. In telling Kapteyns story the author weaves in astronomy basics and uses modern astronomical images to show the developments of astronomical research from Kapteyns times to the present. In particular the study of the distribution of stars in space has now culminated with spectacular new insights coming from the astrometric satellite GAIA, which is receiving much public attention today. The biography shows how Kapteyns ideas influenced prominent astronomers worldwide. He is prominent as designer of the Kapteyn Universe, the alternative to the large system found by Harlow Shapley. He is the discoverer of Kapteyns Star, still the second fastest moving star in the sky, which is now one of the nearest stars with a planet in the habitable zone. Read more