Article ID: CBB000772350

Resolving the Nebulae: The Science and Art of Representing M51 (2007)

unapi

Kessler, Elizabeth A. (Author)


Studies in History and Philosophy of Science
Volume: 38
Pages: 477--491


Publication Date: 2007
Edition Details: Part of a special issue: “Objects, Texts and Images in the History of Science”
Language: English

Astronomy has a long tradition of translating data into different visual representations and scholars have noted a division between `pretty pictures' and scientific images. A series of drawings and engravings of M51 derived from Lord Rosse's observations at Birr Castle and Hubble Space Telescope images of the same object offer an opportunity to examine shifts in the object's representation within a given period, as well as over the long history of observing it. This demonstrates both the consistent interest of astronomy in structure and improved resolution, as well as the subjective treatment of light and color. Furthermore, while the distinction between `pretty pictures' and scientific images offers a starting point for analyzing the translations within a given period, the line between the two blurs, suggesting the complexity of aesthetic choices within astronomical images.

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Description Study of “a series of drawings and engravings of M51 derived from Lord Rosse's observations at Birr Castle and Hubble Space Telescope.” (from the abstract)


Included in

Article Mosley, Adam (2007) Objects, Texts and Images in the History of Science. Studies in History and Philosophy of Science (p. 289). unapi

Citation URI
https://data.isiscb.org/isis/citation/CBB000772350/

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Authors & Contributors
Nasim, Omar W.
Smith, Robert William
Fages, Volny
Geoff Barker
Smith, Robert W.
Weekes, Trevor C.
Concepts
Galaxies; nebulae
Astronomy
Visual representation; visual communication
Telescopes
Astronomical observatories
Milky Way Galaxy
Time Periods
19th century
20th century
18th century
21st century
20th century, late
17th century
Places
United States
Australia
Great Britain
Paris (France)
Institutions
Yerkes Observatory
Sydney Observatory
Mount Wilson Observatory
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