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Astronomy History

All articles tagged with #astronomy history

space5 days ago•13 min saved

From Nuclear Watchdogs to Cosmic Fireworks: The Vela Satellites That Sparked Gamma-Ray Astronomy

The Vela satellites, built to detect secret nuclear tests, recorded a mysterious 1967 gamma-ray flash that didn’t fit terrestrial or solar sources, initiating gamma-ray burst research. Over time, improved timing allowed precise localization, establishing bursts as cosmic in origin. BeppoSAX’s 1997 afterglow localizations linked bursts to distant galaxies and revealed two main classes—short bursts from compact mergers and long bursts from collapsing massive stars—while extraordinary events like GRB 221009A in 2022 showed bursts can outshine almost all prior records, marking gamma-ray bursts as a central field in high-energy astrophysics.

via Space Daily|

#astronomy-history #bepposax #cosmological-distances

science-and-astronomy2 years ago•11 min saved

19th-Century Astronomer Predicted 13,000 Eclipses

Theodor von Oppolzer, a 19th-century astronomer, calculated the dates of over 13,000 eclipses, creating the "Canon of Eclipses," a monumental work that provided precise computations for eclipses from 1208 B.C. to A.D. 2161. Despite the lack of electronic computers, Oppolzer's team used pencil-and-paper calculations to compile this authoritative work, which remained a key reference for nearly 80 years.

via Space.com|

#19th-century-science #astronomy-history #canon-of-eclipses