The evolution of the knowledge concerning the structure of the Milky Way: historical perspectives

• Grant number: 08/00149-6
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Doctorate
• Start date: May 01, 2008
• End date: July 31, 2010
• Field of knowledge: Humanities - History - History of Science
• Principal Investigator: Roberto de Andrade Martins
• Grantee: Victoria Florio Pires de Andrade
• Host Institution: Instituto de Física Gleb Wataghin (IFGW). Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP). Campinas , SP, Brazil

Abstract

Up to the beginning of the 20th century nobody knew that there exists a set of huge stellar systems (the galaxies). Only our galaxy (the Milky Way) was known, and it was usually thought that the "nebulae" were part of it. This research will study the historical development of our knowledge concerning the structure of the Milky Way and the nature of galaxies, giving special attention to the controversies on this subject that arose in several periods, especially in the beginning of the 20th century. (AU)