9. The development of computers (middle to late 1900's)
Computers are ubiquitous
in astronomy, allowing control of telescopes and their associated electronics
as well as vastly improved analysis of astronomical data. The new generation
of huge telescopes, like the twin 10-meter-diameter mirrors of the Keck
telescopes in Hawaii, rely on computer control of the shapes of their
mirrors to reach their light-collecting power. Computational astrophysics
uses the most powerful computers to model the early structure of the
universe, the processes in the key fractions of a second in the explosion
of a supernova. Modeling and display software bring astronomical images
across the spectrum to scientists for study and to the public.
More information:
|
Jay M. Pasachoff
is the Field Memorial Professor of Astronomy and Director of the Hopkins Observatory at Williams College. His Top 10 list largely relates major world events to a number of important developments in astronomy. He points to the establishment of the Nobel Prizes as an event that helped spark public interest in science.
|
