History
During the second half of the nineteenth century, the electromagnetic theories of James Clerk Maxwell (1831–1879) and the experiments of Heinrich Hertz (1857–1894) permitted scientists to consider the possibility of an emission of radio waves by the stars or the Sun. According to the German physicist Hermann Ebert (1861–1913) in 1892, the observation of electric discharges in vacuum tubes were conducted to investigate the possible existence of Hertzian (radio) waves emitted by the Sun. Admitting the validity of Maxwell’s theory, the French physicist Charles Nordmann (1881–1940) was convinced that high-altitude observations might succeed in detecting those solar radio waves. But despite using a 175-m antenna placed almost at the top of Mont Blanc, he detected no waves because of a lack of sensitivity.
The detection of “cosmic static”, i.e., radio waves of extraterrestrial origin, was made for the first time by the American radio engineer Karl Guthe Jansky (1905–1950) in 1932....
Keywords
- Atacama Large Array Millimeter (ALMA)
- Cosmic background radiation
- Interstellar chemistry
- Interstellar medium
- Molecules in space
- Radio astronomy
- Radio telescope
- Very large base interferometry
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution.
Buying options
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Learn about institutional subscriptionsReferences and Further Reading
Encrenaz P (1971) Les molecules interstellaire. J Phys Colloque (Supplement 10) 32(C5):C5a-143
Grote R (1988) A play entitled The beginning of radio astronomy. J R Astron Soc Can 82(3):93–106
Kellerman KI, Orchiston W, Slee B (2005) Gordon James Stanley and the early development of radio astronomy in Australia and the United States. Publ Astron Soc Aust 22:13–23
Mulkay MJ, Edge DO (1976) Cognitive, technical and social factors in the growth of radio astronomy. In: Gerard L, MacLeod R, Mulkay M, Weingart P, Mouton & Co (eds) Perspectives on the emergence of scientific disciplines. The Hague and Maison des Sciences de l’Homme, Paris. Aldine, Chicago, pp 153–186
Steinberg J-L (2004a) Les 50 ans de Nançay. L’Astronomie 118:5–9
Steinberg J-L (2004b) La création de la station de Nançay. L’Astronomie 118:626–631
Steinberg J-L (2006) Les débuts de la recherché spatiale en radioastronomie. L’Astronomie 120:488–495
Vallée JP (1982) Cinquante années de radioastronomie: progress, découvertes et avenir. J R Astron Soc Can 76(1):1–18
Vanden B, Paul A (2004) Origins of the ALMA project in the scientific visions of the North American, European, and Japanese astronomical communities. In: Wilson A (ed) Proceedings of the dusty and molecular universe: a prelude to Herschel and ALMA. Paris, 27–29 Oct 2004
Wielebinski R (1997) The development of radio astronomy from metre to sub-mm wavelengths. Acta Cosmologica Fasc 23–2:53–58
Wielebinski R (2000) Early radio continuum observations of M3. In: Berkhuijsen EM, Rainer B, Rene Walterbos AM (eds) The interstellar medium in M31 and M33, Proceedings 232. WE-Heraeus Seminar, Shaker, Aachen. Bad Honnef, Germany. 22–25 May 2000
Wielebinski R (2004) The history of radio continuum surbeys. In: Uyaniker B, Reich W, Wielebinski R (eds) The magnetized interstellar medium, proceedings of the conference, held in Antalya, Turkey Copernicus GmbH, Katlenburg-Lindau, 8–12 Sept 2003, pp 241–244
Wild JP (1987) The beginnings of radio astronomy in Australia. Proc Astron Soc Aust 7:95–102
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2015 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg
About this entry
Cite this entry
Le Gars, S. (2015). Radio Astronomy and Radio Telescopes, History of. In: Gargaud, M., et al. Encyclopedia of Astrobiology. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-662-44185-5_729
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-662-44185-5_729
Published:
Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg
Print ISBN: 978-3-662-44184-8
Online ISBN: 978-3-662-44185-5
eBook Packages: Physics and AstronomyReference Module Physical and Materials ScienceReference Module Chemistry, Materials and Physics