Abstract
When Anton Pannekoek left Dutch astronomy in 1905, he left a stagnating, uninspiring research community. When he returned a decade later,
things started to change in the Dutch astronomical community. By the
mid-1920s, De Sitter, Hertzsprung, Oort, Minnaert, and Pannekoek had
built a flourishing discipline. Through their work and students, they
shaped Dutch astronomy for the rest of the twentieth century.
This paper focuses on Pannekoek’s return to astronomy and his role in
Dutch astronomy in the Interwar period. First, I will provide a detailed
reconstruction of his failed appointment at Leiden Observatory in 1918-1919.
After that, I will analyse how he could play an influential role, even though
he had little staff, students, or facilities at the University of Amsterdam.
things started to change in the Dutch astronomical community. By the
mid-1920s, De Sitter, Hertzsprung, Oort, Minnaert, and Pannekoek had
built a flourishing discipline. Through their work and students, they
shaped Dutch astronomy for the rest of the twentieth century.
This paper focuses on Pannekoek’s return to astronomy and his role in
Dutch astronomy in the Interwar period. First, I will provide a detailed
reconstruction of his failed appointment at Leiden Observatory in 1918-1919.
After that, I will analyse how he could play an influential role, even though
he had little staff, students, or facilities at the University of Amsterdam.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Title of host publication | Anton Pannekoek's Views on Science and Society |
| Subtitle of host publication | Modernity in Science, Radical Politics, and Visual Art |
| Editors | Chaokang Tai, Bart van der Steen, Jeroen van Dongen |
| Publisher | Amsterdam University Press |
| Chapter | 5 |
| Pages | 87-108 |
| ISBN (Print) | 9789048535002 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - 2019 |
Keywords
- Anton Pannekoek
- history of astronomy
- science and politics
- discipline formation
- astronomy education