Scientific photography and astronomy: Technology applied to understanding the universe

Authors

  • Fernando Abalos Vazquez  AstroCamp Astronomical Complex (Nerpio, Albacete, Spain).
  • Javier Ábalos Cavanilles Institute of Biodiversity and Evolutionary Biology, University of Valencia (Spain).

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.7203/metode.14.24625

Keywords:

astronomy, digital photography, light, technology, universe

Abstract

In 1925, Edwin Hubble took the first step towards increasing the size of the known universe by several orders of magnitude using the precarious photographic methods available at the time: glass plates and photosensitive emulsions. Analysing periodic variations in the brightness of certain stars (Cepheids) through photographs, Hubble was able to show that the distance between Andromeda and the Earth was much greater than previously thought. Thus, Andromeda, previously thought to be a nebula, had to be a galaxy different from our own. Suddenly, the estimated size of the universe went from a few hundred thousand light years to a few billion light years. Since then, the synergy between photographic technology and astronomy has continued to grow.

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Author Biographies

Fernando Abalos Vazquez,  AstroCamp Astronomical Complex (Nerpio, Albacete, Spain).

Engineer and head of operations at the AstroCamp Astronomical Complex (Nerpio, Albacete, Spain), a scientific-technical project founded in 2011 with the aim of facilitating access to optimal conditions for astrophotography through the use of remote telescopes

Javier Ábalos, Cavanilles Institute of Biodiversity and Evolutionary Biology, University of Valencia (Spain).

Postdoctoral researcher at the Ethology Laboratory of the Cavanilles Institute of Biodiversity and Evolutionary Biology, University of Valencia (Spain). His research focuses on the study of animal colouration and behaviour, although his scientific interests are wide-ranging

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Published

2024-01-11

How to Cite

Abalos Vazquez, F., & Ábalos, J. (2024). Scientific photography and astronomy: Technology applied to understanding the universe. Metode Science Studies Journal, (14), 41–49. https://doi.org/10.7203/metode.14.24625
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Issue

Pieces of science (vol. 14, 2024)

Section

Moments of science. Photography and the understanding of nature

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