The Day We Found the Universe - Marcia Bartusiak [144]
xii Henry Norris Russell stood in for Hubble that morning: “Thirty-third Meeting of the American Astronomical Society” (1925), p. 159.
xii Could I possibly be wrong?: Sandage (2004), p. 528; Berendzen and Hoskin (1971), p. 11.
xiv “This was an era of extraordinary change”: Frost (1933), p. 124.
xv “so far as astronomy is concerned … we do appear”: Newcomb (1888), pp. 69– 70.
xvi “Hubble's drive, scientific ability, and communication skills”: Osterbrock, Brashear, and Gwinn (1990), p. 1.
xvii cosmos firma: An ancient Roman would more correctly have said cosmos firmus (for proper matching of masculine adjective to masculine noun), but I wanted to maintain the mellifluous sound and metaphorical connection to terra firma.
xviii book was labeled a “classic”: Mayall (1937), p. 42.
xviii “[His] picture differs from today's only in details”: From the “Forward” to the 1982 edition of Hubble's Realm of the Nebulae (1936), pp. xv–xvi.
1. The Little Republic of Science
3 An immense continent of rock … southward along California's coastline: J. McPhee (1998), pp. 125, 542.
4 “First on top” … “noble and true”: Wright (2003), pp. 25–27.
4 “the public mind in this country”: Ibid., p. 14.
4 the most innovative work at Lick: C. Donald Shane, Lick director in the 1950s, said that “the work [Keeler] did … with the Crossley was the most important work done on the mountain at that time.” AIP, interview of C. Donald Shane by Helen Wright on July 11, 1967.
4 Ptolemy Ridge: Keeler (1900b), p. 326.
6 Keeler's celestial curiosity … lunar craters and the planets: “The New Director of Lick” (1898), p. 7. Also from Osterbrock (1984); Donald Osterbrock wrote the definitive biography of Keeler, and many of the details of Keeler's personal life were drawn from this outstanding work on nineteenth-century American astronomy.
6 a “constant succession of fire balls”: Olmsted (1834), p. 365.
6 “the most remarkable in its appearance”: Olmsted (1866), p. 223.
7 “extraordinary that a people”: Trollope (1949), p. 158.
7 “lighthouse in the sky”: White (1995), p. 124.
7 “Some Americans, haunted by a nagging sense”: Miller (1970), p. 27.
7 “lankey green country boy” … “cracker drawl”: Osterbrock (1984), pp. 8–10.
8 “Starting from essentially zero”: Brush (1979), p. 48.
8 Lick earned his riches … 1906 earthquake: Ibid., pp. 36–37; Wright (2003), pp. 2, 5; Osterbrock, Gustafson, and Unruh (1988), pp. 3–4.
10 Without a legitimate heir: As an adult, Lick's illegitimate son, John Lick, came out to California to meet his father and stayed around for a number of years. They never got along, and Lick refused to acknowledge him as a son, leaving him only $3,000 in his will. After Lick's death, though, John filed suit for his father's fortune, claiming he was the rightful heir. After years of legal strife, Lick's board of trustees finally agreed to settle, giving John the sum of $533,000 for both himself and other contesting relatives. See Osterbrock (1984), pp. 40–43.
10 $4 million: Wright (2003), p. 6.
10 “If I had your wealth”: Ibid., p. 7.
10 Louis Agassiz gave a widely reported lecture: Miller (1970), p. 100.
10 All these lessons … Fourth and Market: Osterbrock (1984), p. 38; Wright (2003), p. 28; Osterbrock, Gustafson, and Unruh (1988), p. 12.
10 “For the Air”: Newton (1717), p. 98.
11 Over time Lick came to accept: Osterbrock (1984), p. 39.
12 “little Republic of Science”: LOA, Keeler Papers, Box 31; Shinn (c. 1890).
12 “I intend to rot like a gentleman”: Osterbrock (1984), p. 53; Wright (2003), p. 61.
12 The choice for director: Osterbrock (1984), p. 42.
2. A Rather Remarkable Number of Nebulae
13 There are some 360 switchbacks in all, and some were even given special names: AIP, interview of Douglas Aitken by David DeVorkin on July 23, 1977.
13 “The view from the observatory peak”: LOA, Keeler Papers, Box 6, Folder 4.
14 “If he has the right ring”: Osterbrock (1986), p. 53.
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