Amateurs and Astrophysics: A Neglected Aspect in the Development of a Scientific Specialty

Abstract

Amateurs have been neglected in accounts of the rise of new specialties In science. This paper examines seven key amateurs and their relationship to the growth of astrophysics over a sixty-year period. These amateurs, five Britons and two Americans, are seen as the risk-takers of the new specialty. They pioneered m the application of photography and the use of reflecting telescopes, and amassed an Important body of observational material in such areas as spectroscopy While they shared most aspects of the discipline with professionals, including access to publications, honours and awards, and the governance of scientific societies, they differed from professionals in significant ways. Because amateurs were free to take risks they sometimes came into conflict with professionals. When this happened differences between the two were magnified. By about 1,90D astrophysics reached a stage where It was no longer possible for amateurs to compete. Neither wealth nor leisure could take the place of specialized training to provide access to increasingly sophisticated technologies.