The Milky Way

Kahn, Fritz, 1888-1968Project Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

3.3

Word count: 208K words
Chapters: 21

Summary

Project Gutenberg was the first provider of free electronic books, or eBooks. Michael Hart, founder of Project Gutenberg, invented eBooks in 1971 and his memory continues to inspire the creation of eBooks and related technologies today.Die Milchstraße by Fritz KahnAuthor: Kahn, Fritz, 1888-1968,Language: German, Class: QB: Science: Astronomy, Release Date: Jun 19, 2016

Editor's review

Fritz Kahn's Die Milchstraße (The Milky Way) is a German popular astronomy work in the astronomy category. The author discusses the Milky Way and related astronomical knowledge in an accessible style, suitable for readers interested in the structure of the universe and early science communication about the starry sky. As an early twentieth-century popular science text, its value lies not only in the knowledge itself but also in showing how people of that era understood and described the Milky Way; it can be read against modern astronomy books to observe the evolution of scientific ideas. The German original is clearly written and suitable as German popular science reading material. When reading, note that its knowledge is limited by its era and should not be used as a handbook of contemporary astronomical facts; reading it alongside modern astronomy materials better reveals changes in popular science writing and scientific understanding.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Readers with some German who want to read German astronomy popular science
Those interested in the history of science communication and early popular astronomical writing
Learners who want to practice German reading with short popular science texts

Not a good fit for

Readers seeking the latest contemporary astronomical knowledge
Readers with no German and no translation to assist them
Researchers expecting a systematic textbook or professional astronomical data

Reading tips

First learn about the background of early twentieth-century astronomy, then read the main text to better grasp the era's context.
Read alongside a modern introductory astronomy book and note where knowledge has been updated.
Treat the descriptions in the book as historical material on science communication, not as current astronomical conclusions.

About the publisher

Project Gutenberg United States · Founded in 1971

Project Gutenberg is a digital publishing project focused on public-domain ebooks. Its publishing direction centers on classic literary works whose copyright has expired, covering genres such as poetry, drama, fiction, and epic. Representative books include Lyrical Ballads by Wordsworth and Coleridge, Proust's Du côté de chez Swann, Shakespeare's Macbeth and The Complete Works of William Shakespeare, Homer's The Iliad, Dante's La Divina Comèdia: Purgatòri, Cervantes's The History of Don Quixote, Volume 2, and Grahame's The Wind in the Willows. Its author resources consist mainly of classic Western writers such as Wordsworth, Proust, Shakespeare, Homer, Dante, Cervantes, Grahame, and Tolstoy. Its publishing feature is the provision of freely accessible ebooks in EPUB and Kindle formats; it is not a traditional publisher, and publicly available information is limited.

FAQ

Does this book teach modern astronomical knowledge?

No. It is an early twentieth-century German popular astronomy work reflecting the understanding of the Milky Way at that time. It should be read as historical material on science communication, and specific knowledge should be compared with modern astronomical sources.

Can I read this book without knowing German?

The original is in German; without German you need a translation or translation tools. If you only want to learn about the Milky Way, contemporary Chinese astronomy books are more direct; this book is better suited to readers with German or studying the history of science communication.

Is it suitable for learning German?

It can serve as supplementary material. It is popular science writing with relatively plain language, but contains astronomical terms and period expressions; it is best read after acquiring some German, with a dictionary and background materials.

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About the author

Kahn, Fritz, 1888-1968 Author · German · 1888–1968

Fritz Kahn (1888–1968) was a German physician and popular science writer. Writing for general readers over many years, he turned human biology and health topics into accessible books, and he stands as one of the representative figures of early twentieth-century German-language science writing for the public. Two of his works are held in this collection, Die Zelle (The Cell) and Die Milchstraße (The Milky Way), whose subjects range from the microscopic unit of life to the galaxy on a cosmic scale, reflecting his interest in presenting the broad picture of the natural sciences. Publicly available information on his education, career and specific posts is limited, and this entry makes no conjectures about them. On the evidence of the works and summaries at hand, Kahn's contribution lies chiefly in conveying scientific knowledge to a wide audience through clear, vivid exposition, and his approach to popularization offers a useful reference for science writing of a similar kind.