Emergent Structure: The First Two Centuries of the First Two Eons

摘要

Scientific recognition of the existence, evolution, and significance of structure within the cosmos developed slowly. We follow the story here from the earliest times to the first systematic redshift surveys and the "Rubin-Ford effect," emphasizing the period beginning with William Herschel and ending about lunch time on Wednesday. The scientific issues cannot be put in any one linear order, because, for instance, some people were studying clusters of galaxies and measuring the mass of M31 while others still denied the existence of external galaxies.