Episode

Early Astrophotography was Controversial (with Anika Burgess)

Podcast: Looking Up
Published: Jan 30, 2026
Duration seconds: 956
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Canonical source: https://www.wvxu.org/podcast/looking-up/2026-01-30/how-early-photographs-of-the-moon-were-taken-with-anika-burgess
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Summary

The question seems completely absurd to us in the 21st century: should we use cameras to help with astronomical research? Well, of course. Why wouldn’t we? But in the early 20th century, this was a heated debate that echoed in the domes of many established observatories around the world. So when did the camera really outshine the eye for documenting things in space? Dean Regas chats with Anika Burgess, author of Flashes of Brilliance: The Genius of Early Photography and How it Transformed Art, Science, and History, to learn more.