The error of John Horgan: the author of the prediction of 3 K temperature of the Universe was McKellar and not McCullough

Abstract

This short communication was written to the interest of the Astronomy teaching or the dissemination of the Astronomy Science to correct an information present in the popular book wrote by John Horgan (originally in 1996), The end of science: facing the limits of knowledge in the twilight of the science age, respect to the prevision of the CBR temperature prior to Arno Penzias and Robert Wilson. Horgan quoted Andrew McCullough. The correct name is Andrew Mckellar. Another error is the year of the publication of the McKellar’s paper: 1940 (in the Astronomical Society of the Pacific journal) and not 1941 as he quoted in his book. It is also discussed the good predictions of the CBR temperature made prior to Penzias & Wilson using a not Big Bang’s model of the Universe.

Keywords

• astronomy teaching
• horgan
• mckellar
• 3k temperature
• predictions