<p>The term can be traced back to the theoretical work of C.C.Lin in explaining the spirals as due to density waves in galactic discs.</p>

<p>A <a href="http://adsabs.harvard.edu/full/1970IAUS...38..377L">paper from 1970</a> discusses the "Existence of 'Grand Design'". Note the use of "scare quotes", suggesting that the term was new and would not be widely recognised by his readers.</p>

<p><a href="http://Chia-Chiao%20Lin">Chia-Chiao Lin</a> was an important Chinese/American Mathematician. It is reasonable to believe that the term was coined by him or one of the mathematicians that he worked with at MIT. And was in use since about 1964, when the first of a series of papers "On the structure of Spiral Galaxies" was published.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-07-15T14:00:09.303Z
Thank you! In glancing at the linked paper, it seems that they meant "grand design" in the sense of an underlying theme or pattern in the shape of this class of galaxies. From the paper: "the spiral features in a galaxy are complicated, but there is no doubt about the existence of a 'grand design,' usually two-armed in the inner parts, but often multiple-armed in the outer parts."
John
CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-07-15T20:50:58.790Z
Take a look at the original 3 papers:http://articles.adsabs.harvard.edu/full/1964ApJ...140..646L http://www.pnas.org/content/55/2/229.short and http://articles.adsabs.harvard.edu/full/1969ApJ...155..721L
James K
CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-07-14T22:23:00.127Z
2016-07-14T22:31:19.207Z
2016-07-14T22:31:19.207Z
James K
<p>What is the history behind the name that we gave to <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grand_design_spiral_galaxy">that class</a> of galaxies?</p>

<galaxy><classification>
Where did the grand design spiral galaxy designation come from?
John
# Where did the grand design spiral galaxy designation come from?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2016-07-14)

What is the history behind the name that we gave to [that class](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grand_design_spiral_galaxy) of galaxies?

**Tags:** galaxy, classification

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## 1 answers

### Answer by username_1 on 2016-07-14. Score: 4 | Accepted answer

The term can be traced back to the theoretical work of C.C.Lin in explaining the spirals as due to density waves in galactic discs.

A [paper from 1970](http://adsabs.harvard.edu/full/1970IAUS...38..377L) discusses the "Existence of 'Grand Design'". Note the use of "scare quotes", suggesting that the term was new and would not be widely recognised by his readers.

[Chia-Chiao Lin](http://Chia-Chiao%20Lin) was an important Chinese/American Mathematician. It is reasonable to believe that the term was coined by him or one of the mathematicians that he worked with at MIT. And was in use since about 1964, when the first of a series of papers "On the structure of Spiral Galaxies" was published.

> **Comments:**
> **username_0**: Thank you! In glancing at the linked paper, it seems that they meant "grand design" in the sense of an underlying theme or pattern in the shape of this class of galaxies. From the paper: "the spiral features in a galaxy are complicated, but there is no doubt about the existence of a 'grand design,' usually two-armed in the inner parts, but often multiple-armed in the outer parts."  
> **username_1**: Take a look at the original 3 papers:http://articles.adsabs.harvard.edu/full/1964ApJ...140..646L http://www.pnas.org/content/55/2/229.short and http://articles.adsabs.harvard.edu/full/1969ApJ...155..721L  

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