Bøger i Historical & Cultural Astronomy serien

Previously dependent on Europe for scientific knowledge, the United States came into its own during the nineteenth century. A prime example of this is evident in the establishment of the Cincinnati Observatory, in Cincinnati, Ohio. Funded by the citizenry of that city, it was initiated, with ceremony, by the oration by former President John Quincy Adams, at the laying of the cornerstone in 1843.In this book, you will read about the Cincinnati Observatory's most notable contributions, big and small, that were made over the course of its years in existence. You will learn about the Observatory's role in primitive weather forecasting, star cataloging, and even advancements it helped to create during World War II. Now known as the Cincinnati Observatory Center, it is a functional observatory and a dedicated center of astronomy education for all ages. It continues to contribute a rich cultural and scientific history to its community and nation.

Seen from "e;inside the IAU,"e; this book tells the in-depth story of a major crisis in which China "e;divorced"e; from the International Astronomical Union in 1960  as a protest against the admission of Taiwan. This happened to all the scientific unions at the same time, and to the Olympic Games, which, unexpectedly, would serve as a laboratory for the "e;reconciliation"e; which took place following the re-opening of China to the world 20 years later.The so-called "e;China conflict"e; is the most important crisis in the post-WWII history of the IAU. Yet, many details about this conflict and its links to broader geopolitical events have long remained unsettled, obscure, or altogether absent. In particular, the book describes for the first time the "e;separation"e; period, which covered the Cultural Revolution, and in which the IAU made desperate official efforts to reach out to China, while some groups of Western and Chinese astronomers managed to keep contact at times. On the occasion of the IAU Centenary celebrations in 2019, the book revisits this painful succession of events using unpublished documents from the IAU Archives and the International Council of Scientific Unions. The book also contains supplementary typescripts of selected handwritten correspondences and the full translation of key original Chinese documents unknown to readers outside China.What emerges is a complex and fascinating story of human relations and science diplomacy under the shadow of the Cold War. Readers will learn how the 20-year "e;China conflict"e; as lived by astronomers and scientists is important not only for the history of the IAU, but also for the history of contemporary China. "e;This book is full of so many original documents of the IAU office, very reliable and good to open to the public readers."e; Shuhua Ye, Shanghai Observatory (IAU Vice-President, 1988-1994)This book is a companion book to "e;Astronomers as Diplomats,"e; published at the same time in the same series.

This book illuminates a few highly significant events in history in which astronomers have helped keep contacts between astronomers of different states in moments of international political tensions or even crises. The chapters, written by 20 international authors, focus on four periods where astronomers were particularly active in international relations:1. The WWI period, the epoch of the creation of the IAU, in the context of the simultaneous creation of other scientific unions. The book also singles out the important role of A.S. Eddington and his network "e;across forbidden borders"e;.2. The Cold war period and its consequences, when several countries were divided between opposite blocs. "e;The China crisis"e; is told here from different viewpoints by Chinese astronomers, both from the mainland and from Taiwan, in parallel with the evolution of astronomy in South and North Korea. Germany's twisted path in its membership of the IAU, from its admission in 1951 to its reunification in 1991 is shown as another example.3. The book then highlights a third period, when radio astronomers, in particular, were very active in "e;building bridges"e; between East and West. It also tells the history of how the apparently innocuous issue of the "e;lunar nomenclature"e; became extremely sensitive. The part ends on two chapters on Russian robotic missions and lunar surface features as well on the Russian participation in the "e;International Virtual Observatory"e; project.4. The fourth part reports for the first time on the "e;hidden story"e; of the relations between the IAU and the United Nations after the "e;Moon race"e; when the United Nations decided to challenge the IAU's authority on "e;extraterrestrial names"e;. The final chapter reviews how twenty years later UNESCO and the IAU had become strong partners in the difficult, but highly successful organization of the International Year of Astronomy (2002-2009), and of the "e;Astronomy and World Heritage"e; intitiative (2008).

This book tells the comprehensive history of cosmography from the 15th Century Age of Discovery onward. During this time, cosmography¿a science that combined geography and astronomy to inform us about our place in the universe¿was deeply tied to ongoing developments in politics, exploration, culture, and technology.The book offers in-depth historical context over nearly four centuries, focusing in particular on the often neglected role that Portugal and Spain played in the development of cosmography. It details the great activity emerging from the Iberian and Italic peninsulas, including numerous voyagers of exploration, a clear commercial intention, and advancements in map-making techniques. In doing so, it provides a unique perspective on the ¿Longitude problem¿ not available in most other literature on the topic.Rigorously researched and sweeping in scope, this book will serve as an invaluable source for historians and readers interested in the history of science, of astronomy, and of exploration from a southern European perspective.

This catalog is the first in-depth investigation of comets that were reported since the 17th century, but not confirmed and subsequently lost. Volume I of this two-volume work covers objects observed between 1600 and 1899, a period that was dominated by visual observations and was experiencing a rapid evolution in science.The book uniquely combines the history and culture of comet hunting and discovery with modern tools of orbital mechanics to present a wholesome catalog of unconfirmed and suspected comets. Each case includes a presentation of the observations, a discussion about the observer (when possible), consideration of the historic context, and a conclusion as to the nature of the object. In most cases, the book presents material from original sources, including some never before published that were acquired from observatories, libraries, and historical societies around the world.Although some of these unconfirmed comets turned out to be misidentifications of planets or star clusters, fabrications, or poor observations of comets that were already being observed, the Authors did identify many objects that were likely real comets. In some cases, the Authors were even able to derive orbits for the first time. These observations may be valuable in the future, as they could prove to be observations of periodic comets still to be discovered.

This book is a comprehensive reference on ancient Egyptian astronomy, one of the most important topics in historical astronomy. Written by two recognized specialists¿one an astronomer trained in Egyptology and the other an Egyptologist trained in astronomy¿it synthesizes and analyses the international body of research surrounding this ancient culture.The chapters in this work address all major topics in the field, including Egyptian cosmogony and worldview, timekeeping devices and calendars, landscapes and skyscapes, astronomy-influenced architecture, chronology and more. Each chapter includes an introduction, an overview of the existing documentation on the subject, a critical discussion of ongoing debates and questions, and a presentation of state-of-the-art research.Straddling the line between Egyptology and astronomy, this multidisciplinary book will appeal to any scholar or specialist interested in studying ancient Egyptianastronomy.

Today, the German astronomer and geophysicist has remained a largely neglected figure, despite being one of the most important players in the history of lunar studies.This book at last makes accessible Schmidt's highly regarded German work, Der Mond.

This open access book on the history of the National Radio Astronomy Observatory covers the scientific discoveries and technical innovations of late 20th century radio astronomy with particular attention to the people and institutions involved.

The 1846 discovery of Neptune is one of the most remarkable stories in the history of science and astronomy. Through this process, the book analyzes why the mathematical approach that proved so potent in the discovery of Neptune, grand as it was, could not help produce similar discoveries despite several valiant attempts.

This book is uniquely about the relationship between the optical telescope and astronomy as they developed together. It covers the time between the telescope's pivotal invention in the 1600's up to the modern era of space-based telescopes.

This edited volume charts the history of celestial navigation over the course of five centuries. Written by a group of historians and scientists, it analyzes how competing navigation systems, technologies, and institutions emerged and developed, with a focus on the major players in the US and the UK.The history covers the founding of the Royal Observatory; the first printing of a Nautical Almanac; the founding of the US and UK Nautical Almanac Offices; the creation of international standards for reference systems and astronomical constants; and the impact of 20th century technology on the field, among other topics. Additionally, the volume analyzes the present role and status of celestial navigation, particularly with respect to modern radio and satellite navigation systems.With its diverse authorship and nontechnical language, this book will appeal to any reader interested in the history of science, technology, astronomy, and navigation over the ages.

The survey encompasses four interrelated disciplines: history of literature, history of myth, history of science, and history of art. Historians, art historians, astronomy lovers, and historians of astronomy will learn more specialized details concerning the Aratea and how the tradition survived from the Middle Ages.

Radio astronomy was born during the Second World War, but as this book explains, the history of early Dutch radio astronomy is in several respects rather anomalous in comparison to the development of radio astronomy in other countries.

This book marks the centennial of Tebbutt's death with a major biographical account surveying his scientific contributions to astronomy, prefaced with a foreword by Sir Patrick Moore.

Alexus McLeod explores every aspect of the lesser-known history of astronomy in the Americas (Mesoamerica and North America), China and India, each through the frame of a particular astronomical phenomena.

This book is a sequel to Heaven and Earth in Ancient Greek Cosmology (Springer 2011). With the help of many pictures, the reader is introduced into the way of thinking of ancient believers in a flat earth. The last chapter shows that, inadvertently, ancient arguments and ideas return in the curious modern flat earth cosmologies.

This book comprises a fascinating collection of contributions on the Merz telescopes in Italy that collectively offer the first survey on historical large refracting telescopes in the country, drawing on original documents and photographs.

This book presents a modern scholarly analysis of issues associated with England's most famous astronomer, William Herschel. The popular subject of extraterrestrial life is looked at from the point of view of both William Herschel and his son John, both of whom had an interest in the topic.

This biography covers the life of Lewis Swift (1820-1913), who discovered 13 comets and nearly 1,200 other deep sky objects.

This book is uniquely about the relationship between the optical telescope and astronomy as they developed together. It covers the time between the telescope's pivotal invention in the 1600's up to the modern era of space-based telescopes.

This richly illustrated book discusses the ways in which astronomy expanded after 1945 from a modest discipline to a robust and modern science. It begins with an introduction to the state of astronomy in 1945 before recounting how in the following years, initial observations were made in hitherto unexplored ranges of wavelengths, such as X-radiation, infrared radiation and radio waves. These led to the serendipitous discovery of more than a dozen new phenomena, including quasars and neutron stars, that each triggered a new area of research.The book goes on to discuss how after 1985, the further, systematic exploration of the earlier discoveries led to long-term planning and the construction of new, large telescopes on Earth and in Space. Key scientific highlights described in the text are the detection of exoplanets (1995), the unexpected discovery of the accelerated expansion of the Universe (1999), a generally accepted model for the large-scale properties of the Universe (2003) and the ¿CDM theory (2005) that explains how the galaxies and stars of the present Universe were formed from minute irregularities in the (almost) homogenous gas that filled the early Universe.All these major scientific achievements came at a price, namely the need to introduce two new phenomena that are as yet unexplained by physics: inflation and dark energy. Probably the deepest unsolved question has to be: Why did all of this start with a Big Bang?