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Electronic newsletter for the history of astronomy 50
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* *
* ELECTRONIC NEWSLETTER FOR THE HISTORY OF ASTRONOMY *
* *
* Published by the Working Group for the History of Astronomy *
* in the Astronomische Gesellschaft *
* *
* Number 50, August 30, 2002 *
* *
* Edited by: Wolfgang R. Dick *
* *
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Contents
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Editorial
1. History of Astronomy Working Groups
2. Paul Bunge Prize for the History of Scientific Instruments 2003
3. Meeting of the Antique Telescope Society
4. Conference Announcement: History of astronomy in Marseille and Provence
5. The Inspiration of Astronomical Phenomena - Fourth Conference
6. Forthcoming Conferences
7. Past Conferences
Acknowledgements
Imprint
...........................................................................
Editorial
---------
Dear readers,
This is the 50th issue of this newsletter, the first of which appeared
in early 1994. I would like to thank all those who contributed to these
50 issues, and my thanks are also to all readers for their interest.
The number of subscribers has been growing permanently up to about 270
at present. Unfortunately, some subscribers change their addresses
without notification. This causes a lot of work for me, because I have
to handle the error messages: these have to be stored to check whether
it is a permanent or a temporary problem. Sometimes the error "User
not known" is due to a technical problem at the user's site. Therefore
I ask you to let me know in advance about changes of your address.
By the way, there is a possibility to receive notification messages
instead of receiving the complete newsletter by e-mail. You may then
download the new issue from the web server when it is convenient for
you. This is especially of use when you have a limited quota for your
mailbox. (Error messages from mailboxes being over quota are another
problem for me.)
All previous issues are available at
http://www.astro.uni-bonn.de/~pbrosche/aa/enha/
for downloading. The "Astronomiae Historia / History of Astronomy" site
http://www.astro.uni-bonn.de/~pbrosche/ , which is also accessible through
http://www.astrohist.org/ , contains much more information and many
thousand links on history of astronomy topics.
This issue is being late for about half a year due to privat circumstances
(among these a very happy one - the birth of a second boy in April this
year). Therefore several conferences can only be announced as past ones
(see Item 7). I ask for your understanding.
I am looking forward to receiving more interesting material from you to
be published in the next issues. But I also ask you for your patience
when I will be late with my replies.
Best regards
Wolfgang R. Dick
...........................................................................
Item 1 ENHA No. 50, August 30, 2002
...........................................................................
History of Astronomy Working Groups
-----------------------------------
By F. Richard Stephenson and Wayne Orchiston
Introduction
Currently Commission 41 "History of Astronomy" of the International
Astronomical Union (IAU) has four active Working Groups (WGs), on archives,
astronomical chronology, historical astronomical instruments and transits
of Venus. The aim of each WG is to foster the exchange of information and
ideas between colleagues with similar research interests, and in some
instances to organise collaborative research projects. Although the WGs
were set up by the IAU, membership is open to the entire international
history of astronomy community.
Information about the four WGs follows. If you are involved in researching
any of these areas and would like to join a particular WG simply contact
the relevant Committee chair person (e-mail addresses are given below). WG
membership is free, and you can join immediately - there is no need to wait
until the next IAU General Assembly.
The Archives WG
At the 1991 General Assembly in Buenos Aires the following C14 Resolution
was adopted:
"that the Union supports the initiatives taken by them [Commissions 41
and 5]
1. to establish a register of the whereabouts of all extant astronomical
archives of historical interest;
2. to impress on observatories and other institutions their responsibility
for the preservation, conservation, and where possible, cataloguing of such
archives;
3. to search for an institution that will allocate space and funds for
maintaining such a register and publishing it." (Proceedings of the
Twenty-First General Assembly, p. 77).
Commission 41 then formed an Archives WG to further the objectives of this
Resolution, and in the course of the next three years some progress was
made in compiling national inventories of astronomical archives.
Two archival Resolutions proposed by C41 were adopted at the 1994 General
Assembly in The Hague, and a number of members presented papers on their
archival researches, and there were also discussions regarding the IAU
archives.
A further archival Resolution was adopted at the C41 Business Meeting at
the 1997 General Assembly in Kyoto, and at the 2000 General Assembly in
Manchester a half-day Special Session on "Inventory and Preservation of
Astronomical Archives, Records and Artifacts" was held. Hopefully a WG
Meeting will be held at the 2003 General Assembly in Sydney where
colleagues will be able to report on their work during the triennium.
The Committee members of the Archives Working Group are: Dr Suzanne
Debarbat (France - Chair, e-mail: Suzanne.Debarbat@obspm.fr), Dr Dan Green
(USA), and Mr Peter Hingley (UK).
The Astronomical Chronology WG
This WG was formed at the 2000 Manchester General Assembly specifically in
order to compile a wide-ranging internationally-approved master list of the
major milestones in the history of astronomy (including key instruments,
astronomical phenomena, discoveries and ideas) that profoundly influenced
its development. A meeting to review progress made in addressing these
objectives is planned for the 2003 Sydney General Assembly.
The Committee members of this WG are: Professor Alex Gurshtein (Russia -
Chair, e-mail: agurshtein@hotmail.com), Professor Adriaan Blaauw
(Netherlands), Dr Teije de Jong (Netherlands) and Professor Brian Warner
(South Africa).
The Historical Instruments WG
When the Archives WG was set up in 1991 there was discussion about whether
to include historical instruments within the gambut of an enlarged WG, but
it was decided at that time to defer such a move until progress had been
made with the archives initiative.
Subsequently, a Resolution urging preservation of surviving instruments
associated with the measurement of the arc of the meridian made by F.G.W.
Struve was adopted at the C41 Business Meeting at the 1997 General Assembly
in Kyoto.
At the 2000 Manchester General Assembly members of C41 felt the time was
right to form an Historical Instruments WG as a complement to the Archives
WG. The objectives of this new WG are: to draw up an inventory of all
internationally-significant astronomical instruments; to assemble a
bibliography of existing publications relating to such instruments; and to
encourage colleagues to carry out research and publish their results. A WEB
Site has already been set up (www://my.dreamwiz.com/snha), and a start has
been made on the listing of historically-significant astronomical
instruments. Meanwhile, this WG also plans to hold a meeting at the 2003
General Assembly where colleagues can report on their research work during
the triennium.
Committee members of the Historical Instruments WG are: Professor Il-Seong
Nha (Korea - Chair, e-mail: SLISNHA@chollian.net), Dr Wayne Orchiston
(Australia) and Mr John Briggs (USA).
The Transits of Venus WG
At the 2000 General Assembly of the IAU in Manchester, the following
Resolution was adopted at the C41 Business Meeting:
"Recognizing the historical importance of previous transits of Venus and
the numerous transit of Venus expeditions mounted by various countries, and
Noting the rarity of the upcoming transits in 2004 and 2012
Commission 41 Recommends that the sites of previous transit of Venus
expeditions be inventoried, marked and preserved, as well as
instrumentation and documents associated with these expeditions."
In order to take this Resolution forward, a Transits of Venus WG was
formed, with the additional aims of assembling a bibliography of existing
publications relating to all transits of Venus, and encouraging colleagues
to carry out further research and to publish their results. A WG Meeting is
planned for the 2003 General Assembly in Sydney so that colleagues can
report on their work.
The Committee members of this WG are: Dr Wayne Orchiston (Australia -
Chair, e-mail: wo@aaoepp.aao.gov.au), Dr Steven Dick (USA), Professor Alex
Gurshtein (Russia) and Professor Rajesh Kochhar (India).
Source: The ICHA Newsletter, No. 1, June 2001, p. 19-21.
...........................................................................
Item 2 ENHA No. 50, August 30, 2002
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Paul Bunge Prize for the History of Scientific Instruments 2003
---------------------------------------------------------------
The Hans R. Jenemann Foundation, administered by the German Chemical
Society and the German Bunsen Society for Physical Chemistry, encourages
applications or nominations for the Paul Bunge Prize, awarded for
outstanding contributions to the historiography of scientific instruments,
and endowed with the sum of EUR 7.500.
Applications include a c.v., a complete list of publications, and
inspection copies of the publications submitted. They must reach the GGCh
Office by 30 September 2002.
For further details see <http://www.gdch.de/ehrung/bp_03_en.htm> or contact
<j.broell@gdch.de>.
Applications should be sent to: Gesellschaft Deutscher Chemiker, Public
Relations Dptmt, Varrentrappstr. 40-42, D-60486 Frankfurt/Main, Germany.
Editor's note: In the past, the Paul Bunge Prize was awarded several times
also for contributions to the historiography of astronomical instruments.
See, e.g., ENHA No. 43, July 7, 2000, Item 1, and ENHA No. 47, June 21,
2001, Item 4.
...........................................................................
Item 3 ENHA No. 50, August 30, 2002
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Meeting of the Antique Telescope Society
----------------------------------------
The Antique Telescope Society will hold its 2002 meeting in Dublin,
Ireland, with trips to Birr, Armagh, and Dunsink; Friday, September 20
through Wednesday, September 25, 2002.
Friday, September 20, Banquet at the Friends of the National Art Gallery
with Keynote Address.
Saturday, September 21, Paper sessions, Displays, Evening sessions.
Sunday, September 22, Paper sessions, Displays, Evening sessions.
Monday, September 23, Tour of Birr Castle, evening observing if possible.
Tuesday, September 24, Tour Megalithic Monument of New Grange, Tour of
Armagh Observatory, Observing at Armagh.
Wednesday, September 25, Tour the National Museum Eggesdorf Collection,
Tour of Dunsink Observatory, Observing at Dunsink.
We will be lodging at Trinity College, Dublin, in hotel-style rooms, at
a cost considerably less than hotels in the immediate area.
Contacts: Peter Abrahams, e-mail: telscope@europa.com
...........................................................................
Item 4 ENHA No. 50, August 30, 2002
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Conference Announcement: History of astronomy in Marseille and Provence
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Conference in celebration of the Tercentenary of the Observatoire de
Marseille
Venue: Museum d'Histoire Naturelle (part of the Palais Longchamp),
about 200 m away from the present Observatoire de Marseille (Longchamp),
France, lat. 43 degr. 18'16" N., long. 5 degr. 23'38" E.
Dates: 3-9 October 2002
lecture and poster sessions 4-6 October
optional coach excursions 7-8 October:
Observatories of Nice and the Cote d'Azur
Observatories and sites of Haute Provence
departure 9 October
Themes:
Principal theme of the conference: history of astronomy in Marseille and in
Provence, and connections with astronomy elsewhere. Additional emphasis:
the instruments of astronomy. The leitmotiv of the conference will be a
reflection concerning the future of this site and its historical heritage
after the astronomical research facilities are moved to the Technopole at
Chateau Gombert.
The Proceedings of the conference will be published.
Conference languages: English and French.
Registration: There will be a registration fee. The number of participants
will be limited.
Contacts:
Groupe Patrimoine de l'Observatoire de Marseille
2, place Le Verrier
13248 Marseille cedex 4
France
e-mail: patrimoine@oamp.fr
James Caplan - Tel. 04 95 04 41 89
Marie-Louise Prevot - Tel. 04 95 04 41 50
(Fax 04 91 62 11 90)
URL: http://www.oamp.fr/patrimoine/om300.html
What is the Observatoire de Marseille?
The Observatory is the city's oldest scientific establishment. Founded by
the Jesuits, near the Vieux Port, its construction was finished and
observations began in 1702. The Jesuits left in the 1760s when their order
was suppressed in France. In the 1860s, under the instigation of Le
Verrier, the Observatory was moved - with its old instruments, library and
archives - to its present site, the Plateau Longchamp, where it received
the new 80-cm Foucault reflecting telescope. After a decade of operation as
an observational annex of the Paris Observatory, the Marseille Observatory
became autonomous again in the 1870s as part of a national structure, then
including the observatories of Algiers, Bordeaux, Lyon, Marseille, Toulouse
and Paris. In 1899 it was attached to the University. On 1 January 2000 the
Observatory, under the enlarged name Observatoire Astronomique de
Marseille-Provence, was administratively expanded to include the
Laboratoire d'Astronomie Spatiale in Marseille (an offshoot of the
Observatory, founded in the 1960s) and the Observatoire de Haute Provence,
in Saint Michel, founded in the late 1930s. For more historical
information, see the Chronology (currently only in French) and for
contemporary information see the Web pages of the OAMP.
Tercentenary
The Tercentenary celebration is not limited to this conference. During the
months of October, November and December 2002 there will be numerous
events, mostly open to the general public, and in large part financed by
the City of Marseille; they will be announced on the Web pages of the OAMP.
Many of the staff of the OAMP are contributing to the Tercentenary
celebrations in various ways. As for ourselves - the Groupe Patrimoine -
our principal contribution in addition to the organization of this
Conference will be an 'improved' exposition of our collection of
instruments and archives as an illustration of the history of the
Observatory. In addition, we are collaborating with the City's Office du
Tourisme in designing a "parcours culturel" related to the history of
astronomy in Marseille, and also with the Preau des Accoules, a small
children's museum in the original Observatory building.
...........................................................................
Item 5 ENHA No. 50, August 30, 2002
...........................................................................
The Inspiration of Astronomical Phenomena - Fourth Conference
-------------------------------------------------------------
Magdalen College, Oxford (UK), August 3-9, 2003
THIRD ANNOUNCEMENT AND CALL FOR ABSTRACTS/PAPERS
This is the third announcement for the Fourth International Conference on
The Inspiration of Astronomical Phenomena ("INSAP IV") which is now
confirmed to take place in Oxford, England, 3-9 August 2003.
As at previous meetings (Castel Gandolfo, 1994; Malta, 1999; Palermo,
2001), the conference will explore humanity's fascination with astronomical
phenomena as strong and often dominant elements in life and culture. The
conference will provide a meeting place for artists and scholars from a
variety of disciplines (including Archaeology and Anthropology, Art and Art
History, Classics, History and Prehistory, the Physical and Social
Sciences, Mythology and Folklore, Philosophy, and Religion) to present and
discuss their studies on the influences of astronomical phenomena and
address topics of common interest.
The fourth meeting will be held at Magdalen College, Oxford (UK), starting
Sunday 3 August, 2003. There will be a wide range of speakers, with those
confirmed including:
Dr Jim Bennett, Director, Museum of the History of Science, Oxford
Dr David Brown, University College London (Mesopotamian astrology)
Professor Allan Chapman, University of Oxford (History of Science)
Professor John Heilbron, Fellow of Worcester College Oxford and
former VC of UC Berkeley
Professor Ronald Hutton, University of Bristol (History)
Professor Kristen Lippincott, Director, Royal Observatory Greenwich
Mr Ron Miller, Space Artist (www.black-cat-studios.com)
Professor Paul Murdin, Institute of Astronomy, Cambridge, former
Director PPARC
Professor John North, University of Oxford (History of Philosophy)
Professor Clive Ruggles, University of Leicester (Archaeoastronomy)
Opportunities will be provided for 30 minute presentations as well as
poster presentations, and the new application form is now linked within
the "application process" section in the INSAP IV webpage:
http://ethel.as.arizona.edu/~white/insap/i4applyx.htm
During the meeting there will be receptions at the Ashmolean Museum, the
Christ Church Picture Gallery, and the Museum of History of Science. The
traditional banquet will be held at the Magdalen College dining hall. A
visit is being organised to Stonehenge (to view the site early morning
prior to opening to the public) with a stop over at Avebury as well. The
possibility of a related art exhibition is being explored.
Applications to attend and abstracts must be submitted by 1 December 2002
to Professor Ray White (rwhite@as.Arizona.edu) and Mr Nick Campion
(ncampion@caol.demon.co.uk).
Details of abstracts and proceedings of previous meetings are described on
the website relating to each INSAP Conference, and will give an idea of the
range of subjects presented at these meetings. A similar publication is
planned for the fourth meeting. Further information on INSAP IV and on the
earlier conferences, can be found on the following websites:
http://ethel.as.arizona.edu/~white/insap (general information)
http://ethel.as.arizona.edu/~white/insap/insap4x.htm (for INSAPIV)
http://ethel.as.arizona.edu/~white/insap/insap3.htm and
http://www.astropa.unipa.it/INSAPIII/index.html (for INSAPIII)
Attendance will be by invitation from among those applying. All
presentations and discussions will be in English. This Conference is
sponsored by the Vatican Observatory and the Steward Observatory. For
further information, contact the above or members of the International
Executive or Local Organising Committees (contact details and email
addresses as provided on the INSAPIV website).
...........................................................................
Item 6 ENHA No. 50, August 30, 2002
...........................................................................
Forthcoming Conferences
-----------------------
Further conferences in the years 2002 to 2004 were reported in previous
issues of ENHA. For a complete list of all conferences announced see the
following URL:
http://www.astro.uni-bonn.de/~pbrosche/hist_astr/ha_meet.html
September 26-29, 2002, Tucson, AZ, USA
8th Annual conference of the North American Sundial Society
Contacts: Fred Sawyer, e-mail: fwsawyer@aya.yale.edu
September 27-28, 2002, Berlin, Germany
Geschichte und Perspektiven der Astronomiegeschichtsschreibung
[History and perspectives of the historiography of astronomy].
Colloquium of the Working Group for the History of Astronomy in the
Astronomische Gesellschaft.
Language: German
Contacts: Dr. Klaus-Dieter Herbst, e-mail: HChicygni@aol.com
URL: http://www.astro.uni-bonn.de/~pbrosche/aa/berlin2002/
April 16-18, 2004, Oxford, UK
International Conference of the British Sundial Society
Contacts: Douglas Bateman, Secretary, British Sundial Society,
4 New Wokingham Road, Crowthorne, Berkshire, RG45 7NR, United Kingdom,
tel: +44 1344 772303, e-mail: douglas.bateman@btinternet.com
...........................................................................
Item 7 ENHA No. 50, August 30, 2002
...........................................................................
Past Conferences
----------------
October 27-28, 2001, London, United Kingdom
Conference "Archaeo-Astronomy, Myth and the Ancient Wisdom Tradition"
Organized by: Scientific and Medical Network and Foundation for
Theosophical Studies, King's College, University of London,
e-mail: info@scimednet.org, URL: http://www.scimednet.org
February 15, 2002, Rome, Italy
Conference: "Giordano Bruno: Philosopher of Nola"
Contacts: Caroline Howard,
American Academy in Rome, Via Angelo Masina 5,
00153 Rome, Italy, tel. 39-06-5846459
URL: http://www.aarome.org/events_bruno.htm
June 6-8, 2002, Genova-Chiavari, Italy
XXII Congress of the Italian Society of Historians of Physics and
Astronomy
URL: http://www.brera.unimi.it/SISFA/programmacomunicazioni.html
http://www.brera.unimi.it/SISFA/riassunticomunicazioni.html
http://www.brera.unimi.it/SISFA/Genova-Chiavari2002.pdf
June 20-22, 2002, Paris, France
International colloquium "L'Art de la Renaissance. Entre Science et Magie"
Organizer: Centre d'Histoire de l'Art de la Renaissance (C.H.A.R.)
Themes: Les astres et la religion, L'astrologie et ses images,
Alchimie et cabale, La nature et ses doubles, Astrologie et politique
June 22, 2002, Oakland, CA, USA
NCHALADA LXI - Northern California Historical Astronomy
Luncheon and Discussion Association
Contacts: Norm Sperling, 413 Poinsettia Avenue, San Mateo,
California 94403, USA, tel.: 650-573-7125,
e-mail: nsperling@california.com
URL: http://www.nchalada.org/archive/NCHALADA_LXI.html
June 26-29, 2002, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
Sixth International Conference on the History of General Relativity
Contacts: A.J. Kox, e-mail: kox@science.uva.nl
URL: http://soliton.science.uva.nl/~kox/HGR6.html
June 29, 2002, Oxford, United Kingdom
Society for the History of Astronomy: Founding Meeting
Contacts: Stuart Williams, e-mail: flamsteed@v21mail.co.uk
URL: http://www.historyofastronomy.fsworld.co.uk/
June 29-30, 2002, Oxford, UK
Do Collections Matter To Instrument Studies?
Joint meeting of the British Society for the History of Science and the
Scientific Instrument Commission of IUHPS/DHS.
With some papers on astronomical instrument collections.
Contacts: BSHS Executive Secretary, 31 High Street, Stanford in the Vale,
Faringdon, Oxon, SN7 8LH, United Kingdom, e-mail: bshs@hidex.demon.co.uk
July 2-5, 2002, Cheongju, Korea
Astronomical Instruments and Archives from the Asia-Pacific Region
Contacts: Prof. Nha Il Seong, e-mail: slisnha@chollian.net
URL: http://nhamuseum.org/conference2002/
July 2-5, 2002, Prague, Czech Republic
LISA IV: Library and Information Services in Astronomy
Some papers on historical subjects.
Contacts: Marek Wolf, e-mail: wolf@mbox.cesnet.cz
URL: http://lisa4.cuni.cz/
August 27-31, 2002, Tartu, Estonia
International colloquium "Cultural context in archaeoastronomical
monuments and echoes of catastrophic cosmic events reflected in culture"
(Annual meeting of the European Society for Astronomy in Culture, SEAC)
Contacts: Estonian Literature Museum, Vanemuise 42, 51003 Tartu,
Estonia, e-mail: seac@haldjas.folklore.ee
URL: http://haldjas.folklore.ee/SEAC
...........................................................................
Acknowledgements
----------------
For information we thank all authors and in addition:
Helen Terre Blanche, James Caplan, Kairika Karsna, Nha Il Seong,
Wayne Orchiston, Izold Pustylnik and Stuart Williams.
Most of the information has been taken from public announcements.
...........................................................................
Imprint
-------
Electronic Newsletter for the History of Astronomy (ENHA)
Published by the Working Group for the History of Astronomy in the
Astronomische Gesellschaft
Editor: Dr. Wolfgang R. Dick <wdi@potsdam.ifag.de>
All items without an author's name are editorial contributions.
Articles as well as information for the several sections are appreciated.
Subscription for ENHA is free. Readers and subscribers are asked for
occasional voluntary donations to the working group.
Copyright Statement:
The Electronic Newsletters for the History of Astronomy may be freely
re-distributed in the case that no charge is imposed. Public offer in
WWW servers, BBS etc. is allowed after the editor has been informed.
Non-commercial reproduction of single items in electronic or printed media
is possible only with the editor's permission.
Arbeitskreis Astronomiegeschichte / Working Group for the History of
Astronomy:
URL: http://www.astrohist.org/
Chairman: Prof. Dr. Peter Brosche, Observatorium Hoher List der
Sternwarte der Universitaet Bonn, 54550 Daun, Germany,
Tel.: +49(0)6592 2150, Fax: +49(0)6592 985140
Secretary: Dr. Wolfgang R. Dick, Otterkiez 14, 14478 Potsdam,
Germany, e-mail: wdick@astrohist.org
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