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Electronic newsletter for the history of astronomy 32
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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 32, October 13, 1998 *
* *
* Edited by: Wolfgang R. Dick *
* *
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Contents
--------
1. Eric S. Hutton: Meteors and Meteorites: A Historic Archive of Articles,
Books and Catalogues on CD-ROM
2. Silke Ackermann: Humphrey Cole: Mint, Measurement and Maps in
Elizabethan England
3. Jean-Pierre Luminet: History of Astronomy Exhibition in Paris
4. IAU Colloquium 178: "Polar Motion: Historical and Scientific Problems"
5. Conferences 1998/99
Acknowledgements
Imprint
...........................................................................
Item 1 ENHA No. 32, Oct. 13, 1998
...........................................................................
Meteors and Meteorites: A Historic Archive of Articles, Books
-------------------------------------------------------------
and Catalogues on CD-ROM
------------------------
By Eric S. Hutton, Hitchin, England
This privately funded project collected together old articles, books and
catalogues under the subject of Meteors and Meteorites. Over 2500 pages
have been scanned in, and are viewable on a CD-ROM as 'photocopies' of the
original pages. The CD-ROM contains many influential and historically
important publications about meteorites and meteors. Highlights include
the following four books:
* A Chapter in the History of Meteorites (1887) by W. Flight
* The Meteoritic Hypothesis (1890) by Norman Lockyer
* Die Meteoriten in Sammlungen und ihre Literatur (1897) by E. A. Wufling
* The Ward-Coonley collection of Meteorites (1904 edition) by H. A. Ward.
The CD is viewable on any computer using Netscape or Internet Explorer Web
browser. The cost is US$ 20, or GBP 12, plus shipping/handling charge.
Distribution:
U.S, Canada, South America: by Martin Horejsi, Meteorite Books,
email: martinh@isu.edu
UK, Europe, Australisia: from Eric Hutton, email: bookman@rmplc.co.uk
Martin Horejsi has also set up a web page giving more details plus
sample pages and contents. See http://www.isu.edu/~martinh
...........................................................................
Item 2 ENHA No. 32, Oct. 13, 1998
...........................................................................
Humphrey Cole: Mint, Measurement and Maps in Elizabethan England
----------------------------------------------------------------
By Silke Ackermann, London
(From: "Elektronische Mitteilungen zur Astronomiegeschichte" Nr. 34,
9. Oktober 1998, Item 1.)
For the first time in its long history the British Museum in London mounted
an exhibition on scientific instruments - appropriately focussing on
Humphrey Cole, the first English born and most renowned scientific
instrument maker of Elizabethan England. Cole produced a wide variety of
mathematical instruments in metal, 26 of which have survived. Twenty-three
of them were brought together for this exhibition (16 of them were
astronomical instruments) and were displayed alongside the map of Palestine
he engraved for Richard Jugge's Bishop's Bible in 1572, together with coins
produced during his tenure at the Mint and a most unusual standard weight
with the Tower mark.
The exhibition was displayed from 3 March to 6 May 1998.
In the accompanying fully illustrated catalogue all the surviving 26
spectacular instruments are described alongside with all the other objects
in the exhibition. Four essays on instrument-making and map-making in
Elizabethan England, as well as on Cole's work at the Mint and his
involvement with Frobisher's expeditions provide extensive background
information.
Catalogue:
Humphrey Cole, Mint, Measurement and Maps in Elizabethan England,
edited by Silke Ackermann.
(Occasional Papers No. 126, published by British Museum Press, London,
March 1998; VI + 106 pages, 12 colour + 36 black and white illustrations;
ISBN 0-86159-126-7, ISSN 0142-4815.)
Contents: Gerard Turner, Queen Elizabeth's Instrument Makers; Peter
Barber, Mapmaking in Humphrey Cole's England; James McDermott, Humphrey
Cole and the Frobisher Voyages; B.J.Cook, Humphrey Cole at the Mint;
Catalogue of the exhibition by Silke Ackermann, Peter Barber, B.J. Cook
and Allen Simpson.
(15.00 Pounds Sterling + p&p. (1 copy add 2.50, 2-3 copies add 3.50, 4
copies and above add 5.00, Overseas - add 15% to order value)
Order from:
British Museum Press, 46 Bloomsbury Street, London WC1B 3QQ,
Tel. 0171 323 1234, Fax 0171 436 7315.
Please make cheques payable to British Museum Press' or quote credit card
number and expiry date.
Or use the following form to be sent to the above address:
Name:
Address:
Number of copies:
Cheque enclosed for ........ Pounds Sterling
Please charge my credit card:
(Access, American Express, Diners Club, Eurocard, Visa)
Number:
Expiry Date:
Signature:
Author's address:
Dr. Silke Ackermann, e-mail: sackermann@british-museum.ac.uk
...........................................................................
Item 3 ENHA No. 32, Oct. 13, 1998
...........................................................................
History of Astronomy Exhibition in Paris
----------------------------------------
By Jean-Pierre Luminet, Paris
(From: "Elektronische Mitteilungen zur Astronomiegeschichte" Nr. 34,
9. Oktober 1998, Item 2.)
The exhibition "Figures du Ciel" [Figures of the Sky] is running at the new
French National Library in Paris, from 10 October 1998 to 10 January 1999.
From old illuminated manuscripts to Hubble Space Telescope photographs,
more than 200 documents depict questions, conceptions and representations
of all times about the universe, its creation, its structure, its evolution
and its meaning, from scientific, historical, philosophical and artistic
points of view.
The five major themes of the exhibition are: "Uranometria" (history of
celestial maps, from Ptolemy to the Digitized Sky Survey), "Harmony" (from
Pythagora to superstrings), "Systems of the World" (from Presocratics to
quantum gravity), "Heptameron" (tales of creation, from Genesis to big
bang) and Sky's Inhabitants (from gods and angels to cosmonauts and
aliens).
An unique opportunity to discover original editions and/or manuscripts of
all the masterpieces of the history of astronomy, mainly from departments
of the Bibliotheque nationale de France. Among those depicted are
Aristotle, Plato, Aristarchus, Ptolemy, Copernicus, Tycho Brahe, Galilei,
Kepler, Descartes, Newton, Herschel, Einstein, Friedmann, Lemaitre. Very
rare documents, such as a never shown illuminated manuscript by Velho
(XVIth), medieval manuscripts about creation, the first celestial maps
engraved by Durer, two editions of Apianus' Astromicum Caesareum, Tycho
Brahe's original manuscripts, are compared to modern astronomical pictures
taken from telescopes and satellites, computer simulations on black holes
and chaotic inflation, musical pieces using pulsar rhythms, or meteorite
fragments older than the solar system itself. Some of the last
developments in cosmology (topology of the universe, self-reproducing
spacetimes, extrasolar planets...) are also depicted.
The exhibit also shows the most beautiful "popular" astronomical atlases
such as Cellarius's Harmonia Macrocosmica (several editions), Doppelmayr's
Atlas coelestis, Lubienetski's Theatrum Cometicum, .... New perpectives
are presented by comparing modern speculations about the nature of space
and time and old interrogations coming from other fields such as poetry
(Hesiod, Aratus, Lucretius, Queneau, Cendrars), philosophy (Swedenborg,
Wright), litterature (Poe, Swift, Cyrano de Bergerac), religion (Bible,
Guillaume of Auvergne, Scheuchzler, ...)
Exhibition "Figures du Ciel"
Scientific direction:
Marc Lachieze-Rey, Jean-Pierre Luminet
10 october 1998 - 10 janvier 1999
Bibliotheque nationale de France
site Francois Mitterand
Grande Galerie Hall Est
Quai Francois Mauriac
Paris 13e (France)
Opening times: 10:00-19:00 hours daily except Monday. Sunday: 12h-19h.
Enquiries: Arnaud Laborderie, Bibliotheque nationale de France, Paris.
Tel: +33 (0)1 53 79 59 59
URL of the BnF: http://www.bnf.fr
Accompanying book:
Marc Lachieze-Rey and Jean-Pierre Luminet: "Figures du Ciel", Ed. du
Seuil/Bibliotheque nationale de France, Paris, 1998.
26,5 x 36 cm. 208 pages, 400 color pictures, ISBN 2-7177-2001-4. (Price :
299 FF - 45 euros)
[In French. This science/art book depicts celestial iconography through
ages. Four themes are developed: Harmony of the World, Uranometria,
Heptameron, Sky's Inhabitants. With full page color pictures, folded maps,
index, bibliography.
More information and abstracts on-line (available mid-october) at
http://www.bnf.fr]
Author's address:
Jean-Pierre Luminet
Departement d'Astrophysique Relativiste et Cosmologie (DARC)
Observatoire de Paris-Meudon, 92195 Meudon cedex, France
Tel: (33) 01 45 07 74 23, fax: (33) 01 45 07 79 71
E-mail: Jean-Pierre.Luminet@obspm.fr
URL: http://darc.obspm.fr/~luminet
...........................................................................
Item 4 ENHA No. 32, Oct. 13, 1998
...........................................................................
IAU Colloquium 178: "Polar Motion: Historical and Scientific Problems"
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Cagliari University, Sardinia, Italy, 27-30 September 1999
(From: "Elektronische Mitteilungen zur Astronomiegeschichte" Nr. 34,
9. Oktober 1998, Item 5.)
FIRST CIRCULAR
GENERAL INFORMATION
The latest observations of the motion of the Earth's rotation pole with
respect to the terrestrial reference frame have achieved not only
remarkable accuracy, but these data are now being obtained with subdaily
frequency, a situation which was unexpected only a few years ago. These
circumstances call into question the very definition of the celestial
ephemeris pole. The astronomical observations available from tracking the
satellites of the Global Positioning System, laser ranging to geodetic
satellites, and very long baseline interferometry, together with ocean and
meteorological data of unprecedented accuracy and frequency, may permit new
understanding of the excitation of polar motion. These new data, combined
with a century of past observations, provide further information on the
secular motion of the pole which, in turn, contributes to improved
understanding of models for the Earth's interior.
The year 1999 marks the centennial of the first observations of the
International Latitude Service (ILS). The ILS was organized in 1895 by the
forerunner of the International Association of Geodesy and was composed of
observing sites on the parallel of 39d 88' North. The goal was to make
astronomical observations to describe the motion of the Earth's rotation
pole. In 1962 the ILS was renamed the International Polar Motion Service
(IPMS) and in 1988 the IPMS was discontinued when the International Earth
Rotation Service commenced. During its history the ILS/IPMS provided
valuable observations of polar motion which continue to be analyzed today.
Many of the questions which the ILS was organized to address still remain,
including the enigmatic nature of the excitation and damping of polar
motion. The definition of the international celestial and terrestrial
reference systems are based on the ILS definition of the pole. Today's
precise astronomical and geodetic observations now require a re-definition
of that pole to correspond with modern levels of measurement. It is
fitting to take the opportunity to mark the centennial of the first ILS
observations at one of the original observatories.
SCIENTIFIC TOPICS AND CALL FOR PAPERS
The Colloquium will include the following topics:
- History of early polar motion research
- History of the monitoring service organizations
- Evolution of astronomical observations
- Mechanisms for excitation of polar motion
- Secular polar motion
- Chandler motion
- Daily and subdaily polar motion
- Modern definition of the celestial ephemeris pole
- Outstanding problems in polar motion research
Invited, contributed, and poster papers will be considered. The collected
proceedings will be published. Abstracts should be submitted by 10 April
1999 to the chairperson of the SOC, Dr. Steven J. Dick, via e-mail
(dick@ariel.usno.navy.mil). Authors will be notified of acceptance by
30 May 1999.
SCIENTIFIC ORGANIZING COMMITTEE:
S. Dick (USA), chair Address: U.S. Naval Observatory
3450 Massachusetts Ave., NW
Washington, D.C. 20392-5420
U.S.A.
G. Beutler (Switzerland) D. McCarthy (USA)
N. Capitaine (France) E. Proverbio (Italy)
T. Fukushima (Japan) J. Vondrak (Czech Republic)
D. Gambis (France) Ya. Yatskiv (Ukraine)
The Colloquium is sponsored by IAU Commission 41 (History of Astronomy)
with support from Commission 19 (Earth Rotation) and 31 (Time). It is
co-sponsored by the International Association of Geodesy, the International
Earth Rotation Service, and the International GPS Service.
LOCAL ORGANIZING COMMITTEE:
F. Fusi Pecci, co-chair E. Proverbio, co-chair
A. Poma P. Calledda
C. Pili S. Uras
T. Zanzu
LOCATION
The Conference will be held at the "Cittadella Universitaria", the new
settlement of the Cagliari University in the immediate outskirts of the
city, from Monday, 28 September through Thursday, 30 September 1999.
There will be an organized excursion to the original site of the ILS
station at Carloforte, on the little island of S.Pietro, about 90 km from
Cagliari.
Cagliari, situated on the southern coast at the center of the gulf of the
Angels, is the capital of the autonomous region of Sardinia and offers many
attractions in the fields of archeology, art, landscape and climate.
During the latter part of September the weather is normally warm and sunny
(the average temperature is around 24 deg C).
The Cagliari-Elmas airport is 7 km from downtown. All the main Italian
airports have frequent direct daily flights to Cagliari. In addition
several ferry-lines connect Italian ports (Genova, Livorno, Civitavecchia)
with Sardinia (Cagliari, Olbia, PortoTorres) daily.
A certain number of rooms are reserved at hotels located in the town
center. The approximate daily hotel rate is 50-110 US$ per person,
including breakfast.
The Conference fee will be 140 US$.
FURTHER INFORMATION AND DEADLINES
The second circular, which will be distributed in February 1999, will
contain details concerning submittal of abstracts and logistics. Abstracts
will be due no later than 10 April 1999.
A limited number of travel grants will be available. Those wishing to
apply for such a support are requested to complete and return the attached
form to the Chairperson of the SOC to arrive not later than 10 April 1999.
In the meantime, the latest information on the colloquium will be posted at
the Web site http://www.ca.astro.it/iau178.
CONTACT ADDRESS:
Local Organizing Committee
IAU Colloquium 178
Stazione Astronomica
Loc. Poggio dei Pini, Str. 54
09012 Capoterra (Cagliari)
ITALY
Telephone: ++39.070.725246
Telefax: ++39.070.725425
e-mail : iauco178@ca.astro.it
To express interest in attending please fill in and return the enclosed
form to the contact address before 10 April 1999.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
IAU Colloquium 178
POLAR MOTION: HISTORICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PROBLEMS
Cagliari University, Sardinia, Italy
27-30 September 1999
PRELIMINARY REGISTRATION FORM
(To be returned before 10 April 1999)
To:
Local Organizing Committee
IAU Colloquium 178
Stazione Astronomica
Loc. Poggio dei Pini, Str. 54
O9012 Capoterra (Cagliari)
ITALY
Telefax: ++ 39.070.725246
E-Mail:iauco178@ca.astro.it
FAMILY NAME:.........................................................
GIVEN NAME:..........................................................
INSTITUTE:...........................................................
MAILING ADDRESS......................................................
......................................................
TELEPHONE: ..........................................................
FAX:.................................................................
E-MAIL:..............................................................
I plan to attend the Conference ( ) yes ( ) no
I intend to contribute an oral talk ( ) yes ( ) no
I intend to present a poster ( ) yes ( ) no
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
IAU Colloquium 178
POLAR MOTION: HISTORICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PROBLEMS
Cagliari University, Sardinia, Italy
27-30 September 1999
APPLICATION FOR TRAVEL GRANT
(To be returned before 10 April 1999)
To:
Dr. Steven J. Dick
U.S. Naval Observatory
3450 Massachusetts Ave.,NW
Washington D.C. 20392-5420
U.S.A.
Telefax: ++ 202.762.1516
E-Mail:dick@ariel.usno.navy.mil
Name of applicant:....................................................
Nationality: ..........................Position:......................
Mailing Address:......................................................
......................................................
Telephone:.......................Telefax:.............................
E-mail:...............................................................
Starting point of journey:............................................
(if different from home address):
Type of contribution:.................................................
(e.g. review talk, thesis presentation, ...)
Title of contribution:................................................
................................................
Total amount of IAU support applied for (in CHF)......................
Subtotal for travel (max.: economy air fare or equivalent):...........
Subtotal for subsistence (if no other funds available):...............
Other sources of support applied to:..................................
Amount requested/granted:.............................................
Signature of applicant: ................Date and place:...............
For Ph.D. students:
Signature of Thesis Director/Supervisor:.........................
Institution:.....................................................
...........................................................................
Item 5 ENHA No. 32, Oct. 13, 1998
...........................................................................
Conferences 1998/99
-------------------
(From: "Elektronische Mitteilungen zur Astronomiegeschichte" Nr. 34,
9. Oktober 1998, Item 6. Partially translated by the editor.)
Further conferences in the years 1998 and 1999 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
November 7, 1998, Muenster, Germany
"Historical connections between the measurement of time and units of
angles and length". Seminar of the Fachgruppe Geschichte des
Vermessungswesens [Division for the History of Surveying] in the
Bildungswerk des Verbandes Deutscher Vermessungsingenieure [Education
Foundation of the Association of German Surveying Engineers].
The programme includes: 'Harmony of the World'. Kepler's astronomy
between war and peace.
Fee: 70 DM
Information: Dipl.-Ing. Heinz Juergen Lagoda, Westfaelische Str. 30,
D-47169 Duisburg, Germany, Tel. 0203 - 59 82 47
January 5-9, 1999, Austin, TX, USA
193rd Meeting of the American Astronomical Society
Wednesday, 6 January 1999, 10:00-11:30am:
Tools and Techniques of Data Collection and Reduction in Archaeoastronomy.
There will also be a poster session.
Organized by David G. Iadevaia, Ph.D.,
A P I Airbourne Precision Imaging,
2968 W. Ina Rd. Ste 275, Tucson, AZ 85741, USA,
phone: 520-544-7896, e-mail: api@api-az.com
URLs: http://www.aas.org/meetings/aas193/prelim/prelim.html
http://www.aas.org/meetings/aas193/prelim/archaeo.html
February 22-26, 1999, Mumbai, India
International Workshop on the History of Science: Implications for Science
Education
Contacts: WHOS Secretariat, Homi Bhabha Centre for Science Education,
V.N. Purav Marg, Mankhurd, Mumbai 400088, India,
Phones: 5567711, 5554712, 5555242, Fax: 91-022-5566803,
email: whos@hbcse.tifr.res.in
For more details see: http://www.tifr.res.in/~hbcse/workshop.html
March 18-19, 1999, Heidelberg, Germany
VIIIth History of Physics Conference about "Physics and physicists
in Germany after World War II (1945/55)"
Deadline for abstracts: Nov. 1, 1998.
Information and registration: Dr. Dieter Hoffmann,
MPI fuer Wissenschaftsgeschichte, Wilhelmstr. 44, D-10117 Berlin,
Germany, tel. 030/22667-117, fax: 22667-299,
e-mail: dh@mpiwg-berlin.mpg.de
...........................................................................
Acknowledgements
----------------
For information we thank all authors and in addition:
Steven J. Dick (Washington, DC), Dieter Hoffmann (Berlin),
Heinz Juergen Lagoda (Duisburg).
...........................................................................
Imprint
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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.astro.uni-bonn.de/~pbrosche/astoria.html
Chairman: Prof. Dr. Peter Brosche, Observatorium Hoher List der
Sternwarte der Universitaet Bonn, D-54550 Daun, Germany,
Tel.: +49(0)6592 2150, Fax: +49(0)6592 985140
Secretary: Dr. Wolfgang R. Dick, Bundesamt fuer Kartographie und
Geodaesie, Aussenstelle Potsdam, Postfach 60 08 08, D-14408 Potsdam,
Germany, Tel.: +49(0)331 316 618, E-mail: wdi@potsdam.ifag.de
Bank Acct. of the Working Group of the Astronomische Gesellschaft:
Acct # 333 410 41, Sparkasse Bochum (BLZ 430 500 01)
Contributions from foreign countries: acct # 162 18-203, Postgiroamt
Hamburg, BLZ 200 400 20
Please sign with: "Fuer Arbeitskreis Astronomiegeschichte"
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