*************************************************************************** * * * ELECTRONIC NEWSLETTER FOR THE HISTORY OF ASTRONOMY * * * * Published by the Working Group for the History of Astronomy * * in the Astronomische Gesellschaft * * * * Number 31, September 10, 1998 * * * * Edited by: Wolfgang R. Dick * * * *************************************************************************** Contents -------- 1. Meeting of the Working Group for the History of Astronomy during the International Conference of the Astronomische Gesellschaft - Programme 2. Michael J. Crowe: Fourth Biennial History of Astronomy Workshop 3. Bart Fried: The Antique Telescope Society and its Journal 4. Emily Gillingham: Metascience - A review journal for history and philosophy of science 5. Charles A. Wood: A new Web site: Exploring the Moon 6. New book on astrolabes Imprint ........................................................................... Item 1 ENHA No. 31, Sep. 10, 1998 ........................................................................... Meeting of the Working Group for the History of Astronomy during the -------------------------------------------------------------------- International Conference of the Astronomische Gesellschaft ---------------------------------------------------------- Programme --------- (From: "Elektronische Mitteilungen zur Astronomiegeschichte" Nr. 33, 8. September 1998, Item 1, sligtly abridged. Partial translations by the editor.) Sunday, 13 September 1998 Informal gathering in the restaurant, "Da Claudia", Brueckenstrasse 14, in Heidelberg, from around 7 pm, open end. Monday, 14 September 1998 Place: Campus of Heidelberg University (Neuenheimer Feld 308), Hoersaal [Lecture room] 2 in the Central Area of "Theoretikum", building 306 9:00 Welcome 9:10 Reinhold Bien (Heidelberg): A history of local astronomy 9:30 Andreas Haenel (Osnabrueck): Do megalithic graves have an astronomical orientation? A European perspective 9:50 Harald Gropp (Heidelberg): Some remarks on the calendar of Coligny 10:10 Heiner Lichtenberg (Bonn): Zur Verknuepfung des Sonnen- und Mondkalenders im Gregorianischen Kalender 10:30 Coffee break 11:00 Ari Belenkiy (Israel): Kepler's Ellipse and Jewish Astronomical Tradition 11:20 Elvira Pfitzner (Chemnitz): Doerffelforschung - Moeglichkeiten und Grenzen 11:40 Ulrich Bastian (Heidelberg): Bessel's Parallax of 61 Cygni Visualized 12:00 Lunch 14:00 Colin Humphreys (Cambridge, UK): The Star of Bethlehem, a Comet in 5 BC, and the Date of the Millenium 14:40 Manfred Schuermeyer (Dreieich): The Comet of Bethlehem and its year of appearance 15:00 Wolfgang Czegka (Bruehl): Wilhelm Schickard, Isaac Habrecht and the first empirical meteor height determination in 1623 15:20 Break 15:30 Wolfgang Kokott (Munich/Bonn): Variations of a Constant - On the History of Precession 15:50 Gudrun Wolfschmidt (Hamburg): Max Wolf as a Pioneer of Astrophotography 16:10 Wolfgang R. Dick (Potsdam): Encyclopedias of Astronomical Biographies - Status and Prospects 16:30 Assembly of the members of the Working Group for the History of Astronomy (guests are welcome) Abstracts of the papers were published in "Astronomische Gesellschaft Abstract Series" No. 14, Hamburg 1998, p. 75-81. These are available in electronic form at the Astrophysics Data System (ADS). Links to the abstracts of the papers listed above are to be found in http://www.astro.uni-bonn.de/~pbrosche/aa/treffen1998-e.html . There are also links to the complete programme of the conference, as well as to documents about the history of astronomy in Heidelberg, to museums and to general information about this city. Other events Monday, 14 September, to Friday, 18 September 1998 International Scientific Conference of the Astronomische Gesellschaft The following poster paper (P 121) has been submitted: Johann Dorschner (Jena): Max Wolf and the Thuringian Private Astronomer Anton Thraen Wednesday, 16 September 1998 Tour of the Landessternwarte (Observatory) Heidelberg-Koenigstuhl At 3 pm you may visit the Landessternwarte on the Koenigstuhl hill. Saturday, 19 September 1998 Programme for teachers The programme includes also: Heiner Lichtenberg (Bonn): Zeitrechnung im Gregorianischen Kalender - ein Schulthema? Please send all requests to the coordinator of the meeting: Dr. Reinhold Bien, Astronomisches Rechen-Institut, Moenchhofstr. 12-14, D-69120 Heidelberg, Germany, Tel.: (06221) 405-120, Fax: (06221) 405-297, e-mail: reinhold@ari.uni-heidelberg.de ........................................................................... Item 2 ENHA No. 31, Sep. 10, 1998 ........................................................................... Fourth Biennial History of Astronomy Workshop --------------------------------------------- By Michael J. Crowe, Notre Dame, IN The Fourth Biennial History of Astronomy Workshop will be held July 1-4, 1999 at the University of Notre Dame. Co-Program Chairs are Mike Crowe and Steve Dick. Matt Dowd will serve as local arrangements chair. Persons having suggestions or proposals should write as soon as possible to either Steven J. Dick U.S. Naval Observatory 3450 Massachusetts Ave. NW Washington, D.C. 20392-5420, USA E-mail: dick@ariel.usno.navy.mil tel.: 202-762-1438 or to Michael J. Crowe Program of Liberal Studies Univ. of Notre Dame Notre Dame, IN 46556, USA E-mail: Crowe.1@nd.edu tel.: 219-631-6212. Registration information can be obtained from Astronomy Center for Continuing Education Univ. of Notre Dame Notre Dame, IN 46556, USA E-mail: cce.cce.1@nd.edu Local Arrangements information can be secured from Matthew F. Dowd Graduate Program in History and Philosophy of Science Univ. of Notre Dame Notre Dame, IN 46556, USA E-mail: Matthew.F.Dowd.11@nd.edu tel.: 219-287-7226 The workshop is sponsored by the History and Philosophy of Science Graduate Program of the University of Notre Dame, the History of Astronomy Special Interest Group of the History of Science Society, and the Historical Astronomy Division of the American Astronomical Society. Regarding transportation, flights come to the South Bend Airport from a number of major cities. Persons arriving via Chicago can take the United Limo Bus, which runs from the United Terminal at O'Hare Airport directly to the Notre Dame campus. Round-trip fare is $52. For a schedule and reservations, call United Limo at (800)833-5555. For those driving, ample parking is available. A campus map and parking information will be sent in the CCE information packet. The conference will include a book exhibit and display tables. Participants are welcome to bring materials to display. Please contact Matt Dowd with regard to how much space will be needed. The sixty-five historians of astronomy who attended the Third Biennial History of Astronomy Workshop, held at Notre Dame in June, 1997, praised the lively and informed sessions, the comfortable and informal atmosphere, and the reasonable room rates. Further information will be forthcoming. For the present, please mark your calendar and pass the word! ........................................................................... Item 3 ENHA No. 31, Sep. 10, 1998 ........................................................................... The Antique Telescope Society and its Journal --------------------------------------------- By Bart Fried, Plymouth Meeting, PA (From: "Elektronische Mitteilungen zur Astronomiegeschichte" Nr. 33, 8. September 1998, Item 3.) The Antique Telescope Society is an international non-profit society whose purpose is to unite colleagues interested in antique astronomical telescopes, binoculars, instruments, books, atlases, and related items. It's further purpose is to promote the membership's interests in astronomical history and discovery, the history of optics, and the preservation and use of these instruments through stewardship and education. The principal activities of the society are publishing a regular journal, organizing meetings, providing assistance with the restoration of instruments, hosting shows and displays, preserving historical data and guiding collectors. The Journal of the Antique Telescope Society is an 18-24 page, 21.5 cm x 28 cm soft-covered volume printed on glossy paper and illustrated with black and white photographs, drawings and diagrams, etc. Articles have been of a very high caliber, including much new or re-discovered information about the history of telescope making. Submissions are peer-reviewed for accuracy and letters and requests for information are published. Yearly conventions have been at such interesting and prestigious places as the Herschel Society/Bath, England; U.S. Naval Observatory; Yerkes Observatory; Lick Observatory; Chabot Observatory; Ricard Observatory; Mt. Wilson Observatory; Sproul Observatory and Palomar Observatory. Membership in the society is currently $40.00 US for each four Journal issues, published 3-4 times per year. For more information, visit the society's Web site: http://www1.tecs.com/oldscope/ (Please note that the site will soon be updated, and the address might change.) To join the ATS or get further information, please contact: Dr. Walter Breyer, ATS Secretary 1275 Poplar Grove Road Cumming, GA 30041 USA e-mail: whbreyer@mindspring.com ........................................................................... Item 4 ENHA No. 31, Sep. 10, 1998 ........................................................................... Metascience - A review journal for history and philosophy of science -------------------------------------------------------------------- By Emily Gillingham, Oxford (From: "Elektronische Mitteilungen zur Astronomiegeschichte" Nr. 33, 8. September 1998, Item 4.) Metascience is a review journal which publishes high quality, comprehensive reviews of books in history and philosophy of science, science and technology studies and related fields. Metascience specialises in innovative styles of reviewing, including standard reviews, essay reviews, CD-Rom reviews, non-anglophone reviews, discipline survey reviews and round-table or review symposia in which up to four reviewers provide independent essay reviews of one book. Metascience is non-specialist as all reviews are accessible to a wide cross-section of the HPS/STS community. Free Sample Copy Available If you would like to review a sample copy of the journal prior to subscribing, please reply to egilling@blackwellpublishers.co.uk with 'METASCIENCE-SAMPLE COPY REQUEST' in the subject line and your full name, postal address, and the following information in the message, i.e. whether you are planning to: a) Submit a review to the journal. b) Recommend your library to subscribe. If so, I would be grateful for the name of the librarian and institution... c) Subscribe to the journal yourself. Special Offer - Electronic Access is included in your institutional subscription to the print edition. Special Discounts available for Members of the following societies: AAHPSSS, APA, HSS, BSHS, PSA, AHSA, ISHPSSB. See below for more details. Contents of Volume 7, Issue 2, July 1998: Review Symposium: Brute Science: Dilemmas of Animal Experimentation, by Hugh LaFollette and Niall Shanks Reviewed by Jane Azevedo, John Forge, Alan MacKay-Sim, Merry Maisel, Don Howard Survey Reviews: Science Communication: A Growth Area in Science and Technology Studies By Rosaleen Love Marketing the Scientific Revolution-New Stories for Beginners By John A. Schuster Literature Survey: Spain and the Dawn of Modern Science By Beatriz Helena Domingues Essay Review: Steve Fuller, Science, Reviewed by David Hess CD-ROM Review: Daniel Dennett, Artificial Life: the Tufts Symposium, Reviewed by Terry Dartnall Reviews include: Steven J. Dicks, The Biological Universe: The Twentieth Century Extraterrestrial Life Debate and the Limits of Science Reviewed by Kim Sterelny H. Tristram Engelhardt Jr, The Foundations of Bioethics Reviewed by John Forge Steven Epstein, Impure Science: AIDS, Activism and the Politics of Knowledge Reviewed by Ivan Crozier Karen Newman, Fetal Positions: Individualism, Science, Visuality Reviewed by Yvonne Luxford Paul Churchland, The Engine of Reason, the Seat of the Soul Reviewed by Richard McDonough Bettyann Holtzmann Kevles, Naked to the Bone: Medical Imaging in the Twentieth Century Reviewed by Randall Albury Edited by John Forge ISSN: 0815-0796, 3 issues a year, Volume 7, 1998 Institutional Subscription Rates: $ 123.00 (N America), GBP 75.00 (UK/Europe), A$ 99.00 (Australia/New Zealand), GBP 75.00 (Rest of World) Personal Subscription Rates: $ 46.00 (N America), GBP 29.00 (UK/Europe), A$ 50.00 (Australia/New Zealand), GBP 29.00 (Rest of World) AAHPSSS Members: A$ 45.00 APA, HSS, BSHS, PSA, AHSA, ISHPSSB Members: $40.00 (N America), GBP 25.00 (Rest of World) More information is available at the following Web site: http://www.sct.gu.edu.au/~sctforge/index.html Author's address: Emily Gillingham Blackwell Publishers 108 Cowley Road Oxford, OX4 1JF UK Email: egilling@blackwellpublishers.co.uk http://www.blackwellpublishers.co.uk ........................................................................... Item 5 ENHA No. 31, Sep. 10, 1998 ........................................................................... A new Web site: Exploring the Moon ---------------------------------- By Charles A. Wood, Grand Forks, ND (From: "Elektronische Mitteilungen zur Astronomiegeschichte" Nr. 33, 8. September 1998, Item 5.) In ENHA No. 19 (April 9, 1997, Item 4) I mentioned that I was developing a web site about the Moon and the history of its explorations. The site, Exploring the Moon, is now available at: http://www.space.edu/moon One goal is documentation of all significant studies of the Moon, especially the classical era from Gilbert, Harriot and Galileo through Apollo. Currently more than 100 books, maps and planetary missions are briefly described - some with photos and text excerpts. A second goal is compilation of a virtual photographic atlas of the Moon. Presently there are about 25 different regions depicted, both from high quality amateur and professional photos. The third major section is an online version of the Lunar & Planetary Lab (Tucson) Catalog of Lunar Craters, which I lead nearly 30 years ago. This unpublished catalog of lunar crater positions, diameters and depths should be online in a few weeks. Necessarily, this web site is incomplete. I strongly encourage students of the Moon to send me corrections, comments and additions - any of which can be entered on the site along with the name of the contributor. Author's address: Charles A. Wood Tel: 701-777-3167 Space Studies FAX: 701-777-3711 Univ. of North Dakota VolcanoWorld: volcano.und.edu Grand Forks, ND 58202-9008 Space Studies: www.space.edu E-mail: cwood@badlands.nodak.edu ........................................................................... Item 6 ENHA No. 31, Sep. 10, 1998 ........................................................................... New book on astrolabes ---------------------- (From: "Elektronische Mitteilungen zur Astronomiegeschichte" Nr. 33, 8. September 1998, Item 6.) The History of Astronomy Department of the Adler Planetarium & Astronomy Museum, Chicago, is pleased to announce the publication of Western Astrolabes by Roderick and Marjorie Webster. This book is the inaugural volume of our catalogue project documenting the Adler's collection of historic scientific instruments and rare books. The Adler Planetarium & Astronomy Museum is home to one of the world's great collections of astrolabes. In this volume Marjorie and the late Roderick Webster, Adler Curators Emeriti, have carefully documented 47 astrolabes, astrolabe-quadrants, and mariner's astrolabes. The book is lavishly illustrated with photographs showing the front, the back, and additional details (such as the maker's signature) of each instrument. Introductory essays by the Websters and former Adler curator Sara Schechner Genuth explain the use of the astrolabe and its role in cultural and social history. For more information, to read a sample entry, or to obtain an order form, please go to the web site http://astro.uchicago.edu/adler/historybooks/. You may also request a brochure/order form to be sent via regular mail by contacting us at the Email address historybooks@adlernet.org. Future volumes currently underway include: Eastern Astrolabes, Sundials (2 volumes), Star Charts (2 volumes), and Optical Instruments. Other volumes will include: Clocks and Watches, Globes and Armillary Spheres, Navigational Instruments, and more. (Contributed by Bruce Stephenson, Chicago, IL) ........................................................................... 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 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/aa/aa.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" ***************************************************************************