*************************************************************************** * * * ELECTRONIC NEWSLETTER FOR THE HISTORY OF ASTRONOMY * * * * Published by the Working Group for the History of Astronomy * * in the Astronomische Gesellschaft * * * * Number 46, April 20, 2001 * * * * Edited by: Wolfgang R. Dick * * * *************************************************************************** Contents -------- 1. Acta Historica Astronomiae - a new series of books 2. Exhibition on One Thousand Years of the Art and Science of Astronomy 3. Gudrun Richardson: The Raymond and Beverly Sackler Archive Resource 4. Robert Hooke Tercentenary Conference 5. Conferences in 2001 6. New Books Correction Acknowledgements Imprint ........................................................................... Item 1 ENHA No. 46, April 20, 2001 ........................................................................... Acta Historica Astronomiae - a new series of books -------------------------------------------------- 1. Introduction "Acta Historica Astronomiae" (ISSN 1422-8521) is a new series of books devoted to all fields of the history of astronomy. It will comprise monographs, proceedings of conferences, general and thematic collections of articles, editions of manuscripts, bibliographies, inventories of astronomical archives, as well as graduate and doctoral theses. Reprints and translations of interesting historical works may also be published. The issues of "Beitraege zur Astronomiegeschichte" (Contributions to the History of Astronomy) are something like yearbooks. These will appear irregularly, but hopefully at least once per year. "Beitraege zur Astronomiegeschichte" contain scientific and review articles, reports and book reviews. The first three issues include one article in English each, the others are in German with English abstracts. The fourth issue is in preparation for autumn this year. 2. The first volumes All volumes appeared with Verlag Harri Deutsch, Thun and Frankfurt am Main, paperback in format 15 x 21 cm. Among the 11 volumes which were edited so far, three books are in English. Vol. 1: Wolfgang R. Dick, Juergen Hamel (Eds.): Beitraege zur Astronomiegeschichte, Band 1 [Contributions to the History of Astronomy, Issue 1]. 1998, 184 p., ISBN 3-8171-1568-7, 31 ill., DM 28.00 Vol. 2: Juergen Hamel: Die astronomischen Forschungen in Kassel unter Wilhelm IV. [Astronomical research in Kassel under Wilhelm IV]. Mit einer wissenschaftlichen Teiledition der Uebersetzung des Hauptwerkes von Copernicus 1586 [With a scientific partial edition of the first translation of 1586 of Copernicus' main work]. 1998, 175 p., ISBN 3-8171-1569-5, ill., DM 28.00 Vol. 3: Peter Brosche, Wolfgang R. Dick, Oliver Schwarz, Roland Wielen (Eds.): The Message of the Angles - Astrometry from 1798 to 1998. Proceedings of the International Spring Meeting of the Astronomische Gesellschaft, Gotha, May 11-15, 1998. 1998, 276 p., ISBN 3-8171-1588-1, ill., DM 38.00 Vol. 4: Klaus-Dieter Herbst: Astronomie um 1700 [Astronomy around 1700]. Kommentierte Edition des Briefes von Gottfried Kirch an Olaus Roemer vom 25. Oktober 1703 [Annotated edition of the letter by Gottfried Kirch to Olaus Roemer of October 25, 1703]. 1999, 143 p., ISBN 3-8171-1589-X, ill., DM 24.00 Vol. 5: Wolfgang R. Dick, Juergen Hamel (Eds.): Beitraege zur Astronomiegeschichte, Band 2 [Contributions to the History of Astronomy, Issue 2]. 1999, 226 p., ISBN 3-8171-1590-3, 14 ill., DM 32.00 Vol. 6: Peter Kroll, Constanze la Dous, Hans-Juergen Braeuer (Eds.): Treasure-Hunting in Astronomical Plate Archives. Proceedings of the International Workshop held at Sonneberg Observatory, March 4 to 6, 1999. 1999, 266 p., ISBN 3-8171-1599-7, ill., DM 38.00 Vol. 7: Reinhard E. Schielicke, Klaus-Dieter Herbst, Stefan Kratochwil (Eds.): Erhard Weigel - 1625 bis 1699 : Barocker Erzvater der deutschen Fruehaufklaerung [Erhard Weigel - 1625 to 1699 : Baroque patriarch of the early German Enlightenment]. Beitraege des Kolloquium anlaesslich seines 300. Todestages am 20. Maerz 1999 in Jena [Proceedings of the colloquium held in Jena on March 20, 1999, on the occasion of the 300th anniversary of his death]. 1999, 174 p., ISBN 3-8171-1600-4, 16 ill., DM 28.00 Vol. 8: Wolfgang R. Dick, Klaus Fritze (Eds.): 300 Jahre Astronomie in Berlin und Potsdam [300 Years of Astronomy in Berlin and Potsdam]. Eine Sammlung von Aufsaetzen aus Anlass des Gruendungsjubilaeums der Berliner Sternwarte [A collection of papers on the occasion of the anniversary of the foundation of the Berlin Observatory]. 2000, 252 p., ISBN 3-8171-1622-5, 27 ill., DM 32.00 Vol. 9: Klaus Hentschel, Axel D. Wittmann (Eds.): The Role of Visual Representations in Astronomy: History and Research Practice. Contributions to a Colloquium held at Goettingen in 1999. 2000, 148 p., ISBN 3-8171-1630-6, 36 ill., DM 24.00 Vol. 10: Wolfgang R. Dick, Juergen Hamel (Eds.): Beitraege zur Astronomiegeschichte, Band 3 [Contributions to the History of Astronomy, Issue 3]. 2000, 251 p., ISBN 3-8171-1635-7, 80 ill., DM 32.00 Vol. 11: Ernst-August Gussmann, Gerhard Scholz, Wolfgang R. Dick (Eds.): Der Grosse Refraktor auf dem Potsdamer Telegrafenberg [The Great Refractor at the Telegrafenberg in Potsdam]. Vortraege zu seinem 100jaehrigen Bestehen [Papers on occasion of its 100th anniversary]. 2000, 136 p., ISBN 3-8171-1642-X, 29 ill., DM 22.00 3. How to order In Germany the titles of the series Acta Historica Astronomiae may be ordered in every bookshop. Some volumes are available within one or two days. Outside Germany large bookshops dealing with foreign books will accept your orders. Orders are also possible directly to Fachbuchhandlung Harri Deutsch, Versandabteilung, Graefstrasse 47, D-60486 Frankfurt am Main, Germany, Tel.: +49 69 775021, Fax: +49 69 7073739, e-mail: buchhandlung@harri-deutsch.de, URL: http://www.harri-deutsch.de/. Postage: inside Germany DM 5.00, for orders of DM 100 or more postage is free. Please ask for postage prices outside Germany. Credit cards will be accepted. This bookshop accepts also subscriptions to the complete series; please send these to the address given above, attention: Mr. Gebhardt. Orders may also be sent to Antiquariat & Buchhandlung Gerhard Renner, Postfach 1648, D-72439 Albstadt-Tailfingen, Germany, Tel.: +49 7432 5114, Fax: +49 7432 5567, e-mail: buch@antiquar-renner.com, URL: http://www.antiquar-renner.com/. Credit cards will be accepted. Please ask for postage prices. Orders are also possible to German Internet bookshops like Amazon.de (www.amazon.de) and Lehmanns Online Bookshop (www.lob.de). 4. Instructions for authors and editors For scientific books of this type the printing costs have to be paid by the authors or the editors. "Acta Historica Astronomiae" offers high printing quality at comparatively low costs for the authors and low selling prices. Books in German or English will be accepted, parts of the texts may be also in other languages. The author(s) or editor(s) should be able to provide camera-ready manuscripts in the demanded form. Instructions for this and other details will be provided. For the "Beitraege zur Astronomiegeschichte" no page charges are demanded, but donations are welcome. Articles in German or English will be accepted. Due to the large number of papers offered, preference will be given to contributions in German and to English contributions dealing with the history of astronomy in the German-speaking areas in the widest sense. Instructions for authors are available. Please contact the editors before sending in manuscripts: Wolfgang R. Dick (Otterkiez 14, 14478 Potsdam, Germany, e-mail: wdi@potsdam.ifag.de) or Juergen Hamel (c/o Archenhold-Sternwarte, Alt Treptow 1, 12435 Berlin, Germany, e-mail: jhamel@astw.de). 5. Further information More information including Tables of Contents, English abstracts, and partially complete papers is available at http://www.astro.uni-bonn.de/~pbrosche/aa/acta/ or from the editors. ........................................................................... Item 2 ENHA No. 46, April 20, 2001 ........................................................................... Exhibition on One Thousand Years of the Art and Science of Astronomy -------------------------------------------------------------------- (From: "Elektronische Mitteilungen zur Astronomiegeschichte" Nr. 55, 17. April 2001, Item 3.) Vintage telescopes, astronomy manuscripts dating back to the 13th century, a Moon rock and NASA pictures of distant galaxies are displayed at the Huntington Library, San Marino, Calif., in an exhibit exploring humanity's quest to understand the cosmos. The exhibit, called "Star Struck: One Thousand Years of the Art and Science of Astronomy," features images taken by NASA/JPL planetary missions over the past four decades, along with historic astronomical instruments and important works by Galileo, Cassini, Huygens and other early astronomers. "NASA and JPL have been part of creating a new era of observing the universe by sending probes to the planets in our solar system and putting telescopes in space that can observe the universe in much greater detail," said Dr. Edward Stone, director of NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena. Stone advised the Huntington Library in assembling the exhibit. The three astronomical themes included in the exhibit, Stone said, are: What is our place in the universe? How do we observe the universe to understand that? What have we seen that has allowed us to understand better our place in the universe? Visitors to the exhibit, which runs until May 13, will also see the first hand-drawn star map of the southern hemisphere and a 1913 letter from Albert Einstein asking astronomer George Ellery Hale, founder of the Mount Wilson and Palomar Mountain observatories, to review his new theory of general relativity. This exhibit is the first in "The Universe" series of space-related events in the Pasadena area in coming months. Other institutions and organizations taking part are the California Institute of Technology, Armory Center for the Arts, Art Center College of Design, Norton Simon Museum, One Colorado, Pacific Asia Museum and Southwest Chamber Music. For hours, admission and more information on the Huntington Library, see http://www.huntington.org . For information on space exploration and astronomical objects, see JPL's website at http://www.jpl.nasa.gov . JPL, a NASA center, is a division of Caltech. Source: JPL Press Release, February 6, 2001 Contact: JPL -- Martha J. Heil (818) 354-0850 Huntington Library -- Dan Lewis (626) 405-2141 ........................................................................... Item 3 ENHA No. 46, April 20, 2001 ........................................................................... The Raymond and Beverly Sackler Archive Resource ------------------------------------------------ By Gudrun Richardson, London, UK (From: "Elektronische Mitteilungen zur Astronomiegeschichte" Nr. 55, 17. April 2001, Item 4.) The Sackler Archive Resource is developed by the Royal Society Library and generously funded by the Raymond and Beverly Sackler Trust. The Resource is a biographical database of Fellows of the Royal Society from its inception in 1660 to the present day (excluding the current Fellowship) and includes some 8,000 figures from the history of science. Names such as Sir Christopher Wren (FRS 1663), Sir Humphry Davy (FRS 1803) and Charles Darwin (FRS 1839) appear alongside their contemporaries who have been all but lost to history. The aim of the five-year project is to bring together the diverse printed sources relating to the history of the Fellowship into a fully searchable database. Election certificates are being transcribed, allowing users to search for research interests and also to identify links between individual scientists through candidates' proposers. Other biographical elements include education, career details and family relationships; other information includes references to obituaries of Fellows published by the Royal Society. The next aim of the project is to scan portraits of Fellows and attach these to the biographical records. The Resource is now available via the Royal Society's website: www.royalsoc.ac.uk/library/index.html , under the link "Online catalogues". Also available is the library catalogue of the Royal Society, a collection of history of science and science policy, built around the Royal Society's work and Fellows. Work on the Sackler Archive Resource is ongoing and additional information would be most welcome. Comments regarding either the Resource or the library catalogue can be sent to: sackler@royalsoc.ac.uk Author's address: Gudrun Richardson (Miss) Researcher (Raymond and Beverly Sackler Archive Resource) tel + 44 (0) 20 7451 2602 fax + 44 (0) 20 7930 2170 email gudrun.richardson@royalsoc.ac.uk Registered Charity No 207043 The Royal Society - promoting excellence in science http://www.royalsoc.ac.uk ........................................................................... Item 4 ENHA No. 46, April 20, 2001 ........................................................................... Robert Hooke Tercentenary Conference ------------------------------------ London, UK, 7-9 July, 2003 A major international conference is being organised under the auspices of Gresham College, London, to commemorate the tercentenary of the death of the natural philosopher and polymath Robert Hooke (1635-1703). Sessions will be devoted to the full range of Hooke's life, work, milieu and legacy; there will also be ancillary activities, including visits to buildings designed by him. Offers of papers are invited from those actively engaged in research on Hooke. Please send details, including the proposed title and a synopsis, to the organisers Prof. Michael Cooper at m.a.r.cooper@city.ac.uk and Prof. Michael Hunter at m.hunter@history.bbk.ac.uk Those who would like to attend and wish to be kept informed of plans as they develop should send their details to the administrator Mrs Julie Jones at julie.jones6@btinternet.com. [Source: http://depts.washington.edu/hssexec/meetings/hooke.html] ........................................................................... Item 5 ENHA No. 46, April 20, 2001 ........................................................................... Conferences in 2001 ------------------- (From: "Elektronische Mitteilungen zur Astronomiegeschichte" Nr. 54, 12. April 2001, Item 6. Partial translations by the editor.) Further conferences in the year 2001 were reported in previous issues of ENHA. For a complete list of all meetings announced see the following URL: http://www.astro.uni-bonn.de/~pbrosche/hist_astr/ha_meet.html May 7-11, 2001, Ostseebad Zingst, Germany 6. Tagung der Fachsektion Geschichte der Mathematik der Deutschen Mathematiker-Vereinigung [6th Meeting of the Special Section for History of Mathematics in the German Association of Mathematicians] Information: Prof. Dr. Peter Schreiber, Ernst-Moritz-Arndt-Universitaet, Institut fuer Mathematik und Informatik, D-17487 Greifswald, Germany, Tel.: 03834-864621, e-mail: schreibe@mail.uni-greifswald.de May 24-27, 2001, Stimpfach-Rechenberg, Germany 30. Jahrestagung des Arbeitskreises Sonnenuhren in der Deutschen Gesellschaft fuer Chronometrie [30th Annual Meeting of the Sundial Working Group in the German Society of Chronometry] Contacts: Rolf Wieland, Baumgartenweg 5, D-74589 Satteldorf, Germany September 7-8, 2001, St. Georgen am Laengsee/Kaernten, Austria 11. Jahrestagung der Arbeitsgruppe Sonnenuhren im Oesterreichischen Astronomischen Verein [11th Annual Meeting of the Sundial Working Group in the Austrian Astronomical Society] Information: Helmut Sonderegger, Sonnenstr. 24, A-6805 Feldkirch, Austria, e-mail: h.sonderegger@vlbg.at ........................................................................... Item 6 ENHA No. 46, April 20, 2001 ........................................................................... New Books --------- (From: "Elektronische Mitteilungen zur Astronomiegeschichte" Nr. 54, 12. April 2001, Item 7. Partial translations by the editor.) Baumunk, Bodo-Michael; Buelow, Ralf (Eds.): Weltraum. Sonnen, Monde, Galaxien: Aufbruch ins Unbekannte [Universe. Suns, moons, galaxies: Departure into unknown worlds. - In German]. Berlin: Henschel Verlag, 2000. 128 p., 153 ill., ISBN 3-89487-346-9, 24 x 27 cm, hardbound DM 24.90 (Sieben Huegel - Bilder und Zeichen des 21. Jahrhunderts: [14. Mai - 29. Oktober 2000 im Martin Gropius-Bau Berlin; eine Ausstellung der Berliner Festspiele]; Bd. 3) [Accompanying book for the exhibition "Seven Hills - Pictures and Signs of the 21st Century", 14 May - 29 October 2000 in Berlin, vol. 3] Berichte der Kepler-Kommission, Heft 11 [Reports of the Kepler Commission, Issue 11. - In German]. Muenchen: Bayerische Akademie der Wissenschaften, 2000. 63 p., 21 x 29.5 cm, paperback [Contents: S. Ebbersmeyer, P. M. Schenkel: Register zu Band 11,2 der Gesammelten Werke Johannes Keplers; H. Kothmann: Bericht ueber die Arbeit am Katalog der Kepler-Handschriften. Teil 3. F. Allmer: Kepler - nochmals aus Graz vertrieben? - Through exchance of publications only.] Blaauw, Adriaan: Archives of the International Astronomical Union - Union Astronomique Internationale. Inventory for the years 1919 - 1970. [Paris]: IAU, 1999. XIII, 42 p., paperback [Distribution: Prof. Dr. Adriaan Blaauw, Kapteyn Astronomical Institute, Box 800, NL-9700 AV Groningen; e-mail: blaauw@astro.rug.nl] Chinnici, Ileana: La Carte du Ciel : correspondance inedite conservee dans les archives de l'Observatoire de Paris. Paris: Observatoire de Paris; Palermo: Osservatorio Astronomico di Palermo G. S. Vaiana, 1999. xviii, 475 p., [56] p. de pl., 17 x 24.5 cm, 80 ill., ISBN 2-901057-40-3, FF 150,-, Euro 22.87 (pb) [Edition of the correspondence on the "Carte du Ciel" in the original languages (French, English, 6 letters in German).] Friedmann, Alexander: Die Welt als Raum und Zeit [The world as space and time] (1923). Translation from Russian [into German], introduction and annotations by Georg Singer. Thun, Frankfurt a. M.: Verlag Harri Deutsch, 2000. LXXVIII, 155 p., 12 x 19 cm, ISBN 3-8171-3287-5, paperback DM 40.00 (Ostwalds Klassiker der exakten Wissenschaften ; 287) Haupt, Hermann; Holl, Peter: Datenbank Oesterreichischer Astronomen / Data base of Austrian astronomers (1330 - 2000). CD-ROM. Wien: Verlag der Oesterreichischen Akademie der Wissenschaften, 2000. ISBN 3-7001-2939-4, oeS 490.00, DM 67.00. [Data on about 300 astronomers, who lived or live in contemporary Austria, or who had a relation to this country. In German.] Hein-Weingarten, Katharina: Das Institut fuer Kosmosforschung der Akademie der Wissenschaften der DDR. Ein Beitrag zur Erforschung der Wissenschaftspolitik der DDR am Beispiel der Weltraumforschung von 1957 bis 1991 [The Institute for Space Research of the Academy of Sciences of the GDR. A contribution for the study of the science policy of the GDR by the example of space research from 1957 to 1991. - In German]. Berlin: Duncker & Humblot, 2000. 359 p., 16 x 23.5 cm, ISBN 3-428-10038-7, paperback DM 98.00 Herschel, Wilhelm: Ueber den Bau des Himmels. Abhandlungen ueber die Struktur des Universums und die Entwicklung der Himmelskoerper [On the construction of the heavens. Papers on the structure of the universe and the development of the heavenly bodies. - In German]. Introduction and annotations: Juergen Hamel. Thun, Frankfurt am Main: Verlag Harri Deutsch, 2001. 203 p., ill., 12 x 19 cm, ISBN 3-8171-3288-3, paperback DM 38.50 (Ostwalds Klassiker der exakten Wissenschaften ; 288) Hertzsprung, Ejnar: Zur Strahlung der Sterne. Drei Arbeiten [On the radiation of the stars. Three works. - In German]. Introduction and annotations: Dieter B. Herrmann. 5th ed. Thun, Frankfurt am Main: Verlag Harri Deutsch, 2001. 90 p., ISBN 3-8171-3410-X, paperback DM 16.80 (Ostwalds Klassiker der exakten Wissenschaften ; 255) Hoehepunkte mittelalterlicher Astronomie. Georg von Peuerbach und die Folgen. Ausstellung im Schloss Peuerbach, 27. April - 2. November 2000 [Highlights of medieval astronomy. George von Peuerbach and the consequences. Exhibition in the Peuerbach Palace, 27 April - 2 November 2000. - In German]. Raab: Verlag Wambacher, 2000. [XVI], 285 p., 21.5 x 29.5 cm, numerous ill., mostly in colour, ISBN 3-85360-003-4, hardbound oeS 390.00 + postage [Distribution: Tourismusverband Peuerbach, Rathausplatz 1, 4722 Peuerbach, Austria, Tel. 07276/2255-0, Fax 2255-20, e-mail: stadt@peuerbach.ooe.gv.at] Holmberg, Gustav: Reaching for the stars : studies in the history of Swedish stellar and nebular astronomy 1860-1940. Lund: History of Science and Ideas, Lund University, 1999. 243 p., ISBN 91-628-3837-7, pb (Ugglan: Lund Studies in the History of Science and Ideas ; 13) Kretzer, Olaf: Astronomische Erscheinungen in der "Thueringischen Chronica" des Johann Binhard (1613). Eine astronomische Analyse [Astronomical phenomena in the "Thuringian Chronica" of Johann Binhard (1613). An astronomical analysis. - In German]. Bad Langensalza: Verlag Rockstuhl, 2000. [29] p., 21.5 x 30 cm, ISBN 3-934748-24-4, paperback DM 24.80 [Very simple layout, printing and binding.] Schaldach, Karlheinz: Roemische Sonnenuhren. Eine Einfuehrung in die antike Gnomonik [Roman sundials. An introduction into ancient gnomonics. - In German] . 2nd improved ed. Thun, Frankfurt am Main: Verlag Harri Deutsch, 1998. 123 p., 66 ill., tabs., ISBN 3-8171-1565-2, paperback DM 29.80 ........................................................................... Correction ---------- ENHA 45 was distributed with a wrong number in the header. Please replace "Number 44, April 11, 2001" by "Number 45, April 11, 2001". ........................................................................... Acknowledgements ---------------- For information we thank the author Gudrun Richardson, and in addition: Volker Bialas, Adriaan Blaauw, Ralf Buelow, Juergen Hamel, Hermann Haupt, Gustav Holberg, Olaf Kretzer, Karl Schwarzinger, Georg Singer, Helmut Sonderegger, Michael Toepell, Rolf Wieland, Osservatorio Astronomico di Palermo, Tourismusverband Peuerbach, Verlag Duncker & Humblot. ........................................................................... 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/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, Otterkiez 14, D-14478 Potsdam, Germany, 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 200 100 20 Please sign with: "Fuer Arbeitskreis Astronomiegeschichte" ***************************************************************************