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* ELEKTRONISCHE MITTEILUNGEN ZUR ASTRONOMIEGESCHICHTE *
* *
* Herausgegeben vom Arbeitskreis Astronomiegeschichte *
* in der Astronomischen Gesellschaft *
* *
* Nr. 39, 8. April 1999 *
* *
* Redaktion: Dr. Wolfgang R. Dick *
* *
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Inhalt
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1. 150th Anniversary of the Founding of the U.S Nautical Almanac Office
2. History of Astronomy Discussions in California
3. The Fifth Annual Conference of The North American Sundial Society
4. Colloquium Announcement: 400 Years of Astronomy on Merseyside
5. Gedenktafeln
6. Medaillen
7. Tagungen 1999/2000
Danksagung
Impressum
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Item 1 EMA Nr. 39, 8. April 1999
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150th Anniversary of the Founding of the U.S Nautical Almanac Office
--------------------------------------------------------------------
(Aus: Electronic Newsletter for the History of Astronomy, No. 34, March 8,
1999, Item 2)
March 3, 1999 marked the 150th anniversary of the establishment of the U.S.
Nautical Almanac Office (NAO) by Congress. Since its founding, the NAO and
the U.S. Naval Observatory (its modern-day parent organization) have
compiled a distinguished record of service to the U.S. Navy, the other
armed services, the international scientific community, and the public by
providing reliable, practical astronomical data. These data are used for a
wide variety of purposes including navigation, surveying, scientific
research, mission planning, and everyday activities.
To commemorate this special event, the U.S. Naval Observatory hosted the
Nautical Almanac Office Sesquicentennial Symposium on 3-5 March 1999 in
Washington, DC. The symposium covered a broad spectrum of topics including
the history of the office, its mission, the users of its products, the
underlying science, and a look toward the future. The attendees, all
invited, came from diverse backgrounds, both military and civilian, and
were international in scope. In addition to papers presented by the
Nautical Almanac Office staff, invited speakers included scientists and
historians from a variety of institutions. Program information for the
Symposium may be found on the Astronomical Applications Department web site
at URL:
http://aa.usno.navy.mil/NAO150/
In 1849 Congress established the Nautical Almanac Office to prepare and
publish an official national almanac. Up to that time American scientists
and seamen relied on foreign almanacs - particularly those of Great Britain
- for astronomical and navigational data. Privately published almanacs,
such as Benjamin Franklin's Poor Richard's Almanac, were generally not
adequate for scientific use.
The Office was placed under the direction of Lieutenant Charles Henry
Davis, an experienced naval officer with a scientific background and
personal associations with prominent American scientists. Davis
established the Office in Cambridge, Massachusetts, independent of the U.S.
Naval Observatory in Washington. In Cambridge the Office had access to
Harvard University and Professor Benjamin Peirce, the leading American
mathematician of the time. The Office would remain in Cambridge until
1866, when it was moved to Washington, DC. In 1893, the Nautical Almanac
Office moved into office space at the U.S. Naval Observatory's new home
north of Georgetown.
In 1852, the Office published its first volume, The American Ephemeris and
Nautical Almanac for 1855. An extract of this, The American Nautical
Almanac for 1855, was issued for mariners. The American Ephemeris and
Nautical Almanac provided data needed by astronomers and surveyors. In
addition to its practical purpose, it served as a source of national pride.
The volume was regarded as an important demonstration of the developing
scientific prowess in the United States. The American Ephemeris and
Nautical Almanac and its successors, The Astronomical Almanac and The
Nautical Almanac, have been published continuously ever since. The Air
Almanac, a publication geared towards aviation navigation, has been
published continuously since 1941.
Over the years, the Nautical Almanac Office has employed several of the
nation's most able astronomers and mathematicians, including Simon Newcomb
and G. W. Hill, whose 19th Century theories on the motions of the planets
remained in use until the 1980's. In the 1940's, the first mechanical
computers dramatically improved the accuracy and streamlined the production
of the Almanacs. In the 1960's, the Office established a close and lasting
relationship with Her Majesty's Nautical Almanac Office in Great Britain
and with scientists at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory. The Astronomical
Almanac (a new, joint publication of the British and American Offices) was
introduced in 1984.
Today, the Nautical Almanac Office is a part of the USNO's Astronomical
Applications Department. It continues to provide annual printed almanacs
for air and marine navigation, and for use by astronomers worldwide. In
addition, it continues to develop and refine computer-based almanacs, such
as the Multiyear Interactive Computer Almanac (MICA), and to provide a wide
range of free, interactive almanac data via the USNO's World Wide Web site.
In addition to providing critical astronomical data, the Astronomical
Applications Department also carries out a modest research program in
diverse areas, including celestial mechanics, positional astronomy, and
navigation, to enable it to meet future needs.
(Based on a press release of the Public Affairs Office, U.S. Naval
Observatory. Information Contact: John Bangert, bangert@aa.usno.navy.mil .
Press Contact: Geoff Chester, grc@spica.usno.navy.mil)
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Item 2 EMA Nr. 39, 8. April 1999
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History of Astronomy Discussions in California
----------------------------------------------
(Aus: Electronic Newsletter for the History of Astronomy, No. 35,
March 25, 1999, Item 2)
March 27, 1999, Van Nuys, California: Society for the History of
Astronomy, 83rd meeting. 8:30 AM: coffee, doughnuts, conversation.
9 AM: "From the Tears of St. Lawrence to Falling Rubies and Tourmalines:
Meteors Past and Present (and a Bit of the Future)", led by Steve Edberg,
Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Then: "No Small Dreams: Designing the Hale
200-inch Telescope", led by Tony Cook, Griffith Observatory. Then a late,
leisurely lunch. Meet at Los Angeles Valley College Planetarium, 5800
Fulton, Van Nuys. For SHA information, contact Margot Wood, President,
210 S. Guadalupe Ave., Redondo Beach, CA 90277 USA. +1 310-379-8339.
June 5, 1999, Oakland, California: Northern California Historical
Astronomy Luncheon and Discussion Association, 49th meeting. 9:30 AM:
refreshments and conversation. 10 AM: "Prehistory and History of
Calculus", led by Alan R. Fisher, Chabot Observatory. Then lunch at a
local restaurant. 2 PM: "Lunar Probes", led by Nancy Cox, San Francisco
Amateur Astronomers. Meet at Chabot Observatory, 4917 Mountain Blvd.,
Oakland, CA 94619. For NCHALADA information, contact Norman Sperling,
Everything in the Universe, 185 John Street, Oakland, CA 94611.
Phone & fax: +1 510-547-6523. e-mail: nsperling@california.com .
Starting March 31: www.everythingintheuniv.com .
Both SHA and NCHALADA are informal, with participants pointing out
perspectives from many disciplines, sometimes wittily. Neither group has
formal officers, by-laws or dues. Contributions are appreciated to offset
refreshments and postage. People who bring munchies are very popular.
(Provided by Norman Sperling)
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Item 3 EMA Nr. 39, 8. April 1999
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The Fifth Annual Conference of The North American Sundial Society
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(Aus: Electronic Newsletter for the History of Astronomy, No. 35,
March 25, 1999, Item 4)
Set aside the weekend of October 8-10, 1999 to be in Hartford, Connecticut
(USA) for an entertaining, informative, social conference! Meet fellow
dialists, share your experiences and enthusiasm, and come away with new
bits of knowledge relating to one of humanity's oldest inventions! We will
begin early on Friday October 8 (you can register the night before) and
will go through midday on Sunday the 10th.
Each year our conference features several stimulating presentations on
dialing - covering such areas as history, art, technology, instruments,
theory and current practice. Presenters include scholars and hobbyists,
longtime dialists and newly emerging novices. In addition to these
presentations, we also encourage members to bring items for a show-and-tell
session or for display during the meeting.
The conference also includes a Saturday bus tour which this year will take
us through Hartford and its suburbs to visit 7 interesting dials (including
3 by NASS members) and will conclude with a visit to the Albert Waugh
collection of rare books on dialing at the University of Connecticut. This
collection includes 162 titles covering 423 years of dialing practice.
Hartford is readily accessible by air, train, bus or car. The city is
served by Bradley International Airport. Amtrak trains run regularly from
New York. The Trailways and Greyhound bus terminals are within a few
blocks of the conference hotel. And Hartford is at the intersection of two
major Interstates: 91 and 84.
The dates of the conference this year have been selected to give attendees
an opportunity to view the beautiful Fall Foliage in New England. A drive
north along Interstate 91 into Vermont in the week following the conference
would take you right into the peak viewing region. The gorgeous colors
usually reach their peak in Connecticut around October 15. Other
attractions in Hartford include The Mark Twain House - which Twain designed
and lived in while he wrote his most famous novels; and the Wadsworth
Atheneum - the oldest public art museum in the country. Other sites within
driving distance include The American Watch and Clock Museum (Bristol), Old
Mystic Seaport (Mystic) and Sturbridge Village (Sturbridge MA).
Final registration details will be included with the June issue of The
Compendium. (If you would like to receive registration information as soon
as it becomes available, send a note to Fred Sawyer and I will put you on
the notification list.)
CALL FOR PAPERS
Papers on topics related to sundials, dialing or dialists - whether dealing
with history, art, technology, instruments, theory or current practice, are
welcome!
Presentations should be 15-25 minutes in length and may be published in The
Compendium, the society's quarterly journal.
Please submit title, time requirements, and an abstract of not more than
200 words to
Frederick W. Sawyer III, 8 Sachem Drive, Glastonbury CT 06033 USA
(fax: 860-403-5295, email: frederick.sawyer.es.72@aya.yale.edu)
no later than June 15, 1999.
If you have items for show-and-tell or for display, please provide details
so that appropriate time and space can be allocated. For information on
the conference, address inquiries to NASS at the above address.
(Provided by Frederick W. Sawyer III)
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Item 4 EMA Nr. 39, 8. April 1999
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Colloquium Announcement: 400 Years of Astronomy on Merseyside
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(Aus: Electronic Newsletter for the History of Astronomy, No. 35,
March 25, 1999, Item 5)
Merseyside Maritime Museum, NMGM
Saturday 16th October 1999
Programme:
09.30 Registration
09.45 The Telescopes of William Lassell (Jeff Hall, University of
Liverpool)
10.10 Isaac Roberts (Philip Pennington, University of Liverpool)
10.35 Solar Eclipse Observations (Dr Eric Jones, Proudman
Oceanographic Laboratory)
11.00 Coffee
11.30 The Mars Observations of Dawes and Lassell (Dr Patrick Moore)
12.30 Lunch
13.40 Astronomy at Bidston Observatory (Martin Suggett, NMGM)
14.05 George Higgs and the Solar Spectrum (Alan Bowden, NMGM)
14.30 Liverpool to Leeds and Preston to Chester: The English Corridor
of Astronomical Innovation, 1630 to the present day'. (Dr Allan
Chapman, University of Oxford)
15.30 Tea
15.50 The Astrophysics Research Institute, the Liverpool Telescope and
modern Astronomy on Merseyside (Prof. Mike Bode, John Moores University)
16.50 Plenary discussion and concluding remarks
17.30 End of Conference
The cost is pounds 15 per delegate, payable in advance, including
lunch and tea / coffee
Contacts are Phil Pennington (tel.: 01744 739959)
or e-mail: ggastro@liverpool.ac.uk
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Item 5 EMA Nr. 39, 8. April 1999
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Gedenktafeln
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(Aus: "Mitteilungen zur Astronomiegeschichte" Nr. 13, Dez. 1998, S. 5)
In Bregenz (Vorarlberg, Oesterreich) befindet sich an der Pension Sonne,
Kaiserstr. 8, eine Gedenktafel fuer Johann Georg Hagen S.J. (1847-1930),
Astronom der Vatikanischen Sternwarte, der in diesem Haus geboren wurde.
(Nach einer Mitteilung von Peter Brosche.)
Vor dem Kopernikus-Gymnasium in Niederkassel (Kopernikusstr. 3) wurde bei
dessen Errichtung (etwa 1979) ein vom Kuenstler Prof. Henning Seemann
geschaffenes Copernicus-Denkmal (Gesamthoehe ca. 3,20 m) aufgestellt. Es
zeigt eine Gruppe von drei Figuren, die in Beziehung zur zentralen
Copernicusfigur gesetzt sind. Das Denkmal steht auf dem Schulhof suedlich
des Schulgebaeudes und ist an Schultagen tagsueber zugaenglich, ansonsten
auch von der Suedseite ueber den Zaun sichtbar (besonders von der
Bushaltestelle "Luelsdorfer Schulzentrum" aus). Niederkassel liegt am
rechten Rheinufer zwischen Bonn und Koeln. (Nach Auskuenften von Georg
Langen und eigener Anschauung.)
1993 wurde am Elternhaus von Maria Cunitia (1607-1664) in Swidnica (Polen,
ehemals Schweidnitz, Schlesien), am Ring Nr. 8, eine Gedenktafel in
Polnisch, Latein und Deutsch angebracht. Die Tafel aus Striegauer Granit,
der bei Swidnica gewonnen wird, stifteten Margarete Arndt, Nuernberg, und
Dr. Ingrid Guentherodt, Trier. Die Anbringung der Tafel vermittelten
Edmund Nawrocki, Swidnica, und Klaus Goldmann, Gauting. (Nach einer
Information von Frau Dr. Guentherodt.)
In Bretherton (bei Chorley, Lancashire, Grossbritannien) wurde am Carr
House von der Chorley Civic Society eine Tafel zum Gedenken an die hier am
24. November 1639 erfolgte erste Beobachtung eines Venusdurchgangs durch
Jeremiah Horrocks abgebracht. (Quelle: The British Astronomical
Association, Newsletter, No. 85, Aug. 1997, p. 7)
Aus Anlass des 50. Todestages von Max Planck wurde am 27. September 1997
am Gasthof Kroell in St. Jakob i.D. (Oesterreich) eine Gedenktafel fuer
den Physiker enthuellt. Planck hatte von 1939 bis 1943 mit seiner Frau
jaehrlich vier Ferienwochen in dem Gebirgsdorf verbracht.
Informationen: Tourismusverband, A-9963 St. Jakob i.D.,
Tel. +43-4873-5484, Fax 4873-544131
Am 3. Oktober 1997 fand auf dem Brocken (Harz) die Einweihung des
teilweise renaturierten Brockenplateaus statt. Auf dem hoechsten Punkt
befindet sich nun eine Gruppe aus Granitfelsen, an denen zwei Metalltafeln
befestigt sind. Eine traegt die Inschrift "Brocken 1142 m", die zweite den
Text "Brocken - Hoher Hagen - Inselsberg. Das groesste von Carl Friedrich
Gauss vermessene Dreieck im Zuge der hannoverschen Gradmesung (1821-1825)
zur Bestimmung der Erdgestalt". 48 Bronzeplatten um die Felsgruppe herum
geben markante Ziele an; die Platten fuer den Hohen Hagen und den
Inselsberg weisen auch auf das grosse Gausssche Dreieck hin.
(Quelle: Hartmut Grosser: Auf dem Brocken am 3. Oktober 1997. In:
Gauss-Gesellschaft, Mitteilungen Nr. 35, Goettingen 1998, S. 73-74.)
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Item 6 EMA Nr. 39, 8. April 1999
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Medaillen
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(Aus: "Mitteilungen zur Astronomiegeschichte" Nr. 13, Dez. 1998, S. 4)
Zum 150. Geburtstag von Kurd Lasswitz (1848-1910) und dem 100. Jahrestag
des ersten deutschen utopischen Romans "Auf zwei Planeten" wurde eine
Lasswitz-Medaille herausgegeben (Bronze, Durchmesser 9,4 cm, Masse 440 g,
gesondertes Schmuckbehaeltnis). Die Vorderseite zeigt das Bildnis von Kurd
Lasswitz mit den Lebensdaten, die Rueckseite ein Bild der noerdlichen
Regionen der Nordhalbkugel der Erde (der Nordpol spielt in Lasswitz' Roman
eine besondere Rolle als Stuetzpunkt fuer Raumfahrten zum Mars) und die
Inschrift "100 Jahre 1. utopischer Roman 'Auf zwei Planeten' 35 Jahre
Marsforschung 1997". Preis: 180 DM
Anlaesslich des 200. Jahrestages des ersten internationalen
Astronomenkongresses, der 1798 in Gotha stattfand, wurde eine
Gedenkmedaille gepraegt. Die Vorderseite zeigt ein Portrait Franz Xaver von
Zachs, die Rueckseite die Gothaer Seebergsternwarte. Die Medaille gibt es
in 999/000 Feinsilber (ca. 10 g), Messing oder Kupfer. Der Durchmesser
betraegt 30 mm. Preis: DM 35,- (Feinsilber), DM 7,- (Messing oder Kupfer).
Beide Medaillen koennen bezogen werden bei Dr. Oliver Schwarz, Uthmannstr.
8 D-99867 Gotha, e-mail: SternwGTH@aol.com
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Item 7 EMA Nr. 39, 8. April 1999
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Tagungen 1999/2000
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Weitere Tagungen in den Jahre 1999 und 2000 wurden in den vorangegangenen
Ausgaben angekuendigt. Fuer eine komplette Liste aller bisher
angekuendigten Tagungen siehe:
http://www.astro.uni-bonn.de/~pbrosche/hist_astr/ha_meet.html
April 16-18, 1999, Brussels, Belgium
Reflections on XXth Century Sciences
International Symposium held by the Academie Royale des Sciences,
des Lettres et des Beaux-Arts de Belgique, Fondation Ochs-Lefebvre.
Eminent scientists will reflect on great advances in scientific knowledge
in this century and will endeavour to relate the major achievements to one
another across the specialization barriers.
Reserved to professional scientists. Since attendance will be strictly
limited to 220 participants, early registration is strongly recommended.
Among the areas covered: Astrophysics and Cosmology
Further information: Isabelle Schievekamp, Physics Dept., FUNDP,
Tel.: +32 81 72 47 16, Fax: +32 81 72 47 07, e-mail: ochs@fundp.ac.be
URL: http://www.scf.fundp.ac.be/~ischieve/ochs/
July 18-30, 1999, Birmingham, UK
22nd General Assembly of the International Union of Geodesy and Geophysics
International Association for Geomagnetism and Aeronomy Symposia:
GA 6.01 Long and Short Term Variability in Sun's History and Global Change
Papers should consider the historical records of long and short term solar
variability.
Lead Convener: Dr. Wilfried Schroeder, Hechelstrasse 8,
D-28777 Bremen-Roennebeck, Germany.
GA 6.02 400 Years of Geomagnetism
The aim of this symposium is to commemorate the 400 years of "The Magnete"
of William Gilbert.
Lead Convenor: A. Orozco, Instituto de Geofisica UNAM, Circuito Exterior,
Ciudad Universitaria Mexico, 20 DF CP 04510, Mexico, fax: 52 5 550 2486,
e-mail: adolfo@tonatiuh.igeofcu.unam.mx
URL: http://www.bham.ac.uk/IUGG99/ich.htm
See also:
http://weber.u.washington.edu/~hssexec/meetings/hss_meetings_iaga.html
September 10-12, 1999, Cambridge, UK
Women in the History of Science: biography, autobiography, tasks, results,
problems.
Open Conference/Workshop held by the Women's Commission of the DHS/IUHPS.
Place: Newnham College
To join the email list to receive further information, write to
jm148@cam.ac.uk .
URL: http://www.cilea.it/history/DHS/womenDHS.htm
September 18-19, 1999, Oxford, UK
Medieval Mathematics
Place: Kellogg College, Oxford
Further Information: Raymond Flood (e-mail: raymond.flood@conted.ox.ac.uk)
and Eleanor Robson (e-mail: eleanor.robson@wolfson.ox.ac.uk)
March 2000, Munich, Germany
History of Geophysics and Space Physics.
One day session during the Annual Meeting of the German Geophysical
Society.
Further information: Dr. Wilfried Schroeder, Hechelstrasse 8,
D-28777 Bremen-Roennebeck, Germany.
Announcement: http://weber.u.washington.edu/~hssexec/meetings/
hss_meetings_geophysics2.html
April 10 - 12, 2000, Leeds, UK
Science in the Nineteenth-Century Periodical - an interdisciplinary
Conference
Place: University of Leeds
Deadlines: 1 June 1999
Further Information: Dr. J. R. Topham, School of Philosophy,
University of Leeds, LS2 9JT, UK, e-mail: j.r.topham@leeds.ac.uk (no file
attachments please), tel: 0114-2228484 or 0113-2333280,
fax: 0114-2228481 or 0113-2333265
Announcement: http://weber.u.washington.edu/~hssexec/meetings/19thcper.html
...........................................................................
Danksagung
----------
Neben den Autoren sei fuer Informationen gedankt:
Peter Brosche, Ingrid Guentherodt, Georg Langen, Wilfried Schroeder
und Oliver Schwarz.
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Impressum
---------
Elektronische Mitteilungen zur Astronomiegeschichte (EMA)
Herausgegeben vom Arbeitskreis Astronomiegeschichte in der Astronomischen
Gesellschaft
Redaktion: Dr. Wolfgang R. Dick
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Beitraege. Aufsaetze sowie Mitteilungen fuer die Rubriken werden gern
entgegengenommen.
Der Bezug der EMA ist kostenlos. Abonnenten und Leser werden um
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Redaktion informiert wird. Die Reproduktion von Auszuegen in elektronischen
oder Druckmedien ist nur mit Genehmigung der Redaktion gestattet.
Die Elektronischen Mitteilungen ergaenzen die gedruckten Mitteilungen zur
Astronomiegeschichte, die derzeit halbjaehrlich erscheinen:
Preis: 1,50 DM/Ausgabe zzgl. Versandkosten
Ausserhalb der BRD: kostenfrei, Spenden erwuenscht
Bezug: Einsendung von 2,50 DM (Einzelheft) oder 5,- DM (Nr. 14-15) in
Briefmarken an die Redaktion
Redaktion: Dr. W. R. Dick, Otterkiez 14,
D-14478 Potsdam, Tel.: (++331) 863199
Kostenlose Probeexemplare koennen bei der Redaktion angefordert werden.
Anschriften des Arbeitskreises Astronomiegeschichte:
URL: http://www.astro.uni-bonn.de/~pbrosche/aa/aa.html
Vorsitzender: Prof. Dr. Peter Brosche, Observatorium Hoher List der
Sternwarte der Universitaet Bonn, D-54550 Daun, Tel.: +49(0)6592 2150,
Fax: +49(0)6592 985140
Sekretaer: Dr. Wolfgang R. Dick, Bundesamt fuer Kartographie und
Geodaesie, Aussenstelle Potsdam, Postfach 60 08 08, D-14408 Potsdam,
Tel.: +49(0)331 316 618, E-mail: wdi@potsdam.ifag.de
Spendenkonto der Astronomischen Gesellschaft:
Konto-Nr. 333 410 41, Sparkasse Bochum (BLZ 430 500 01)
Ueberweisungen aus dem Ausland: Konto Nr. 162 32-203, Postgiroamt Hamburg,
BLZ 200 400 20
Alle Einzahlungen bitte mit Vermerk
"Fuer Arbeitskreis Astronomiegeschichte"
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