JOINT COMMISSION ON ASTRONOMY

No.1 - July 2000

President: S. M. Razaullah Ansari
Secretary: Ileana Chinnici

The first issue of the Newsletter of the Joint IUHPS-IAU Commission is devoted to the effort of the Commission to provide news about its activities to the community of historians of Astronomy at large. Incidently this is the First Newsletter of its kind. In the past no Newsletter was published. The intent of this Commission is also to give to the historians of Astronomy, particularly those who are not members of IAU, a forum to interact with each other all over the world. To this end, Dr. Ileana Chinnici has been recently appointed Secretary of the Commission to deal with this interaction among the members of the Commission and particularly to take the responsibility of the compilation and publication of the Newsletter.

The Newsletter is planned to be biannual, along with its electronic version. A Web page of the Commission is in progress at present.

All historians of Astronomy are invited to send notices about their activities or about relevant events concerned with History of Astronomy (conferences, exhibitions, publications, etc.): every contribution will be welcome. Particularly we wish to publish information about work-in-progress.

Strangely enough, the Commission does not possess an official list of its members. Please give us your complete addresses (postal, e-mail, fax) as early as possible, and also the addresses of your colleagues. This gesture will be appreciated most.

XXI International Congress of History of Science (Mexico, 8-14 July, 2001)

Organization: International Union of History and Philosophy of Science

Division of History of Science

General theme: "Science and Cultural Diversity"

Information may be found at the Web page http://www.smhct.org or requesting the first circular to the Congress Office: XXI ICHS - Avenida Dr. Vértiz 724 - 03020 Mexico City - P.O. Box 21-873 - 04000 Mexico City, MEXICO - Fax (525) 519 98 10 - E-mail: xxiichs@servidor.unam.mx

From the standpoint of the theme of the Congress, our Commission is organizing a Symposium on "Astronomical Heritage of non-European Cultural Areas". The aim of the Symposium is to highlight particularly (a) the Astronomical Heritage in its most general sense and wider application to non-European societies at large, especially during ancient and medieval periods; (b) the role of astronomy, including astrology, in the overall cultural milieu of non-European countries.

Depending upon response, the symposium will last 2 days with four sessions. Envisaged are (a) invited talks by experts from each Cultural Area, with particular bearing on the role of astronomy / astrology in the overall socio-cultural milieu; (b) short research papers by young historians of astronomy; (c) poster session. Organizers: Prof. S.M.R. Ansari (Aligarh/India), Prof. I.-S. Nha (Seoul/South Korea), Dr. M.A. Moreno-Corral (Mexico). For further information, please contact , fax +91-571-400466. The tentative Scientific Organizing Committee (SOC) has been set up with the following members: R. Ansari (India), S. Dick (USA), Q. Li (China), Y. Maeyama (Germany), M. Marco-Corral (Mexico), T. Nakamura (Japan), I.-S. Nha (Korea), B. Soonthornthum (Thailand). The final composition will be announced in the Second Circular of the Congress. For the Web page, please visit the site:
http://www.smhct.org/XXI%20ICHS/Programa%20Cientifico/comision_hitoryastronomy_ansari.htm

The Second Circular of the Congress can be requested to Prof. Saldana (Chairman, LOC), e-mail: xxiichs@servidor.unam.mx, fax: (525) 519 9810, tel. (525) 519 7739.

Forthcoming meetings

· IAU General Assembly (Manchester, 7-18 August 2000)

Joint Discussion 6: "Applied Historical Astronomy" (Friday, August 11, 9.00-17.30)

Organisation: IAU Commission 41 (History of Astronomy)

Contact: F.R.Stephenson@durham.ac.uk

Details on the organisation of the XXIV General Assembly are available at the IAU Website http://www.iau.org. For registrations, accommodations, etc. contact: World Event Management IAU GA24 - Network House - West 26 - Cleckheaton, West Yorkshire BD19 4TT, UK (tel. 44 1274 854116, fax 44 1274 854110).

· International Conference in the History of Science (Athens, 11-14 October 2000)

The History and Philosophy of Science Programme of the Institute for Neohellenic Research / National Hellenic Research Foundation is organising an International Conference on "The unification of scientific Europe, 17th-19th c."

SOC: I. Siotis (President), Y. Karas (Vice-President), E. Nicolaïdis (Secretary), G. Vlahakis (Treasurer). For more information, please contact: Eftymios Nicolaïdis, Institute for Neohellenic Research, National Hellenic Research Foundation, 48 Vas. Constantinou Av., Athens 116 35, tel. (01) 7273.557-9, fax (01) 7246.212 (E-mail: efnicol@eie.gr)

· INSAP III - "The Inspiration of Astronomical Phenomena" (Palermo, 31 December 2000 - 6 January 2001)

Organization: Vatican Observatory, Osservatorio Astronomico di Palermo G. S. Vaiana, Steward Observatory (USA).

The Congress is the third of a series on the theme of the impact of Astronomy on humanistic disciplines, such as art, poetry, architecture, music, etc. The choise of Palermo is due to the celebrations for the bicentennal of Piazzi's discovery of Ceres, the first minor planet, discovered at the Palermo Observatory on the night of 1st January 1801.

The programme and registration details may be found on the Palermo Observatory Website at http://www.astropa.unipa.it. For further information, please contact: Donata Randazzo, Osservatorio Astronomico di Palermo G. S. Vaiana, Piazza del Parlamento 1, 90134 Palermo (Italy), tel. +39-091-233243, fax +39-091-233444, E-mail: donata@oapa.astropa.unipa.it

· Fifth Biennial History of Astronomy Workshop (Notre Dame, Indiana, USA, July 5-8, 2001)

Organization: University of Notre Dame (USA)

Contacts: Steven Dick, (E-mail: dick.steve@usno.navy.mil), Marc Rothenberg (E-mail: josephhenr@aol.com ), Matt Dowd ( E-mail: Matthew.F.Dowd.11@nd.edu)

Further information is available on the Website: http://www.nd.edu/~histast4

LOC Chair Address: Matt Dowd, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, Indiana (USA) 46556, Phone (219) 631-5000.

· Fourth International Conference on Oriental Astronomy (Nanyang, Henan, China, August 19-25, 2001)

Organization: Chinese Institute for Zhang Heng of Nanyang

Co-organization: Institute for History of Natural Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, The Society for History of Science and Technology of China, The Faculty of Arts and History of Zhengzhou University.

The ICOA is held once very three years, under the auspices of the International Organizing Committee of the International Conference on Oriental Astronomy. The 4th ICOA will discuss scientific issues relating to recent researches in Oriental astronomy. Besides historical topics, the Conference will also deal with some other important issues. Such topics as "Symposium on Zhangheng ", "Symposium on Astronomical Literacy and Education" and other interdiscilinary studies are being considered. Envisaged are regular sessions on: S1.Calendar Making; S2.Star Catalogues and Atlases; S3.Historical Records of Astronomical Observations; S4.Instrumentation including Armillary Spheres and Telescopes; S5.Observations and Astronomical Boards; S6.Exchange of astronomical Knowledge between East and West.

For further information, please contact: Liu Yongping, Chinese Institute for Zhang Heng of Nanyang, Administrative Building of People's Congress, People North Road, Nanyang City 473000, P. R. China, fax +86-377-3311302, E-mail: CPCHS@public2.east.cn.net

Publications

1. R. Ansari, "Third International Conference on History of Oriental Astronomy in Japan", Studies in History of Medicine and Science, vol. XV, No. 1-2, New Series (1997/98).

The Third International Conference on (History of) Oriental Astronomy (ICOA) was held in Fukuoka (Japan), Oct. 27-30, 1998. Its theme was "From Calendar Scholars to Telescopes". In this Report, after a brief presentation of the First and Second ICOA, there is a list of the sessions of the Conference and a sketch of the most significant contributions. Fourth ICOA has been invited by China and will be held in 2001 (see above). The report mentions also the approval of a resolution by Prof. Ansari that an International Society for the History of Oriental Astronomy should be established with membership to promote and encourage studies in Oriental Astronomy and a Newsletter of the Society would be published. In this respect any suggestion will be welcomed. Please contact S. M. R. Ansari.

2. I. Chinnici, "An 'Italian' Observatory in India: The History of the Calcutta Observatory", Studies in History of Medicine and Science, vol. XIV, No.1-2, New Series (1997/98).

In 1874 an Italian scientific expedition went to Bengal in order to observe the transit of Venus on the Sun. On that occasion, the astronomer Pietro Tacchini (1838-1905) gave the impulse for the establishment of an astronomical observatory in Calcutta, specially devoted to solar spectroscopic observations. This paper analyzes the circumstances of the establishment of the observatory, its history and scientific activity.

3. "Report of the Seminar held at the Quincentenary of Tantrasangraha: a landmark in the History of Indian Astronomy" (Madras, 11-13 March 2000).

The year 2000 A. D. happens to be the five hundredth anniversary of the composition of the celebrated Astronomical text Tantrasangraha by the renowned Indian astronomer Nilakantha Somâyajî (ca. 1444-1550) A. D. of Trikkantiyur (Kerala/India). Tantrasangraha is not only the most important treatise on Astronomy composed by the Kerala School of Astronomers, it also ranks along with Aryabhatiya (ca. 499 A. D.) of Aryabhata and Siddhantasiromani (ca. 1150 A. D.) of Bhaskaracharya as one of the major works which significantly influenced all further work on Astronomy in India.

In Tantrasangraha, Nilakantha Somâyajî introduced a major revision of the traditional Indian planetary model. He arrived at a more unified theory of planetary latitudes and a much better formulation of the equation of centre for the interior planets (Mercury and Venus) than was available either in the earlier Indian works or in the Islamic or European traditions of Astronomy, till the work of Kepler which was to come more than a hundred years later. Thus the composition of Tantrasangraha in 1500 is indeed a major landmark in the History of Astronomy.

During 11-13 March, 2000, the Department of Theoretical Physics, University of Madras, organized a Conference to celebrate the 500th Anniversary of Tantrasangraha in collaboration with the Inter-University Centre of the Indian Institute of Advanced Study (Shimla) and cosponsored by Centre for Policy Studies (Chennai), Ramco Industries (Chennai) and Science City (Chennai). The Conference brought together scholars working in various Universities and other National Research Institutes, in the area of Indian Astronomy and Mathematics, to discuss diverse aspects of Nilakantha works in the larger context of the development of Astronomy in India and other civilizations.

The central theme of the Conference was the significant advances made in planetary theory and other aspects of astronomy by the Kerala School and its followers. Another important theme of the Conference was the interaction between Indian astronomy and other traditions in astronomy. The Conference also saw some presentations on larger issues in History and Philosophy of Science. Apart from focusing on so many important themes, highlight of the Conference was the lively discussions in which a large number of participants took active part. The presence of a large number of participants from Kerala was indeed noticeable, which led one observer to comment that perhaps the Kerala School is coming to life once again.

[Adapted from a Report of the Conference by M. S. Sriram (Madras), to be published in Studies in History of Sci.& Med. (New Delhi)]

4. Newsletter of IAU Commission 41, History of Astronomy, Issue # 5, February 2000.

The Newsletter contains the program of the Commission 41 Activities in Manchester on the occasion of the next IAU General Assembly in August 2000. The Commission is sponsoring Joint Discussion 6 on "Applied Historical Astronomy" which will take place on August 11th from 9.00 to 17.30. It also reports: (a) the resolutions of the IAU Colloquium 178 on "Polar Motion: Historical and Scientific Problems" held in Sardinia (Italy) in September 27-30, 1999; (b) the results of the Commission 41/U.S. Naval Observatory project "Time Balls Drop, Cannons Fire, Around the World" for the New Year's Eve with a list of participating sites; (c) a report on the Nha Il-Seong Museum of Astronomy.

Contact: Steve Dick (dick.steve@usno.navy.mil )

5. Electronic Newsletter for the History of Astronomy, published by the Working Group for the History of Astronomy in the Astronomische Gesellschaft, N. 42, May 19th, 2000.

The Newsletter, edited by W. Dick, is very much appreciated for its contents and for its regular publication. Especially the section "New books" is quite updated. The latest issue contains a report on the exhibition "Keeping time" (Cambridge, UK, March-September 2000), announcements of next conferences concerning History of Astronomy and a list of recent books with their main reviews.

Contact: Wolfgang R. Dick (wdi@potsdam.ifag.de )

______________________