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Pathfinder: History of Astronomy

Introduction

This guide is designed to help you find information about the history of astronomy using the Internet and/or print resources. Given the wealth of materials, it is by no means intended to be an exhaustive list; rather, it tries to provide a useful starting point for those wishing to find quality information about the topic, either for serious research or just looking up a quick fact.

General search strategies

Here we suggest some subjects and keywords that can be used in library databases and on the Internet to start your research on the history of astronomy.

1. Search keywords
   • Subjects, e.g., archaeoastronomy, cosmology
   • Specific astronomical models, e.g., heliocentrism, geocentricism
   • Astronomers by name, e.g., Nicolaus Copernicus, Isaac Newton
   • Places, e.g., China, England
   • Time periods, e.g., Renaissance, 19th century

2. Call numbers
   1. Library of Congress -- (LC). The Library of Congress Classification System (LC System) is used to organize books in many academic and university libraries throughout the United States and the world. Books on this topic can be found under "Astronomy", QB.
      • Astronomy ---- (QB1-QB39)
      • Astronomy--History ---- (QB15-QB34)
      • Astronomy--Biography ---- (QB35-QB36)

   2. Dewey Decimal Classification -- (DDC). Under the Dewey Decimal Classification, favored by most public libraries, books about the history of astronomy are classified under "Astronomy", the assigned Dewey number being 520. Also check for related topics; for example "Science--History" (509).

Print resources

There is no shortage of books on the history of astronomy. Begin your search by using general sources. Once a basic understanding of the topic has been achieved, then move on to sources that are more specialized.

Among the general reference sources stands out The Cambridge Illustrated History of Astronomy (Michael Hoskin, Editor, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, 1997). This excellent overview of astronomy from prehistoric times to the present was written by different scholars, experts in their field of research. It is organized in nine chapters, each one constructed around a specific period of time. The book also contains a chronology and a glossary. Its writing level makes it accessible for general readers.

Another extremely useful general work is Patrick Moore's History of Astronomy (Patrick Moore, 6th rev. ed., Macdonald, London, 1983). Its clarity of exposition makes it easy for the general reader to follow the evolution of astronomical discoveries from the earliest times to the present century. It also contains numerous illustrations.

Similar in scope to the Cambridge Illustrated History of Astronomy, though minimally illustrated, is The Norton History of Astronomy and Cosmology (John North, Norton, New York, 1995). It is an outstanding work of scholarship written by one of the leading historians of astronomy.

A fascinating account of the history of cosmology, from the Babylonians to Newton, is Arthur Koestler's The Sleepwalkers: A History of Man's Changing Vision of the Universe (Arkana, London, 1989). In this masterly synthesis, Koestler shows how the modern world-view replaced the medieval world-view in the scientific revolution of the seventeenth century.

If you are looking for a source on biographies of astronomers and other major scientists that paved the way of what astronomy is today, see the Dictionary of Scientific Biography (C.C. Gillespie, Charles Scribner's Sons, New York, 1970-1980, 16 vols. plus later additions).

Finally, there are many scholarly articles contained in journals of the history of science, but the only journal entirely devoted to the subject is the Journal for the History of Astronomy(edited by Michael Hoskin). It is a quarterly publication supplemented by the annual Archaeoastronomy , which covers astronomy before history.

Web resources

The Internet has also a great deal to offer to those interested in the history of astronomy. From primary sources through essays on specific periods in the development of the astronomy as a scientific discipline to biographies of astronomers and spectacular multimedia creations, the Internet has hundreds of pages devoted to the history of astronomy. These sites vary in their scholarship and accuracy, so judgment on the part of the user is critical.
The following resources have been divided into broad categories for easier browsing.

1. Astronomy, general . These sites include resources dealing specifically with the history of astronomy.

• AstroWeb. Astronomical Web resources
  One of the most exhaustive sites available on the Net. It "contains pointers to potentially relevant resources available via Internet and is a product of the AstroWeb Consortium". One of its advantages is that it is searchable.
  (http://www.stsci.edu/science/net-resources.html)

• Infomine: Scholarly Internet Collections
  A large collection of some 10,000 resources collected by the Library of the University of California at Irvine. Resources are arranged in ten broad categories, e.g., "Biological, Agricultural & Medical Sciences". Astronomy can be found under "Physical Sciences, Engineering, Computing & Math". The database can be browsed by subject, keyword or title.
  (http://infomine.ucr.edu/)

• IPL
  Astronomy references. Excellent coverage of Astronomy. The casual user can find materials of interest to academics and researchers as well as undergraduate and graduate students.
  (http://www.ipl.org/ref/RR/static/sci02.00.00.html)

2. Astronomy, history . These are sites specifically devoted to the history of astronomy.

• Astronomiae Historia / History of Astronomy.
  The first and probably best general history of astronomy pages on the Web. These pages are maintained by the Working Group for the History of Astronomy in the Astronomische Gesellschaft (University of Bonn, Germany).
  (http://www.astro.uni-bonn.de/~pbrosche/hist_astr)

• History of Astronomy
  Selected resources that include links to specific time periods in the history of astronomy, journals and exhibitions.
  (http://www.cv.nrao.edu/fits/www/yp_history.html)

• History of Astronomy and Space Science
  Part of AstroEd: Astronomy Education Resources, an outreach project run by the University of Washington.
  (http://www-hpcc.astro.washington.edu/scied/astro/astrohistory.html)

• Yahoo, History of Astronomy
  Resources available through Yahoo presented in the form of a directory.
  (http://dir.yahoo.com/science/astronomy/history/)

3. Primary sources. The following two sites provide some key documents in the history of astronomy.

• Documents of Astronomical History
  Excerpts from the writings of some of the philosophers, astronomers, and scientists that accompany the lectures and the textbook of the author of the site.
  (http://www.stcloud.msus.edu/~physcrse/astr106/doc.html)

• The Face of the Moon: Galileo to Apollo, An Exhibit of Rare Books and Maps from the Collection of the Linda Hall Library
  Original books and documents used to illustrate the subject of the exhibition.
  (http://www.lhl.lib.mo.us/pubserv/hos/moon/cover.htm)

4. Biographies.

• Astronomers
  A series of biographical sketches of some of the most significant astronomers in history.
  (http://dir.yahoo.com/Science/Astronomy/Astronomers)

5. Timelines.

• The Brief History of astronomy
  A chronology of the subject based on some popular works.
  (http://www.bios.niu.edu/orion/history.html)

6. Associations.

• American Astronomical Society
  The American Astronomical Society (AAS) is the major professional organization in North America for astronomers and other scientists and individuals interested in astronomy.
  (http://www.aas.org/)

• The Astronomical Society of the Pacific
  The Astronomical Society of the Pacific (ASP) is the largest general astronomy society in the world, an international scientific and educational organization that brings together professional astronomers, amateur astronomers, educators at all levels, and interested laypeople.
  (http://www.aspsky.org)

• The Royal Astronomical Society
  Web site of the venerable society based in London, England.
  (http://www.ras.org.uk/ras)

Discussion Groups

For questions regarding the subject matter of this pathfinder, you may try the following discussion groups:

• HASTRO-L
  History of Astronomy discussion group.
  (http://www.astro.uni-bonn.de/~pbrosche/hist_astr/ha-hastro-l.html)

• Yahoo has a section with links to Usenet newsgroups devoted to the topic (http://dir.yahoo.com/Science/Astronomy/Usenet/), such as sci.astro.amateur, which will open your browser's newsreader when you click on the link to the newsgroup.

Videos

Astronomy is a discipline that offers endless possibilites to create spectacular and engaging audiovisual documents . Unfortunately, while the educational videos devoted to the study of Astronomy in a broad sense abound, those dealing with its history and evolution are rarer. Nevertheless, the following stand out both for their informative and entertaining values.

• The Astronomers (1995). Series of six videos that offer the history of the study of astronomy and information on current technology, theories and studies.
• Cosmos (1989). The acclaimed and hugely successful tv series presented by the late Carl Sagan.
• The starry messenger (1974). In this episode of the series The Ascent of Man we follow the origins of the scientific revolution and the conflict between fact and religious dogma that culminated in the trial of Galileo.

This pathfinder was created by Javier Ascasibar

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Last updated Nov 7, 2000