AST 3043
History of Astronomy through Newton
Summer A 2008
Section 0617, Room FLG 280 on M-F 5
Instructor: Dr. Haywood Smith, Jr.
Office location: BRT 324
Office hours: MWF 2 or by appointment
Telephone: (352) 392-2052 ext. 236
E-mail: hsmith@astro.ufl.edu
Text: Hoskin (Ed.), The Cambridge Concise History of Astronomy
Supplemental text: The Old Farmer's Almanac 2008 only
General Education. History of Astronomy through Newton can count either towards humanities (H) or physical science (P) for GenEd. The humanities aspect of the course involves the development of astronomy as an intellectual discipline from its beginnings at different times and places. Such varied motivations as astrology, religious practice, speculative philosophy, as well as very basic needs such as a calendar for agriculture led over time to a recognizably modern world-view in the work of Newton, founded on a methodology that was to explosively change mankind's world. The physical science aspect is in the presentation of the reality underlying the ancient visions of the sky -- the effects of the Earth's motions, the basic physics of the Moon's motions and phenomena associated with eclipses and tides, and the gravitational physics explaining the planetary motions and the motions of comets. In addition the course counts for international and diversity (I) because it illustrates how different astronomies were created by a number of cultures in response to their respective perceived needs, among them the Babylonians, the Egyptians, the Chinese, the ancient Greeks, the early Islamic world, and the Maya and Inca. The history of astronomy is the story of an intellectual legacy for all humanity that was built by many hands over the centuries, with diverse materials.
The purpose of this course is to trace the development of astronomy from its prehistoric beginnings through the Newtonian period, by which time it had become a more or less modern science. We will follow the principal course of development from the Babylonians and the Greeks through Islamic astronomy to the Europeans. However, we will also look at some of the astronomical developments that arose outside the mainstream, including those of Egypt, China, the Maya, and the Inca. In earlier times astronomy was considered to be of direct practical value, unlike today, and we will consider some of these various applications.
In order to really understand the history of astronomy it is necessary to understand both how things work (for example, the motion of the Moon and the motions of the planets) and how they look to observers on the Earth. Therefore I will spend time in class going into the science of astronomy as well as the appearances. The course is specifically intended for non-science majors, so there will be no complicated mathematics and only as much detail as needed to understand the phenomena. I will try to make materials available to help you understand the astronomy that is discussed in lecture or mentioned but not explained in the text.
The lectures are intended to emphasize important points, clarify certain items in the text, and supply material in addition to that in the text rather than simply recapitulate the text. I do not take attendance at the lectures, but I very much encourage you to attend. Tape recording of lectures is allowed. I will try to remember to announce reading assignments in advance as well as to post them on the Web; I would suggest reading a little bit ahead of where I am in the lectures to make it easier to follow what I am talking about.
Because modern science is quantitative, I assign a project that involves calculating the periods of various astronomical cycles. The "data" are from the almanac; it would be nice to have you make your own observations, but the Florida weather is too fickle to allow that. You will make some fairly simple calculations and compare your answers with the known periods. The instructions for this project may be found here.
The course has three aims: (1) to help you appreciate astronomy as a part of your intellectual heritage; (2) to give you some insight into the methodology of science and how it has developed; and (3) to give you a heightened awareness of celestial phenomena -- their rhythms and their connections to the physical universe. I hope you find the course pleasurable as well as interesting.
There is some essential information on tests and grading on the linked Web page. Also, be sure to go over the ground rules at the beginning of the term and before each hour test.
Here are some (possibly) helpful links to the Web for animations and other information relevant to the course.
For those of you who might be interested I'm providing a link to the Web page about the Teaching Observatory Public Night that occurs on Friday nights through the semester, weather permitting. On that page you can find a link to a set of maps showing you where the observatory is, but I've made it available here as well.
For convenience or for curiosity, some links:
Dates of the hour tests
Grades
Project instructions
My departmental home page
Finally, here are a few Websites that aren't particularly relevant to the course but which you might find of interest:
