Astronomy & Cosmology

An applicatio n of archaeoast ronomy to Greek religious, architectu re, cosmologie s and landscapes . PhD thesis by Efrosyni Boutsikas.

A lengthy abstract on education and study of astronomy in 14th and 15th century Prague.

In late 14th century England, the terms "astronomie" and "astrologie" were more or less interchangeable; it was understood that the astrological condition of the skies affects the weather and influences the seasons and times for planting and harvesting.

A history of astronomy and science.

The "electronic" edition of the scientific works of Francisco Maurolico (1494-1575).

A 15th century Latin translation of some of Abu Ma'shar's 9th century writings on astronomy.

A virtual exhibition at the Bibliothèque Nationale de France on medieval comprehension and mapping of the heavens and earth.

Discovered by accident, this manuscript page provides graphical insight to astronomy in medieval times, before the Renaissance and the influence of Nicolaus Copernicus, Tycho de Brahe, Johannes Kepler, and Galileo. The intriguing page is from lecture notes on astronomy compiled by the monk Magister Wolfgang de Styria before the year 1490 at Melk Abbey in Austria. The top panels clearly illustrate the necessary geometry for a lunar (left) and solar eclipse in the Earth-centered Ptolemaic system. At lower left is a diagram of the Ptolemaic view of the solar system and at the lower right is a chart to calculate the date of Easter Sunday in the Julian calendar. Text at the upper right explains the movement of the planets according to the Ptolemaic system.

Medieval cosmology was centered around the concept of the Ptolemaic universe. In this geocentric model, the earth was the motionless center of the universe, with the rest of the universe revolving around it in spheres.

An introduction to medieval cosmological theories.

Covers a wide range of topics, including the physical sciences, technology, and experimental archaeology in the SCA.

The Museum, part of the University of Bologna's Department of Astronomy, houses a collection of astrolabes, gnomons & sundials, clocks, astronomical quadrants, telescopes, armillary spheres, globes, maps, and other mathematical, meteorologic, topographic and nautical instruments.

The Institute and Museum of the History of Science, in Florence, is one of the foremost internatio nal institutio ns in the history of science, combining a noted museum of scientific instrument s and an institute dedicated to the research, documentat ion and disseminat ion of the history of science in the broadest senses.

A series of engravings that bring to us the very clear representation of the crafts and technology of his time, and the relative importance which these discoveries and inventions had in the mind of a well-informed layman of the 16th century.

New Discoveries includes illustrations of: The Lodestone, The Magnet; The Astrolabe; America; Gunpowder; Printing Books; Iron Clocks; Guaiacum (a New World remedy for syphilis); Distillation; Silk, or the Silkworm; Stirrups, or Foot Rests; the Watermill; the Winged Mill (windmills); Olive Oil; Sugar; Oil Colors (oil-painting); Spectacles (eyeglasses); Longitudes of the Earth Found from the Deviation of the Magnet from the Pole; Polishing Armor; Engraving on Copper; and the travels & discoveries of Christopher Columbus, Amerigo Vespucci, and Ferdinand Magellan.

A transcription and translation.

The Starry Messenger is Phase I of the Electronic History of Astronomy developed in the Whipple Museum of the History of Science and the Department of History and Philosophy of Science. The aim of this project is to make available electronically some aspects of the early history of astronomy for the use of students studying the history and philosophy of science.

The Galileo Project is a source of information on the life and work of Galileo Galilei (1564-1642). Our aim is to provide hypertextual information about Galileo and the science of his time to viewers of all ages and levels of expertise.

A translation of Pliny's Natural History.