Book Review: Astronomy in Finland: History of Astronomy in Finland 1828–1918

Abstract

ASTRONOMY IN FINLAND History of Astronomy in Finland 1828-1918. Raimo Lehti and Tapio Markkanen (The History of Learning and Science in Finland 1828-1918, vol. 4b; Societas Scientiarum Fennica, Helsinki, 2010). Pp. 269. euro28 (paperback). ISBN 978-951653-379-0.Since 1 965 , the Finnish Academy of S ciences has been publishing a series of historical studies of various scientific fields in Finland. The twentieth volume in this series, here under review, deals with the history of astronomy in Finland. This volume will, of course, appeal to everyone interested in the development of astronomy in Finland; but it also offers opportunities to compare developments in Finland with those in other countries.Lehti and Markkanen note that there is great popular interest in astronomy in Finland. The Finnish society for amateur astronomers, the Ursa Astronomical Association, counted 15,000 members in 2009! Why is this so? One could speculate that a sparsely populated country with a long dark winter gives ample opportunities for observations. Lehti and Markkanen, however, aim not to answer that question but rather to paint the full canvas of the astronomical work in Finland from the earliest sources to recent decisions to host astronomy in large university physics departments.It should be noted that the volume covers a much longer period than the advertised years of 1828 to 1918. The first four chapters deal with material before 1828 and there are chapters that extend the story beyond 1918. This is very much welcome since it adds the necessary background; however, there might be too much weight on the period prior to 1828.The authors carefully describe the specific conditions for astronomy in Finland. The country had long been a part of Sweden, but during the eighteenth century Russia showed an increasing interest in moving its influence westwards. In 1809 Russia annexed Finland, thus breaking the traditional bonds with Swedish universities and academies, but at the same time opening new opportunities for collaborations with Russian institutions. Finland stayed under Russian rule from 1809 until 1918, when it became fully independent. During the years as a Great Duchy, however, Finland had a high degree of independence.Already in the eighteenth century, there were important international contributions from Finnish astronomers when it came to the well-known transits of Venus. Anders Planman made excellent observations at Cajaneborg in Northern Finland and thereafter collected and processed all the data from the various Swedish observations. …