Disciplines Of Astronomy Research Articles

Scientific authorship by gender: trends before and during a global pandemic

Many fields of science are still dominated by men. COVID-19 has dramatically changed the nature of work, including for scientists, such as lack of access to key resources and transition to online teaching. Further, scientists face the pandemic-related stressors common to other professions (e.g., childcare, eldercare). As many of these activities fall more heavily on women, the pandemic may have exacerbated gender disparities in science. We analyzed self-identified gender of corresponding author for 119,592 manuscripts from 151 countries submitted January 2019 to July 2021 to the Institute of Physics (IOP) portfolio of 57 academic journals, with disciplines of astronomy and astrophysics, bioscience, environmental science, materials, mathematics, physics, and interdisciplinary research. We consider differences by country, journal, and pre-pandemic versus pandemic periods. Gender was self-identified by corresponding author for 82.9% of manuscripts (N = 99,114 for subset of submissions with gender). Of these manuscripts, authors were 82.1% male, 17.8% female, and 0.08% non-binary. Most authors were male for all countries (country-specific values: range 0.0–100.0%, median 86.1%) and every journal (journal-specific values range 63.7–91.5%, median 83.7%). The contribution of female authors was slightly higher in the pandemic (18.7%) compared to pre-pandemic (16.5%). However, prior to the pandemic, the percent of submissions from women had been increasing, and this value slowed during the pandemic. Contrary to our hypothesis, we did not find that manuscript submissions from women decreased during the pandemic, although the rate of increased submissions evident prior to the pandemic slowed. In both pre-pandemic and pandemic periods, authorship was overwhelmingly male for all journals, countries, and fields. Further research is needed on impacts of the pandemic on other measures of scientific productivity (e.g., accepted manuscripts, teaching), scientific position (e.g., junior vs. senior scholars), as well as the underlying gender imbalance that persisted before and during the pandemic.

Maps in Citizen Science: A Preliminary Analysis of Use and User Issues

Abstract. Citizen Science involves a collaboration or partnership between scientists and amateur volunteers, which may take various forms; from simple data collection to a close collaboration where both parts jointly define their aims, methodologies and analysis approaches in the scientific endeavour. Although citizen science has existed for more than two centuries (Silvertown, 2009), the widespread use of information and communication technology (ICT) now plays a significant role in the way citizen science is currently shaped and utilised. At present, there are hundreds of citizen science applications available which engage thousands of volunteers in the disciplines of astronomy, environmental conservation, biology, marine science, geography and many others. A relatively recent analysis of 388 citizen science projects revealed that they have been used to engage 1.3 million volunteers, contributing up to US$2.5 billion in-kind annually (Theobald et al. 2015).Web 2.0 and its associated technologies, which have existed for almost 15 years now, have enabled the development of websites which supported content generation by their end users (aka crowdsourcing; Howe, 2008) and multiple interactions amongst them. Examples include web-based communities, social-networking sites, wikis, mashups, and others (Batty et al., 2010). In this context the term ‘Neogeography’ was coined (Eisnor, 2006) and since then it has been used within the geographic and cartographic circles to describe the multi-directional generation of geospatial contents and interactions, which enables non-GIS professionals to create and share maps and other geographic information online “on their own terms” simply using the “elements of an existing toolset” (Eisnor, 2006). Map mashups started to not only be used for disseminating spatial information to a wider user audience, but applications have been created which enabled the crowdsourcing of geographic information for the production of geospatial knowledge; a trend, which is also known under the term Volunteered Geographic Information (Goodchild, 2007). OpenStreetMap (OSM) is perhaps one of the earliest examples that the literature cites to demonstrate how harnessing the power of the crowds for the collection of geographic information can result in the creation of a free, open source of map of the world (Goodchild, 2007; Haklay et al., 2008; Batty et al., 2010).We argue in this paper that the above developments from the geospatial context have massively contributed to the current state of citizen science. While interactive web maps made their appearance as mainly “way-finding” tools (Skarlatidou and Haklay, 2006), they quickly became part of digital interactions in a much broader context and they are currently a basic component of most citizen science projects. The relevance and significance of space has been fully exploited by technological features such as geotagging, GPS-enabled mobile devices fully integrated with other sensors, which has made the collection and sharing of data much easier (Haklay, 2013). Sinton (2018) argues that it is such the power of maps in citizen science that “it would be difficult to pursue a project in biological conservation, for example, without incorporating mapping”. The breadth of citizen science applications is so wide that we observe an extremely wide range of potential users, with very different skill sets, backgrounds, literacy levels and user needs.

Simulation on the Measurement Method of Geometric Distortion of Telescopes

The accurate measurement on the effect of telescope geometric distortion is conducive to improving the astrometric positioning accuracy of telescopes, which is of significant importance for many disciplines of astronomy, such as stellar clusters, natural satellites, asteroids, comets, and other celestial bodies in the solar system. For this reason, the predecessors have developed an iterative self-calibration method to measure the telescope geometric distortion by dithering observations in a dense star field, and achieved fine results. However, the previous work did not make constraints on the density of star field, and the dithering mode, but chose empirically some good conditions (for example, a denser star field and a larger dithering number) to observe, which took up much observing time, and caused a rather low efficiency. In order to explore the validity of the self-calibration method, and optimize its observational conditions, it is necessary to carry out the corresponding simulations. In this paper, we introduce first the self-calibration method in detail, then by the simulation method, we verify the effectiveness of the self-calibration method, and make further optimizations on the observational conditions, such as the density of star field and the dithering number, to achieve a higher accuracy of geometric distortion measurement. Finally, taking consideration of the practical application for correcting the geometric distortion effect, we have analyzed the relationship between the number of reference stars in the field of view and the astrometric accuracy by virtue of the simulation method.

Inventing Tradition in 16th- and 17th-Century Mathematical Sciences: Abraham as Teacher of Arithmetic and Astronomy

Submissions should be uploaded to http://tmin.edmgr.com or sent directly to David E. Rowe, e-mail: rowe@mathematik.uni-mainz.de I n the history of science, the period between the publication of Nicolaus Copernicus’s famous De revolutionibus orbium coelestium (1543) and Isaac Newton’s epoch-making Philosophiae naturalis principia mathematica (1687) is known as the Scientific Revolution. Indeed, this period was full of spectacular speculations and pragmatic inventions that accompanied stunning developments in the mathematical sciences ranging from the calculus and logarithms to telescopes and microscopes, air pumps and barometers, and the conception of an infinite universe. The mathematical sciences proper were conceived of as a field of knowledge comprised of two pure parts—arithmetic and geometry (scientiae mathematicae purae)—together with many mixed parts (scientiae mathematicae mixtae), which often had a clear practical bent, ranging from the traditional disciplines of astronomy and music to architecture, fortification, geography, hydrology, navigation, and so forth. Looking back, this period seems to reflect a sense of glamour, and it has sometimes been seen as a kind of Golden Age. However, as is so often the case, all that glitters is not gold, and the practitioners of the mathematical sciences were well aware of a variety of means for promoting their work. Indeed, this was an age when mathematicians constantly had to argue for the relevance of their work and research. Yet the context for such arguments during the Scientific Revolution was very different from what it is today. Bacon’s famous motto that ‘‘knowledge is power’’ may sound convincing to us, but in fact the London Royal Society had no means to finance scientific research. Nor was novelty alone the type of argument that was likely to persuade those royal patrons of the arts and sciences who were most likely to promote such work. Within this context, those who sought such support were likely to appeal to arguments that might exalt the reputation of a monarch and his court, where interest in the old was often at least as important as any new invention, however spectacular. Thus a typical strategy for those who sought to legitimize the mathematical sciences was to make use of references to the past, in particular classical antiquity. This type of argument, highlighting the long-accepted role of mathematics in the ancient world, was part of a process that can best be understood as the invention of traditions for the mathematical sciences. Had not Atlas been the first

DISCIPLINAS E PROFESSORES DE ASTRONOMIA NOS CURSOS DE LICENCIATURA EM FÍSICA DAS UNIVERSIDADES BRASILEIRAS

Este artigo é o resultado de uma pesquisa sobre a formação básica em Astronomia nos cursos de Licenciatura em Física que fizeram o exame nacional ENADE 2011. O objetivo do trabalho foi identificar se há disciplinas de Astronomia nesses cursos, se ela é obrigatória ou optativa/eletiva, qual a sua carga horária e o período em que é oferecida. Pesquisou-se também a relação entre astrônomos, cursos de Licenciatura em Física e disciplinas de Astronomia. Para realizar essa pesquisa utilizamos os dados do ENADE 2011 e também do censo da Astronomia brasileira. Como resultado, se observa que em apenas 15% dos cursos existe uma disciplina obrigatória de Astronomia e que há uma grande probabilidade de que 85% dos professores de Física formados em 2011 não cursaram nenhuma disciplina de Astronomia durante a graduação. Além disso, os dados levantados nesse trabalho apontam um baixo número de filiados à SAB nos cursos pesquisados. Identifica-se que ter astrônomos na instituição não implica em disciplina obrigatória de Astronomia no curso de Licenciatura em Física.

Life, the universe, and everything

The disciplines of astronomy and statistics are coming together to answer some of the biggest questions in modern science. By Joseph M. Hilbe Impacts from space rocks have set off mass extinctions at least twice in Earth's history. Should we be worried that another strike is imminent? Joseph M. Hilbe and Jamie Riggs assess the risks An overview of meteorite strikes observed through the ages, designed by Carlo Zapponi If you want to know why the universe is the way it is, you have to understand its initial state. Benjamin Wandelt takes us back billions of years to show how statistics is helping cosmologists understand the origins of everything – including life itself Astronomy data sets are astronomically big – that is why statistical approaches are needed to analyse, organise and unravel the mysteries of the universe. By Rafael de Souza and Emille Ishida There's more to the universe than meets the eye – over 80% is made up of stuff we cannot see. Jessi Cisewski explores the nature of dark matter, and how statistics is helping locate it 30 billion? 225 billion? 400 billion? Vladimir Surdin finds no exact answer, but plenty of estimates There isn't a set of scales big enough to measure the most massive objects in the universe. Madhura Killedar considers alternative methods, and the associated statistical challenges Our universe is fine-tuned for life to such a degree that it would seem improbable were it the only universe in existence – which means there is a good chance that we live in a multiverse. Roberto Trotta explains the idea, and the discoveries that gave rise to it It began with a bang, but current models suggest the universe will go out with a whimper. Chris Impey explores the long, dark fate that awaits

Summary of Special Session 3

The Virtual Observatory is one of the very few truly global endeavours of astronomy, and IAU General Assemblies are the natural places to present the VO to the community. The three-year time scale of IAU is also well suited to measure progress. At the IAU XXV GA in Sydney, 2003, half of the two-day Joint Discussion 8 on Large Telescopes & Virtual Observatories: Visions for the Future was devoted to VO talks: the main goal was to review what was expected from the VO in different disciplines of astronomy; many projects were also presented in the poster sessions. This time the three-day VO Special Session has given an excellent overview of present status of the VO, showing both tremendous progress and the work which remains to be done. Several scientific communities (astronomy, solar and heliospheric physics) are working on VO development, national communities have been organizing themselves in VO projects. Implementation by data centres has begun. Additional technical development is required, and there are still technical challenges. There is also a huge work ahead for providing high quality data and services, but the VO development already has a very positive influence on astronomers' work environment, and more is to come.

New Space Study Institutes

NASA, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, is establishing a theoretical research group (the Goddard Institute for Space Studies) in New York City. Attached to the Theoretical Division of the Goddard Space Flight Center, located near Washington, D.C., the group in New York will be under the direction of Robert Jastrow, who will also retain his present position as chief of the Theoretical Division at the Space Flight Center. The staff of the new Institute will number about fifty, drawn nearly equally from the disciplines of astronomy, physics, and the earth sciences, and will be aided by scientists from nearby universities, a number of whom have already agreed to accept appointments as part‐time consultants.