History Of Astronomy Research Articles

Perception of misalignment states for sky survey telescopes with the digital twin and the deep neural networks.

Sky survey telescopes play a critical role in modern astronomy, but misalignment of their optical elements can introduce significant variations in point spread functions, leading to reduced data quality. To address this, we need a method to obtain misalignment states, aiding in the reconstruction of accurate point spread functions for data processing methods or facilitating adjustments of optical components for improved image quality. Since sky survey telescopes consist of many optical elements, they result in a vast array of potential misalignment states, some of which are intricately coupled, posing detection challenges. However, by continuously adjusting the misalignment states of optical elements, we can disentangle coupled states. Based on this principle, we propose a deep neural network to extract misalignment states from continuously varying point spread functions in different field of views. To ensure sufficient and diverse training data, we recommend employing a digital twin to obtain data for neural network training. Additionally, we introduce the state graph to store misalignment data and explore complex relationships between misalignment states and corresponding point spread functions, guiding the generation of training data from experiments. Once trained, the neural network estimates misalignment states from observation data, regardless of the impacts caused by atmospheric turbulence, noise, and limited spatial sampling rates in the detector. The method proposed in this paper could be used to provide prior information for the active optic system and the optical system alignment.

The principles which lead and direct philosophical enquiries; as illustrated by the History of Astronomy (trans. from English by Svetlana Nedelcheva)

The principles which lead and direct philosophical enquiries; as illustrated by the History of Astronomy (trans. from English by Svetlana Nedelcheva)

Overview of Big Data Analytics in Modern Astronomy

Astronomers are increasingly compelled to chart the universe with ever greater precision. Projects like the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS), Pan-STARRS, and the Large Synoptic Survey Telescope (LSST) generate approximately 100-200 Petabytes of data annually, presenting significant big data challenges in terms of storage, processing, and data transfer. The Square Kilometer Array (SKA), an ambitious project involving 130,000 antennas and 200 dishes spanning two continents, is scheduled to become operational in 2028. It will collect 160 terabytes of data per second, translating to 1 petabyte of data daily. Coping with this immense volume of data necessitates real-time processing and analysis, driving the need for efficient machine learning and image analysis algorithms. Astronomy stands as an ideal domain for big data analytics, pushing the boundaries of data analysis. This review paper will present intriguing applications for data scientists, exploring the challenges and recent technological advancements in big data analytics concerning astronomy. The paper will also critically assess the strengths and weaknesses of various approaches, methodologies, or tools used in big data analytics within the context of astronomy, supported by relevant case studies.

Exoheliotrope: Metaphor in the Texts of Astrobiology and Deconstruction

This article undertakes a deconstructive reading of astrobiology’s search for extraterrestrial life. Taking its lead from Derrida’s ‘White Mythology’, it explores ‘metaphor in the text of astrobiology’—and includes within the astrobiological ‘text’ not only scientific publications and work on astrobiology in the philosophy of science, but also ‘life detection technologies’. I situate astrobiology in the tradition of a metaphysical analogy that goes back through the enlightenment and early modern astronomy to the ancient Atomists’ notion of the ‘plurality of worlds’. This analogy, which constitutes an identification of life with being and therefore serves as the conceptual basis for the notion that life must exist on other worlds, experiences a mutation in the middle of the twentieth century when molecular biology refigures life in terms of a scriptural metaphor as text. The result is an aporia whose logic Derrida formalised in ‘White Mythology’.

JOCRISE Paradigm, Methodology & Economics

JOCRISE is embarked upon a project of universal, even cosmic, significance. 
 Rejecting the outdated, inaccurate and static understanding of reality which underlies mainstream economics, the Paradigm provides a new, accurate and dynamic understanding of our changing world. 
 The new understanding is not reductionist and encompasses many subjects (including history, sociology, psychology, religion, environment, anthropology, technology and epistemology). The result is an ability to find solutions for major global problems (e.g., persistent poverty, depletion of resources and environmental depredation) which, at present, appear to be insoluble.
 The Paradigm’s potency is comparable to that of the Copernican Revolution which overthrew the concept of an Earth-centred universe and replaced it by a sun-centred one with consequences including today’s political democracy (i.e., the vote) as well as modern astronomy and rocketry.
 Just as the Revolution introduced a new methodology for astronomy, so the Paradigm introduces a new Methodology for economics which:-
 
 establishes that mainstream economics is founded upon fifty nine false, outdated, interconnected assumptions about reality
 reverses the false assumptions whereon the reversals (or opposites) are easily seen to be true and can therefore form the components of the new Economics with hugely beneficial consequences.
 
 The ‘Great Reset’ is a phrase describing the proposals of the World Economic Forum which will concentrate all economic power into the hands of the few rather than putting economic power into the hands of the many.
 The Paradigm has areas needing development (see Appendix Two). Readers are encouraged to make the development and so forward the progress of the Paradigm as a whole.

Multihanded Adam Smith (Part one)

The paper analyzes the metaphor of “an invisible hand”, which was introduced two and a half centuries ago by Adam Smith (1723—1790) and which eventually became the central concept of modern economics. Its first part presents a detailed textual analysis of three fragments from Smith’s works where it is discussed — in the posthumously published “The history of astronomy” (1796), “The theory of moral sentiments” (1757) and “The wealth of nations” (1776). A question arises what meaning Smith put into his metaphor and what significance he attached to it — was there some important general idea behind it or was it merely a passing rhetoric device? There is also no consensus among historians of economic thought what interpretation is more correct — theological (in this case, the “invisible hand” is attributed to the Divine Providence directing it) or secular (in this case, it acts autonomously, without control from any external powers). In addition to “an invisible hand”, we also find in Smith’s texts “the visible hand” of the state, and he leaves no doubt on whose side his sympathies are.

Celestial Variability and Keats's ‘Bright star’

Early in his career the astronomer William Herschel argued that the appearance of ‘so many changes among the stars’ – stars materialising out of nowhere and stars gradually vanishing, stars fluctuating in brightness and stars changing position – ‘should cause a strong suspicion that most probably every star in the heaven is more or less in motion’. Given his knowledge of modern astronomy, Keats's plea to be as ‘stedfast’ as the bright star might be considered deliberately retrograde: the aesthetic privileging of an ideal by a sky-gazing lover indifferent to empirical science. This essay argues, on the contrary, that the ‘Bright star’ sonnet seizes upon a figurative paradox produced in a period of epistemological transition. The indeterminacy of the bright star image introduces an affective dimension to the sonnet more in keeping with its Petrarchan roots and captures an essential quality of even steadfast lovers: changeability.

Ptolemy’s Science of the Stars in the Middle Ages edited by David Juste, Benno van Dalen, Dag Nikolaus Hasse, and Charles Burnett

This exciting collection of articles was a result of a 2015 conference by the same name, “Ptolemy’s Science of the Stars in the Middle Ages”, sponsored by the Ptolemaeus Arabus et Latinus (PAL). Like the entire PAL project, this work highlights Arabic and Latin scholars’ criticisms of, inquiries into, and refutations of, the Ptolemaic corpus and astrological conceptions of the universe. Consisting of 15 articles organized into three sections—“The Greek and Near Eastern Traditions”, “The Arabic Tradition”, and “The Latin Tradition”—this collection is comprehensive. It features novel, important research on Ptolemy’s works and the influence of Ptolemaic thought by top scholars in the field. The volume will be of particular value to specialists but is accessible to others interested in the history of astronomy and mathematics.

Medieval Astronomy in Spain

Ortaçağ her ne kadar uzun bir süre bilimsel, kültürel ve felsefi anlamda karanlık bir dönem olarak adlandırılsa da, geçtiğimiz yüzyılda Duhem, Bernal, Gilson, Needham, Eco gibi düşünürlerin araştırmalarıyla, bu karanlığın bir nebze de olsa aydınlandığı söylenebilir. Bu çağın karanlık olarak adlandırılmasının iki temel nedeninden birincisi bu dönemde aydın[lığın] olmaması, ikinci neden ise gözlerin henüz bu karanlığa uyum sağlayamaması olabilir. Modern bilim paradigması ikinci nedenin temel müsebbibi gibi görünmektedir. Bu paradigmanın tüm bilim tarihini modern bilime doğru bir evrilme süreci olarak kabul etmesi ve akla dayalı olma, kuramlaştırma, nedensellik, sekülerlik, deneye ve gözleme dayalı olma gibi kriterleri temele alması Ortaçağ’a ilişkin yargının karanlık olarak adlandırılmasında etkin olmuştur. Bin yılı aşkın uzun bir zaman diliminde ve geniş bir coğrafyada yapılmış olan çalışmaların tamamının bu paradigmadan bağımsız şekilde değerlendirilme imkanı, Ortaçağ’a ilişkin yargının değişmesinde rol oynayabilir. Bunu yapma yollarından birisi de karanlık! Ortaçağ’ın merkezi olan Avrupa’daki tüm kültürlerin bu dönemde tamamıyla aynı süreci yaşayıp yaşamadığını belirlemeye çalışmaktır. Bu çalışmada İspanya’nın Ortaçağ’da bilim tarihine katkıları ve özellikle de astronomi alanındaki etkileri tartışılmıştır. Bunun için öncelikle İspanya’nın tarihsel süreci incelenmiş, astronomiye ilişkin genel tarihçe verilmiştir. Ardından Ortaçağ’da İspanya’nın genel karakteristiği özetlenmiş, modern bilim olarak adlandırdığımız sürece geçmeden önceki dönemlerde İspanya’da bilime özellikle de astronomiye olan ilginin nedenleri ortaya koyulmaya çalışılmış, ardından bilimsel devrime giden süreçte Müslüman ve Yahudi bilim insanlarının etkisinden bahsedilmiş ve İspanya’da modern bilime geçiş süreci incelenmiştir.

Evolution of Astronomical Knowledge: From Ancient Civilizations to Modern Physics

This paper embarks on a captivating journey, tracing the evolution from ancient civilizations to contemporary Astronomy, encompassing a spectrum of cultures, including Indian contributions and the advancements of Modern Astronomy. Despite the passage of 5,000 years, our comprehension of the solar system and the greater Cosmos remains profound, evoking a sense of wonder akin to the earliest observers. This article accentuates the pursuit of fresh educational prospects and vitality in life's exploration. Through the scrutiny of celestial domains beyond our world, it furnishes imperative insights into the foundational forces governing the Universe. The boundless expanse of the Cosmos continues to invigorate our inquisitiveness, propelling the innovation of scientific methodologies that exert extensive influence on our society. As our capabilities in space exploration advance, a cascade of new opportunities emerges, unfurling novel avenues for astronomical investigation.

The role of virtual platforms in modern astronomy education: analysis of innovative approaches

The purpose of the article was to study the role of virtual platforms in modern astronomy teaching by identifying and using innovative approaches as well as conducting an empirical study on this topic. To achieve this goal, the scientific methods of descriptive statistics and comparative analysis were used. Subsequently, qualitative interviews were transcribed, and the thematic analysis was used in order to identify recurring themes and patterns in the data. At the same time, a content analysis of the professional literature (41 items) on the integration of virtual platforms into the educational process (including the use of its achievements for teaching astronomy) was carried out. The results showed that the use of virtual platforms in the process of teaching astronomy is one of the promising innovative technological trends that requires further study. The study found that almost all the surveyed specialists used digital tools in their teaching and learning process at least once a week, which is in line with international standards. The interest in the latest technologies, such as artificial intelligence, indicates the relevance of global trends in education in Ukraine, especially in the context of astronomy. In this regard, it is important considering the issues of corporate ethics, the introduction of new approaches to the organisation of the educational process, structural and managerial changes, and pedagogical strategies aimed at adapting to new realities. The scientific novelty of the paper is the use of empirical data to determine the role of virtual platforms in teaching astronomy in Ukraine. The conclusions indicated that these innovative approaches contribute to the improvement of the level of astronomy understanding and to the increase of students' interest in learning about the universe. They allow creating more dynamic and interactive lessons for the learning process.

How Tycho Brahe’s recordings in 1572 support SN 1572 as a type I(a) supernova

The 450th anniversary of the discovery of the SN 1572 supernova event was celebrated in 2022. A closer look at the historical development of the field of supernova astronomy reveals the scientific importance of Tycho Brahe’s 1572 observations of this “new star.” In their quest to learn more about the new type of stellar explosion and subsequent evolution, the initial protagonists in this field (Baader and Zwicky among others) gradually turned their attention to the final remnant state of these supernova events. Since the remnant object thought to be associated with the extragalactic supernova event was found to be very dim, the focus quickly shifted toward nearby galactic events. It is at this point where Tycho Brahe’s observations played an important and often overlooked role in the context of the development of stellar evolution as a scientific field. Tycho Brahe’s meticulous and detailed recordings of the change in brightness of the new star not only allowed modern astronomers to classify SN 1572 as a supernova event but also helped them pinpoint the exact astrometric location of SN 1572. These findings helped to empirically link extragalactic supernova events to nearby past supernova remnants in the Milky Way. This enabled subsequent observations allowing further characterization. Transforming the historical recordings to a standardized photometric system also allowed the classification of SN 1572 as a type I supernova event.

목표로서의 수학사를 위한 이차곡선의 교수·학습 자료개발

Objectives The purpose of this study is to develop a teaching and learning material of “Quadratic curve” using history of Mathematics as a Goal.
 Methods The direction of data development was determined after examining the type of mathematics history utilization and the method of mathematics history utilization in Korean textbooks. Materials were developed through the extraction of mathematical history contents that are acceptable for subject and purpose. Twelve math teachers with experience teaching high school students were tested for verifying the appropriateness of the developed material. After analyzing the test result, the material was revised and completed.
 Results The developed teaching and learning materials are organized according to the flow of time from ancient times to the present, in the order of etymological analysis of terms, discovery of ancient quadratic curves, relevance of modern analytic geometry and quadratic curves, development of modern astronomy, and use in modern earth science. While revealing the connection with other studies, the human side and usefulness of mathematics were revealed. A suitability test was conducted on the development materials, and positive responses were obtained from teachers of related subjects that they were developed well for the purpose of research.
 Conclusions In an environment where students' interest in mathematics is declining, the development type of using mathematical history as a goal can be a way to cope with the overall change in the educational paradigm of strengthening the curriculum centered on choice. It will be helpful for students' interest and choices if the human side of mathematics is emphasized through mathematics history.

The Supernova in Galileo’s Starry Sky and Its Impact on Astronomy

In 1604, the last of the supernovae seen with the naked eye in the Milky Way had a great impact on the history of astronomy and cosmology. Scientists with different conceptions of the Universe - among them Galilei and Kepler but also Arab and Chinese astronomers - competed and collaborated to explain its nature, its origin and its astrological meaning. Even today, we still observe what remains of that supernova, and we learn about stellar astrophysics.

Adam Smith on Aesthetic Imagination and Scientific Enquiry

Abstract In two posthumously published essays, ‘History of Astronomy’ and ‘Of the Nature of that Imitation which takes place in what are called The Imitative Arts’, Adam Smith suggests provocatively that philosophy is an ‘art of imagination’ and that we take the same ‘very high intellectual pleasure’ in appreciating systematic scientific theories and in listening to musical ‘systems’, i.e., complex works of non-programmatic instrumental music. In this paper, I reconstruct the view of imagination, as the cognitive faculty primarily responsible for perception and appreciation of such ‘systems’, that undergirds these claims, and argue that it is to be understood as aiming at ideal ends – in the first instance, at beauty or an order among variety (systematicity). Smith thus offers a distinctive view of aesthetic imagination, as neither freely playing nor imitative (two common views of imagination both in his time and ours) but rather as aiming at, and progressively realizing non-rational norms of order (again, at least in the first instance, an ideal of beauty).

Plasma Astrophysics and Modern Plasma Cosmology

As well known, more than 99% of the observable matter in the universe is plasma, and the plasma astrophysics studies various physical processes and phenomena occurring in cosmic plasmas, from small-scale collective interaction processes and energy transforming mechanisms in particle kinetics to the state of large-scale structure of cosmic objects and their eruptive phenomena. The present paper reviews the important role of the plasma astrophysics in the development of the modern astronomy as well as the formation of the modern plasma cosmology based on the history of the cosmic evolution, the formation of large-scale structures, and eruptive phenomena of cosmic objects. In addition, the unique function of satellite in situ exploring researches in space plasmas to act as the natural laboratory for the plasma astrophysics is further elaborated.

Imaging the Milky Way with Millihertz Gravitational Waves

Modern astronomers enjoy access to all-sky images across a wide range of the electromagnetic spectrum from long-wavelength radio to high-energy gamma rays. The most prominent feature in many of these images is our own Galaxy, with different features revealed in each wave band. Gravitational waves (GWs) have recently been added to the astronomers’ toolkit as a nonelectromagnetic messenger. To date, all identified GW sources have been extra-Galactic and transient. However, the Milky Way hosts a population of ultracompact binaries (UCBs), which radiate persistent GWs in the milliHertz band that is not observable with today’s terrestrial gravitational-wave detectors. Space-based detectors such as the Laser Interferometer Space Antenna will measure this population and provide a census of their location, masses, and orbital properties. In this work, we will show how this data can be used to form a false-color image of the Galaxy that represents the intensity and frequency of the gravitational waves produced by the UCB population. Such images can be used to study the morphology of the Galaxy, identify interesting multimessenger sources through cross-matching, and for educational and outreach purposes.

A Recommendation to Retire VESPA for Exoplanet Validation

VESPA, the first open-source python package built to probabilistically validate exoplanet transit signals, has contributed to the validation of over a thousand exoplanets. However, since it is no longer maintained and has not been updated to account for the modern astronomy data landscape, we recommend retiring it in favor of the newer, actively maintained TRICERATOPS package.

First Measurement of Extreme Ultraviolet Dust Extinction Curve in Quasars

Dust is a ubiquitous feature of the cosmos, impinging directly or indirectly on most fields of modern astronomy. Dust grains composed of small (submicron-sized) solid particles pervade interstellar space in the Milky Way and other galaxies: they occur in a wide variety of astrophysical environments, ranging from comets to giant molecular clouds, from circum-stellar shells to galactic nuclei. The study of this phenomenon is a highly active and topical area of current research. Dust absorbs optical and Ultraviolet (UV) photons and re-emit them in the infrared. The heating and cooling of dust interact with their environment closely. Dust is closely related to the star formation process, and study on dust could put constraints on the star formation history. While extensively studied in the optical, the extinction property of dust in the UV is still an open question. UV photos are absorbed by earth atmosphere and cannot be accessed from ground-based observations. NASA space mission Galaxy Evolution Explorer (GALEX), on the other hand, provides critical data to this question by surveying the whole sky in two UV bands. By comparing the optical and UV properties of blue and red (dust-absorbed) quasars selected from Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS), we shape the extreme UV dust extinction curve for the first time. The measured UV dust extinction curve will help us characterize the size distribution of dust grains and their compositions which could not be easily accessed by other methods.

Planetary nodes and apses in the Sūrya-Siddhānta

There are a few aspects of Indian astronomy that border on the implausible, and none more so than the nodal and apsidal movements of planetary orbits as specified in the Sūrya-Siddhānta. In this paper we examine some aspects of this data in the light of modern astronomy. Given the very-slow rates of motion specified for these two parameters, we speculate that this data might be heliocentric (as opposed to geocentric), and proceed with that assumption in this paper. It is determined that while this assumption proves true for the outer planets (Mars, Jupiter and Saturn), it does not conform well with the inner planets (Mercury and Venus). It is also determined that while the directions specified in the Sūrya-Siddhānta for these subtle motions are correct, the rates of motion given are slower by a couple orders of magnitude compared to actuality. Further analysis also appears to confirm that the data is genuine, and the epoch of the data is likely many thousands of years old.