Biennial History of Astronomy Workshop

Biennial History of Astronomy Workshop - ND XIII July 5-9, 2017

Workshop Overview

The Thirteenth Biennial History of Astronomy Workshop will be held 5-9 July 2017 at the University of Notre Dame, Indiana, and will include a one-day trip to the Adler Planetarium in Chicago.

Invited Speaker

Our invited speaker will be Emeritus Professor Mike G. Edmunds of Cardiff University, former Head of its School of Physics and Astronomy. His astronomical research career involved the determination and interpretation of the abundances of the chemical elements in the universe, and investigation of the origin of interstellar dust.

Invited Speaker (continued)

His astronomical research career involved the determination and interpretation of the abundances of the chemical elements in the universe, and investigation of the origin of interstellar dust. His later work has included research in the history of astronomy, particularly on the history and implications of astronomical machines and mechanisms, and efforts to bring science to wider audiences. Edmunds is Chair of the Antikythera Mechanism Research Project, Chair of the Astronomical Heritage Committee of the Royal Astronomical Society, a former member of two UK Research Councils, and can occasionally be seen in his one-man play about Newton “Sir Isaac Remembers…”

Workshop Details

Details about this year's workshop are available through the below links:

Registration and housing arrangements is similar this year to prior years. Registration is now available, please click here.

Registration includes bus transport to and from, and dinner at, the Adler on Friday, July 7; the banquet on Saturday, July 8; and light refreshments throughout the workshop. Housing will be in one of Notre Dame’s dorms; single and double rooms will be available. Note that additional Chicago trip and banquet tickets can be purchased from a single registration.

Conference Theme: Models and Mechanisms in the History of Astronomy

Models and mechanisms have played an important role throughout the history of astronomy, both as physical devices and as conceptual entities. In exploring this workshop theme, we invite you to consider such questions as: What do we know about historical astronomical models and mechanisms, including their origins, development, and abandonment? How have physical models and mechanistic devices influenced major developments in astronomy and related fields? How have mental models and mechanistic thinking shaped astronomical concepts and explanations? As in previous years, we expect that the theme can encompass a number of different time periods and geographical locations. Proposals that directly address the theme will receive preferential treatment.