Tag: Astronomy

Free Download An Introduction to Astronomy and Astrophysics: Second Edition
by Pankaj Jain
English | 2024 | ISBN: 0367257580 | 383 pages | True PDF | 35.08 MB

Free Download The Birth of Modern Astronomy: The History of the Scientists and Theories that Modernized Astronomy
by Charles River Editors
English | December 4, 2024 | ASIN: B0DPNGD687 | 220 pages | PDF | 110 Mb

Free Download Studies on the Transmission of Medieval Mathematical Astronomy
by Raymond Mercier
English | 2024 | ASIN: B0DP85P8FN | 333 Pages | True PDF | 16 MB

Free Download Raymond Mercier, "Studies on the Transmission of Medieval Mathematical Astronomy "
English | ISBN: 0860789497 | 2004 | 334 pages | EPUB, PDF | 8 MB + 16 MB
Studies on the Transmission of Medieval Mathematical Astronomy opens with a new survey of the transmission of Hellenistic astronomy, followed by two studies on how the notion of precession was treated by Babylonian, Greek, Indian, Arabic and Latin hands. Next is a survey of the astronomical tables that appeared in Latin during the 12th century, drawn mainly from Arabic and to some extent from Hebrew, as well as a special study of the Latin tables for London and Pisa drawn originally from the 10th-century Islamic astronomer al-Sufi. For the Sanskrit texts the focus is on the demonstration that the systems were founded on observations made in India, even though much of the theory was Greek in origin. On Byzantine material there are studies of the Persian Syntaxis whose source lay in the Persian Zij-i Ilkhani, and of the diverse materials drawn on by Gemistus Plethon. Mercier’s work shows that there is a unity in medieval astronomy in spite of the great diversity in cultural settings, which included South and Central Asia, the Middle East, Byzantium, and Europe. The texts were recorded in all the major languages of this great region, from Sanskrit to Latin, over a period of time stretching from the late classical world to late medieval Europe. Yet these astronomical texts have much in common, drawn from the whole apparatus of Ptolemaic, or rather more inclusively, Greek astronomy. Transmission is demonstrated partly by the continuity of technical terms, and partly by the conservation and development of numerical parameters.

Free Download A.I. Sabra, "Optics, Astronomy and Logic: Studies in Arabic Science and Philosophy "
English | ISBN: 0860784355 | | 337 pages | EPUB, PDF | 12 MB + 34 MB
Running through the articles in this volume is the theme of the appropriation and subsequent naturalization of Greek science by scholars in the world of medieval Islam. The opening paper presents the historiography of this process, and the focus is then placed on Ibn al-Haytham, one of the most original and influential figures of the 11th century, and in particular in his contribution to the science of optics, both mathematical and experimental, and the psychology of vision. Professor Sabra then continues the analysis of how Greek thought was developed in the Islamic world with two studies of work based on Euclid’s geometry and two on critiques of Ptolemaic astronomy. The final articles turn specifically to questions in the history of logic – Aristotelian syllogism, and Avicenna’s views on the subject – matter of logic.

Free Download Calendars and Years: Astronomy and Time in the Ancient Near East by John M. Steele
English | October 8, 2007 | ISBN: 1842173022 | 176 pages | MOBI | 7.89 Mb
Dates form the backbone of written history. But where do these dates come from? Many different calendars were used in the ancient world. Some of these calendars were based upon observations or calculations of regular astronomical phenomena, such as the first sighting of the new moon crescent that defined the beginning of the month in many calendars, while others incorporated schematic simplifications of these phenomena, such as the 360-day year used in early Mesopotamian administrative practices in order to simplify accounting procedures. Historians frequently use handbooks and tables for converting dates in ancient calendars into the familiar BC/AD calendar that we use today. But very few historians understand how these tables have come about, or what assumptions have been made in their construction. The seven papers in this volume provide an answer to the question what do we know about the operation of calendars in the ancient world, and just as importantly how do we know it? Topics covered include the ancient and modern history of the Egyptian 365-day calendar, astronomical and administrative calendars in ancient Mesopotamia, and the development of astronomical calendars in ancient Greece. This book will be of interest to ancient historians, historians of science, astronomers who use early astronomical records, and anyone with an interest in calendars and their development.

Free Download David A. King, "Astronomy in the Service of Islam "
English | ISBN: 086078357X | | 352 pages | EPUB, PDF | 30 MB + 64 MB
Based on a wide variety of previously unstudied sources, these articles explain how science was applied to three aspects of Islamic ritual in the Middle Ages: the regulation of the lunar calendar; the organisation of the times of the five daily prayers; and the determination of the sacred direction (qibla) towards the Kaaba in Mecca. Simple procedures of folk astronomy were used by the scholars of religious law who determined popular practice; more complicated mathematical methods were provided by the scientists – and this proved a powerful incentive for the development of scientific analysis and research. Some of these procedures were to have far-reaching consequences. For example, the astronomical alignment of the Kaaba – known to various medieval writers, but long forgotten – led to the adoption of similar alignments for the qibla, and the final articles show how these were calculated, whether from astronomical observation or geographical computation, and their impact on the orientation of religious and secular architecture across the Islamic world. C’est à partir d’une grande diversité de sources inexplorées que ces articles expliquent comment la science avait été appliquée a trois aspects du rituel islamique au Moyen Age: la régulation du calendrier lunaire; l’organisation des heures assignées aux cinq prières quotidiennes; et l’établissement de la direction sacrée (qibla) vers la Kaaba de la Mecque. Des procédés simples d’astronomie populaire étaient utilisés par les érudits en droit religieux qui décidaient de la pratique populaire; des méthodes mathématiques plus complexes étaient offertes par les hommes de science – ce qui, en effet, s’avèra être une motivation puissante dans le développement de l’analyse et de la recherche scientifique. Certains de ces procédés eurent des consequences d’une grande portée par la suite. L’alignement astronomique de la Kaaba – pour ne reprendre qu’un exemple connu

Free Download Share the Universe: A Guide to Outreach Astronomy (The Patrick Moore Practical Astronomy Series) by Richard Stember
English | April 2, 2024 | ISBN: 3031534948 | 171 pages | MOBI | 11 Mb
As every astronomer knows, astronomy is one of the most approachable and inspiring of the natural sciences. It appeals to both children and adults while drawing in curious minds with its immense distances and unimaginably powerful natural phenomena. In this book, you will find out how to be a part of the journey in sharing scientific knowledge and inspiring minds of all ages. By using the affordable tools and techniques provided in this book – you will learn about how astronomers can easily engage people with views of our solar system’s planets, moons, and even more distant objects like nebulas, stellar nurseries, and remnants of exploded stars.

Free Download Babylonian Mathematical Astronomy: Procedure Texts By Mathieu Ossendrijver (auth.)
2012 | 618 Pages | ISBN: 1461437814 | PDF | 21 MB
This book contains new translations and a new analysis of the procedure texts of Babylonian mathematical astronomy, the earliest known form of mathematical astronomy of the ancient world. The translations are based on a modern approach incorporating recent insights from Assyriology and translation science. The work contains updated and expanded interpretations of the astronomical algorithms and investigations of previously ignored linguistic, mathematical and other aspects of the procedure texts. Special attention is paid to issues of mathematical representation and over 100 photos of cuneiform tablets dating from 350-50 BCE are presented.In 2-3 years, the author intends to continue his study of Babylonian mathematical astronomy with a new publication which will contain new editions and reconstructions of approx. 250 tabular texts and a new philological, astronomical and mathematical analysis of these texts. Tabular texts are end products of Babylonian math astronomy, computed with algorithms that are formulated in the present volume, Procedure Texts.

Free Download Steven D. Bloom, "The Physics and Astronomy of Science Fiction: Understanding Interstellar Travel, Teleportation, Time Travel, Alien Life "
English | ISBN: 0786470534 | 2016 | 244 pages | PDF | 36 MB
The great scientific, astronomical and technological advances of the 20th century inspired the science fiction genre to imagine distant worlds and futures, far beyond the discoveries of the here and now. This book explores science fiction films, television series, novels and short stories-from Lost in Space (1965-1968) to Fringe (2008-2013) to the works of Isaac Asimov and Stephen Baxter-with a focus on their underlying concepts of physics and astronomy. Assessing accuracy and plausibility, the author considers the possibilities of solar system, interstellar and faster than light travel; intelligent planets, dark (anti-) matter, the multiverse and string theory, time travel, alternate universes, teleportation and replication, weaponry, force fields, extraterrestrial life, subatomic life, emotional robots, super-human and parapsychological powers, asteroid impacts, space colonies and many other topics.