Next Monday's reading

The reading for Monday is a no-frills presentation of the basic astronomical phenomena, as they can be seen with the naked eye. (The visit to the Planetarium next Friday will help to make these more vivid). Please read the chapter carefully, noting anything that you find difficult and in need of discussion in Monday's class. You should also attempt all of the problems that Crowe scatters through the chapter, to ensure that you are making sense of the material. I'll work through some of the problems in class, and will expect your input.

It may seem arbitrary to trace the history of science via planetary astronomy. In part, we do this because it is a standard approach to the history of science, for which there are many resources. There are also historical reasons: the history of science as a discipline was pioneered in the nineteenth century by astronomers and mathematicians, who left a lasting stamp on the shape of the standard narratives of scientific development. Also, other Great Books programs -- the pioneering program at the University of Chicago, and that of St John's College -- built their scientific curricula around mathematics and astronomy; to some extent, we are following in their footsteps.

But there are much deeper reasons for turning to the heavens. We inhabitants of the urban western world have all but lost contact with the sky. At night, we see no more than a handful of stars; and we hardly make a connection anymore between the seasons and the appearance and disappearance of stars. From day to day, and night to night, many of us never even raise our eyes towards the heavens.

Yet if you have ever seen the night sky from the desert, or mountains, you will know just how overwhelming it can be. We have to remember that, for most of our ancestors, this was their experience every night. It is little exaggeration to say that the night sky imposed itself upon ancient scientists as their primary field of study. For them, as well, the relationship between the changing stars and the shifting seasons (and between the movement of the planets and terrestrial events -- what we would now call astrology) was of vital importance.

So, in blog posts this week, I would like you to reflect upon your own relationship with the sky. For instance, can you recall moments when you felt something like the same awe that the ancients held? Or are there astronomical events that have had a particular significance for you? Do you ever measure out time, or your life, by the sun, moon or stars, rather than by clocks and calendars?

I don't really know what kinds of answers any of you will have for these questions, and I look forward to finding out. We'll talk about some of them on Monday and Wednesday; I hope that, collectively, we can build up a sense of the significance of the sky, and will gain a clearer picture of why the course is striking out in this particular direction.