This book examines the ways in which attitudes toward astronomy in Australia, China, India, Indonesia, Japan, South Korea, New Zealand, Taiwan, Thailand and Uzbekistan have changed with the times.

The emergence of astrophysics was a worldwide phenomenon during the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, and it gradually replaced the older-style positional astronomy, which focused on locating and measuring the movements of the planets, stars, etc.. Here you will find national overviews that are at times followed by case studies of individual notable achievements. Although the emphasis is on the developments that occurred around 1900, later pioneering efforts in Australian, Chinese, Indian and Japanese radio astronomy are also included.

As the first book ever published on the early development of astrophysics in Asia, the authors fill a chronological and technological void. Though others have already written about earlier astronomical developments in Asia, and about the recent history of astronomy in various Asian nations, no one has examined the emergence of astrophysics, the so-called 'new astronomy' in Asia during the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries.

Autorentext

Professor Wayne Orchiston is a Senior Researcher at the National Astronomical Research Institute in Chiang Mai, Thailand, and formerly worked in optical and radio astronomy in Australia and New Zealand. He has published on the history of Australian, English, French, Georgian, Indian, Indonesian, Iraqi, Japanese, New Zealand and USA astronomy, and has supervised a large pool of graduate students. Like Tsuko Nakamura, Orchiston has played a leading role in developing history of astronomy through International Astronomical Union Commission 41, and was responsible for the formation of the Historic Radio Astronomy and Transits of Venus Working Groups. He is the Editor the Journal of Astronomical History and Heritage.

Professor Tsuko Nakamura for many years worked at the National Astronomical Observatory of Japan in Mitaka, Tokyo, where he carried out research on Japanese astronomical history and on comets and minor planets. He has published many research papers on Japanese astronomical history and edited a number of books and conference proceedings (several of which were in collaboration with Wayne Orchiston). Nakamura has played a leading role in developing history of astronomy through International Astronomical Union Commission 41 and its associated Working Groups. He also serves on the Editorial Board of the Journal of Astronomical History and Heritage.

Inhalt

Chapter 1: Introduction by Tsuko Nakamura and Wayne Orchiston.- Part 1: Japan.- Chapter 2: The Development of Astronomy and Emergence of Astrophysics in Japan by Tsuko Nakamura.- Chapter 3: Hirayama Kiyotsugu: Discoverer of Asteroid Families by Seiko Yoshida and Tsuko Nakamura.- Chapter 4: Japanese Studies of Asteroids Following the Discovery of the Hirayama Families by Tsuko Nakamura.- Chapter 5: The National Astronomical Observatory of Japan and Post-war Japanese Optical Astronomy by Toshiyuki Tajima.- Chapter 6: The Early Development of Japanese Radio Astronomy by Wayne Orchiston and Masato Ishiguro.- Part 2: South Korea.- Chapter 7: The Development of Astronomy in Korea and the Emergence of Astrophysics in South Korea by Il-Seong Nha, Sarah L. Nha, and Wayne Orchiston.- Part 3: China.- Chapter 8: The Development of Astronomy and Emergence of Astrophysics in China by Xiaoyu Ning, Xiaochun Sun, Wayne Orchiston, and Tsuko Nakamura. Chapter 9: The Early Development of Chinese Radio Astronomy: The Role of W.N. Christiansen by Wang Shouguan.- Part 4: Taiwan.- Chapter 10: The Development of Astronomy and Emergence of Astrophysics in Taiwan by Wing-Huen Ip.- Part 5: Thailand.- Chapter 11: The Development of Astronomy andn Emergence of Astrophysics in Thailand by Boonrucksar Soonthornthum.- Chapter 12: King Rama IV and French Observations of the 18 August 1868 Total Solar Eclipse from Wah-koa, Siam by Wayne Orchiston and Darunee Lingling Orchiston. Chapter 13: King Rama V and British Observations of the 6 April 1875 Total Solar Eclipse from the Chao Lai Peninsula, Siam by Busaba Hutawarakorn Kramer and Michael Kramer.- Part 6: Indonesia.- Chapter 14: The Development of Astronomy and Emergence of Astrophysics in Indonesia by Bambang Hidayat, Hakim L. Malasan, and Emanuel Sungging Mumpuni.- Chapter 15: J.A.C. Oudemans' Observations of the 18 August 1868 and 12 December 1871 Total Solar Eclipses from the Dutch East Indies by Emanuel Sungging Mumpuni, Wayne Orchiston, and Wolfgang Steinicke.- Chapter 16: American Observations of the 16 May 1901 Total Solar Eclipse from Padang, Dutch East Indies by John Pearson and Wayne Orchiston.- Part 7: Australia.- Chapter 17: The Development of Astronomy and the Foundations of Astrophysics in Australia by Wayne Orchiston, Barry A.J. Clark, David Frew, and Jenny Andropoulos.- Chapter 18: The Beginnings of Australian Radio Astronomy by Woodruff T. Sullivan III.- Chapter 19:The Early Development of Australian Radio Astronomy: The Role of the CSIRO Division of Radiophysics Field Stations by Wayne Orchiston and Bruce Slee.- Part 8: New Zealand.- Chapter 20:The Development of Astronomy and Emergence of Astrophysics in New Zealand by John Hearnshaw and Wayne Orchiston.- Chapter 21: Alexander William Bickerton: New Zealand's First Astrophysicist? by Gerard F. Gilmore.- Chapter 22: New Zealand Astronomy and the 9 September 1885 Total Solar Eclipse by Wayne Orchiston and Glen Rowe.- Chapter 23: The Early Development of NewZealand Radio Astronomy by Wayne Orchiston.- Part 9: India.- Chapter 24: The Development of Modern Astronomy and Emergence of Astrophysics in India by Rajesh Kochhar and Wayne Orchiston.- Chapter 25: British Observations of the 18 August 1868 Total Solar Eclipse from Guntoor, India by Wayne Orchiston, Eun-Hee Lee, and Young-Sook Ahn.- Chapter 26: American Observations of the 22 January 1898 Total Solar Eclipse from Jeur, India by Wayne Orchiston and John Pearson.- Chapter 27: The Early Development of Indian Radio Astronomy: A Personal Perspective by Govind Swarup.- Part 10: Uzbekistan.- Chapter 28: The Development of Astronomy and Emergence Astrophysics in Uzbekistan by Shuhrat Ehgamberdiev.