The Sun Recorded Through History: Scientific Data Extracted from Historical Documents: 361 (Astrophysics and Space Science Library, 361) - Hardcover

Vaquero, J.M.; Vázquez, M.

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0387927891 ISBN 13: 9780387927893

Publisher: Springer, 2009

The Sun is nowadays observed using di?erent techniques that provide an almost instantaneous 3-D map of its structure. Of particular interest is the studyofthevariabilityinthesolaroutputproducedbythedissipationofm- netic energy on di?erent spatial and temporal scales - the so-called magnetic activity. The 11-year cycle is the main feature describing this phenomenon. Apart from its intrinsic scienti?c interest, this topic is worth studying because of the interaction of such processes with the terrestrial environment. A ?eet of space and ground-based observatories are currently monitoring the behaviour of our star on a daily basis. However, solar activity varies not only on this decadal time-scale, as has been attested mainly through two methods: (a) records of the number of sunspots observed on the solar surface from 1610, and (b) the records of 14 10 cosmogenic isotopes, such as Cand Be, measured in tree-rings and i- cores, respectively. The study of the long-term behaviour of solar activity may be comp- mented by the study of historical accounts describing phenomena directly or indirectly related to solar activity. Numerous scienti?c and non-scienti?c d- uments have reported these events and we can make use of them as a proxy of solar activity in past times.

Review:

From the reviews: “Packed with many hundreds of references to both past and contemporary astronomical and historical literature, the book is a must for historians of science and professional astronomers and solar physicists interested in the historical reconstructions of solar activity. ... interested readers should find their money’s worth. ... In The Sun Recorded Through History, long-gone solar astronomers tell us what they saw.” (Paul Charbonneau, Physics Today, December, 2009) “This monograph is primarily a historical survey of solar activity from the dawn of historic observations ... to the invention of photography in 1840. ... highlight is a detailed discussion of observed sunspot minima and maxima over the past 2,000 years, and the possible contributing role of sociological factors in these observations. The illustrations are well chosen and often fascinating ... . The work will be of interest primarily to historians of astronomy and solar astronomers ... . Summing Up: Recommended. Researchers, faculty, and professionals.” (R. L. Mutel, Choice, Vol. 47 (4), December, 2009)

From the Back Cover:

The Sun Recorded Through History is a text that reconstructs past solar activity based on information from historical documents, complementing studies using other techniques. Historical accounts describing phenomena related to solar activity, such as aurorae, sunspots, and corona observed during solar eclipses can be used as a proxy of solar activity in the past. These descriptions are reviewed, on the one hand providing primary material for the history of astronomy and, on the other, verifying or refuting current ideas concerning the time variability of the Sun on the scale of centuries.

Documents predating the discovery of photography (around 1840) that contain information on these topics are highlighted, but modern drawings are also included. The lower temporal limit of study is set by the archaeoastronomy of prehistoric sources. In addition, the necessary background on the Sun is provided, with special emphasis on observing techniques and the influences of telescopes and the Earth's atmosphere on the data obtained from solar observations.

This book contains over two hundred figures, many of which are reproductions of historical documents and hand drawings. It is an essential resource on the evolution of solar observations and will be of interest to students and researchers in solar physics, as well as astronomers and historians of science.

• Publisher: Springer
• Publication date: 2009
• ISBN 10: 0387927891
• ISBN 13: 9780387927893
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 396