Astronomy
- a cultural heritage
Contact persons: Sonja Draxler and Max E. Lippitsch
Background
From ancient times the paradigm of ascertainability and predictability of reality is the basis of rational thinking and forsighted action. The sciences, and astronomy in particular, are the main manifestations of this paradigm in human history. In all cultures the historical and social conditions had a strong impact on the way of thinking, and, on the other hand, scientific thoughts decisively shaped many of the most successful societies. Our present view of the world is strongly determined by the achievements of astronomy. This exhibition will trace this leitmotive of human development.
Astronomy whenever it existed was an integral part of intellectual, cultural and social life. The ideas of science were at any time shaped by the zeitgeist, as simultaneously the zeitgeist was shaped by current scientific ideas. This exhibition is intended to expose this interwovenness.
Objectives of the proposed project
The project “Astronomy – a cultural heritage” is an international endeavor to promote the history of science during the International Year of Astronomy 2009. The exhibition consists of a number of historical stations, each of which is independently developed for the International Year of Astronomy 2009 by one or more of the project partners, on the basis of a joint overall concept. The key ideas in the historical course of astronomy are displayed in the form of originals and / or workable reconstructions of the observational setups and of originals or reproductions of the most important astronomy texts. The displays are accompanied by materials from history, arts, music, and everyday life of the corresponding epochs. Emphasis is laid on the quest for the historical and social conditions that where the necessary prerequisites and the crucial factors for sparking off the respective ideas, as well as on the social, intellectual and cultural consequences these ideas brought about.
Material from these local and regional displays will be collected and joined with similar material already existing from the International Year of Physics 2005. These contributions form the basis for a traveling exhibition on the relationships between society, culture, and the sciences. This exhibition is suitable for display in every country involved. After 2009, the exhibition will tour through the partner countries and will provide sustainability for the two International Years, reaching far beyond their factual duration.
The objectives and goals of the project are as follows:
- To encourage participants in the International Year of Astronomy 2009 to perform displays on the history of astronomy, including social, cultural and gender aspects.
- To increase public awareness of the importance of science for our society.
- To show the interwovennes of scientific ideas with the historical, social, and cultural actualities in the times they were created, thereby deepening the public understanding of the process of scientific insight.
- To cross-link cultural and scientific presentations to bring science from a purely intellectual to an emotional quality, thereby promoting people´s interest in engaging in the sciences.
- To add a sustainable aspect to the events of the International Year of Astronomy, by including projects developed during this International Year in the joint endeavor of a traveling exhibition to be displayed in multiple locations during the following years.
All SPOCS of the IYA2009 are requested to distribute this message in their country, encourage people to engage in events on the history of Astronomy, and provide the coordinates of interested persons and institutions to the Contact Persons named above.