Training week: a global history of astronomy on primary sources. New approaches, new digital tools

Registration

This week is targeted at graduate and postgraduate PhD candidates or postdoctoral researchers working in the history of astronomy and sciences. A number of travel grants are available to allow students from abroad participation.

There is only 20 slots for this training week, registration must be made via this form before April 18, 2025.

Aims

The week delves into the exceptional collection of archives for a long term global history of astronomy present in the Bibliothèque nationale de France and in the Observatoire de Paris.

This will be done first within Primary sources sessions. Each session focuses on a specific domain within these institutions’ archives. Renowned historians of astronomy will utilize the physically present primary sources to introduce the related historical context and delve into the fascinating history of the collections themselves. This deliberate structure reflects the inherent organization of the Parisian archives. Collectively, these sessions will offer a comprehensive perspective on global astronomical history while simultaneously equipping participants with the tools to critically examine the historical processes that shaped these archives and the potential global narratives they enable.

This will be done second within Digital tools sessions. These sessions introduce participants to the cutting-edge tools offered by digital humanities and artificial intelligence specifically designed for the analysis of astronomical sources including texts, tables and diagrams. This segment provides students with a state-of-the-art understanding of these recent advancement and arms them with the necessary tools to conduct their own research projects. Additionally, these sessions foster reflection on the transformation of sources into data, its impact on the epistemology of history of astronomy, and how it can be leveraged to productively disrupt the traditional structure of archives for innovative research endeavors.

Finally this will be done also in Students project sessions. They offer students the opportunity to engage in individual or group projects. Students can choose to work on a set of sources pre-selected by the teaching team or propose their own. Historians and the digital teaching team will provide guidance throughout this hands-on experience. This project serves as a platform for students to gain practical experience with the digital tools and produce initial research findings. The projects will culminate in presentations at the week’s conclusion. Student projects also present an invaluable opportunity to compare and contrast the Parisian archives with documents from other locations and archives, further enriching the discussion around the influence of archival structures on the construction of global narratives within the field of astronomy.

Teaching team

Victor Gysembergh, Divna Manolova, Anuj Misra, Clemency Montelle, Guillaume Loizelet, Scott Trigg, Benno van Dalen, Alexandre Tur, Eleonora Andriani, Matthieu Husson, Christophe Schmitt, Ji Chen, Dror Weill, Jade Norindr, Stephen Johnston.

Program

Day 1, BnF

9.00-10.30 Primary sources: Greek sources
10.45-12.15 Primary sources: Greek sources
13.30-15.00 Primary sources: Sanskrit sources
15.15-17.15 Primary sources: Sanskrit sources

Day 2, BnF

9.00-10.30 Primary sources: Arabic/Persian sources
10.45-12.15 Primary sources: Arabic/Persian sources
13.30-15.30 Primary sources: Latin sources
15.45-17.15 Primary sources: Latin sources

Day 3, BnF

9.00-10.30 Primary sources: Chinese sources
10.45-12.15 Primary sources: Chinese sources

Paris obs

13.30-15.30 Digital tools: DISHAS/tables
15.45-17.15 Students’ projects

Day 4: Paris Obs

9.00-10.30 Primary sources: modern sources from Europe
10.45-12.15 Primary sources: modern sources from Europe
13.30-15.30 Digital tools: EIDA
15.45-17.15 Students’ projects

Day 5: Paris Obs

9.00-12.15 Students’ projects
13.30-17.15 Students’ projects presentation