Astronomy in Culture - Cultures of Astronomy

In particular, the IAU Division C, Commission C4 "World Heritage & Astronomy" identifies the cultural and astronomical values in a comparative analysis in order to assess the "Outstanding Universal Value" of observatories and archaeoastronomical sites with the aim to be nominated for inscription on the Unesco "World Heritage List" or on the "Outstanding Astronomical Heritage" (OAH) list. It also considers dark sky qualities of modern observatory sites. The IAU Division C Working Group "Star Names" does research on and makes catalogues of proper names for stars for the use by the international astronomical community and also to aid the recognition and preservation of intangible astronomical heritage. Both research associations aim to document, preserve and communicate heritage - material culture (tangible) as well as intellectual (intangible) heritage.

In this splinter, we would like to collect analyses of different habits and activities within the community of astronomers, namely the cultures of astronomy. Focus will be on analysing various data-sets to gain insight into particular 'astronomer's cultures' and their influence on the culture of the surrounding society as well as on the astronomical community.

!This splinter is dedicated to digital and computational humanities. Please submit only proposals for data-driven and more global studies, e.g. comparisons of more than culture or whole sets of observatories or instruments of a certain type. This is not a conference for the presentations of one individual building or landscape feature per talk!

Susanne M. Hoffmann and Gudrun Wolfschmidt

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September 14, 2021

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Session 1: 09:00-11:00 h
Philological Approaches on various "Sky Cultures", e.i. Star Names and Constellation Names

• 09:05 h -- Wayne Horowitz (Jerusalem) & Susanne M. Hoffmann (Jena):
  The Babylonian constellation of APIN
• 09:20 h -- Jessica Gullberg, Susanne M. Hoffmann (Jena), Steven R. Gullberg (Oklahoma):
  Stellarium Sky Cultures: Painting Babylonian
• 09:35 h -- Michael Geymeier, Doris Vickers (Vienna) & Susanne Hoffmann (Jena):
  Constellation Cetus: Whale or Monster?
• 09:50 h -- Break
• 10:00 h -- Venketeswara R. Pai & B. S. Shylaja (Bangalore, India):
  Star Names in Sanskrit Astronomical literature
• 10:15 h -- Daniel Cunnama, Kerry Jones, Betta Steyn (SAAO, Rhodes University, University of Stellenbosch):
  Inspiration and Engagement with Astronomy Through Khoi and San Starlore
• 10:30 h -- Doris Vickers (Vienna), Georg Zotti (Vienna), Rüdiger Schultz (Vienna) & Susanne M. Hoffmann (Jena):
  Ancient Skies and Stellarium - Making Cultural Astronomical Information easily accessible

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September 15, 2021

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Session 2: 14:00-15:45 h
Star Catalogues, Sky Cultures, Observatories

• 14:05 h -- B. S. Shylaja & Venketeswara R. Pai (Bangalore, India):
  Star names in Indian culture - a search leading to their evolution
• 14:20 h -- Jeanette Fincke (Leiden), Wayne Horowitz (Jerusalem) & Susanne M Hoffmann (Jena):
  The Babylonian GU-text
• 14:35 h -- Break
• 14:40 h -- Asterios-Evangelos Kechagias (Jerusalem) & Susanne M. Hoffmann (Jena):
  Intercultural Misunderstandings triggered some Transformations of Constellations
• 14:55 h -- Susanne M. Hoffmann (Jena):
  Comparison of Stellarium Sky Cultures
• 15:10 h -- Break
• 15:15 h -- Gudrun Wolfschmidt (Hamburg):
  Cultural Heritage of Observatories - IAU List "Outstanding Astronomical Heritage"

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September 16, 2021

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Session 3: 16:15-18:00 h
Databases and Archeaological Studies

• 16:15 h -- Anna Jerratsch (Berlin):
  Imagining the Heavens in the Digital Age
• 16:30 h -- Doris Vickers (Vienna), Georg Zotti (Vienna), Rüdiger Schultz (Vienna) & Susanne Hoffmann (Jena):
  Ancient Skies and Stellarium - Making Cultural Astronomical Information easily accessible
• 16:45 h -- Break
• 16:50 h -- Tim Karberg & Jana Eger-Karberg (Münster):
  Astronomical Significance of non-elite burials in the Bayuda region in late anitquity and the medieval period
• 17:05 h -- Steven R. Gullberg (Oklahoma):
  The Significance of Solstices in the Inca Empire
• 17:20 h -- Break
• 17:25 h -- Gerd Graßhoff (Berlin):
  Astronomical significance of Kreisgrabenanlagen
• 17:40 h -- Björn Kunzmann (Hamburg):
  Pickering's "A Plan for Securing Observations of the Variable Stars"
  and its Influence on Astronomy and Culture

1. Daniel Cunnama, Kerry Jones, Betta Steyn (SAAO, Rhodes University, University of Stellenbosch):
   Inspiration and Engagement with Astronomy Through Khoi and San Starlore
2. Jeanette Fincke (Leiden), Wayne Horowitz (Jerusalem) & Susanne M. Hoffmann (Jena):
   The Babylonian GU-text
3. Michael Geymeier, Doris Vickers (Vienna) & Susanne M. Hoffmann (Jena):
   Constellation Cetus: Whale or Monster?
4. Steven R. Gullberg (Oklahoma):
   The Significance of Solstices in the Inca Empire
5. Jessica Gullberg, Susanne M. Hoffmann (Jena), Steven R. Gullberg (Oklahoma):
   Stellarium Sky Cultures: Painting Babylonian
6. Gerd Graßhoff (Berlin):
   Astronomical significance of Kreisgrabenanlagen
7. Susanne M. Hoffmann (Jena):
   Comparison of Stellarium Sky Cultures
8. Wayne Horowitz (Jerusalem) & Susanne M. Hoffmann (Jena):
   The Babylonian constellation of APIN
9. Anna Jerratsch (Berlin):
   Imagining the Heavens in the Digital Age
10. Tim Karberg & Jana Eger-Karberg (Münster):
    Astronomical Significance of non-elite burials in the Bayuda region in late anitquity and the medieval period
11. Asterios-Evangelos Kechagias (Jerusalem) & Susanne M. Hoffmann (Jena):
    Intercultural Misunderstandings triggered some Transformations of Constellations
12. Björn Kunzmann (Hamburg):
    Pickering's "A Plan for Securing Observations of the Variable Stars"
13. Venketeswara R. Pai (Pune, India) & B. S. Shylaja (Bangalore, India):
    Star Names in Sanskrit Astronomical literature
14. B. S. Shylaja (Bangalore, India) & Venketeswara R. Pai (Pune, India):
    Star names in Indian culture - a search leading to their evolution
15. Doris Vickers (Vienna):
    Maximilian Hell's contributions to the quarrel about the naming of the planet Uranus
16. Doris Vickers (Vienna), Georg Zotti (Vienna), Rüdiger Schultz (Vienna) & Susanne M. Hoffmann (Jena):
    Ancient Skies and Stellarium - Making Cultural Astronomical Information easily accessible
17. Gudrun Wolfschmidt (Hamburg):
    Cultural Heritage of Observatories - IAU List "Outstanding Astronomical Heritage"