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From: George Huxtable (no email)
Date: Sat Sep 11 2004 - 18:30:03 EDT
Courtney Thomas wrote-
>I've recently been given "Spherical and Practical Astronomy" by
>Chauvenet [2 vols], which I've not yet read in.
>
>What are your thoughts on it ?
================
Courtney is a fortunate fellow to have a friend perceptive enough to make
such a gift.
For those unfamiliar with his work, William Chauvenet though having a
French surname, was an American astronomer, writing in English. He was
professor of mathematics and astronomy at Washington University, Saint
Louis. His great work, in 2 vols, was dated 1863; I have the 5th edition.
Each volume has 600-odd pages, with many engraved illustrations.
It's not for those who are squeamish abouth maths, however. Everything is
rigorous, and taken to a level of accuracy that's superfluous for
navigators, because Chauvenet is considering instruments and measurements
for astronomical and surveying, as well as navigational purposes. And
astronomy was the most precise of the sciences; still is.
He offers twenty-odd pages about sextants, which cover sources of possible
error I hadn't even conceived of, and an account of "circle" instruments,
in detail that I haven't seen elswhere. There are many pages about working
lunars; early use of the electric telegraph; everything you could ask for,
indeed. Much of volume 2 is concerned with astronomical instruments which
may only be of passing interest to navigators. He uses a simple way of
handling negative numbers using logs, that I haven't seen elsewhere. I
haven't detected any errors in the text (which does not imply there aren't
any).
Chauvenet's work was, I suggest, the first major step along the path which
early on brought the US to pre-eminence in the science of astronomy.
But Chauvenet is definitely not the sort of work you would wish to curl up
with beside the fire for an evening's read. It's there to consult, to dip
into when you have a topic to understand. You will find that it's clearly
written and unambiguous, but not easy going. If you find a copy you can
afford, buy it.
I think it has been republished by Dover, but don't have any details.
George.
================================================================
contact George Huxtable by email at , by phone at
01865 820222 (from outside UK, +44 1865 820222), or by mail at 1 Sandy
Lane, Southmoor, Abingdon, Oxon OX13 5HX, UK.
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