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3. Augustus De Morgan, Astronomy and Almanacs

Chapter of: Augustus De Morgan, Polymath: New Perspectives on his Life and Legacy(pp. 56–80)

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Metadata
Title3. Augustus De Morgan, Astronomy and Almanacs
ContributorDaniel Belteki(author)
DOIhttps://doi.org/10.11647/obp.0408.03
Landing pagehttps://www.openbookpublishers.com/books/10.11647/obp.0408/chapters/10.11647/obp.0408.03
Licensehttps://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/
CopyrightDaniel Belteki
PublisherOpen Book Publishers
Published on2024-09-04
Long abstractAugustus De Morgan never identified himself as an astronomer, and blindness in one eye rendered him unable to make reliable observations with astronomical instruments. Yet he participated actively in the British astronomical community during the mid-nineteenth century, becoming involved as Secretary of the Royal Astronomical Society in major events and controversies that shaped both British and international astronomical practice during the 1840s, and making himself through his writings an authoritative ‘expounder and historian’ of astronomy and its instruments. This chapter revisits De Morgan’s interest in astronomy and his close relationships with leading astronomers of the nineteenth century. It discusses his activities as a writer, arguing that while he raised awareness of history’s forgotten and overlooked astronomers, his publications also reaffirmed the contemporary and historical boundaries of the astronomical community. Finally, it examines De Morgan’s writings about calendrical reforms and an apparent paradox regarding the determination of the date of Easter, to demonstrate how he combined his interests in antiquarianism, ecclesiastical and legal history with his knowledge of mathematics and astronomy to participate in a debate of interest to the wider public.
Page rangepp. 56–80
Print length25 pages
LanguageEnglish (Original)
Contributors

Daniel Belteki

(author)
Research Fellow on the Congruence Engine Project at Science Museum Group
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8152-6244

Daniel Belteki is a Research Fellow on the Congruence Engine Project at the Science Museum carrying out work on the applications of digital tools to the history of science and technology. His previous work focused on the history of astronomical instruments and the organisation of the astronomical community during the nineteenth century.

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