Thu, 27 Apr
|Mycenae House
Astronomy in the medieval world
by Dr Mike Leggett It is sometimes supposed that there was no astronomical activity in the Middle Ages, but during this time much of the foundations of modern astronomy were laid.
Time & Location
27 Apr 2023, 19:00 – 21:00
Mycenae House, 90 Mycenae Rd, London SE3 7SE, UK
About the Event
An overview of astronomers and astronomical knowledge from the 5th Century to the publication of Copernicus' On the Revolutions of Heavenly Spheres (in 1543), the talk begins with a review of the transmission of the Hellenistic astronomy of Ptolemy. Subjects covered include astronomy in India and Arabia, Anglo-Saxon England and Spain, as well as in the universities of Paris, Oxford and Bologna. Technological and other developments also influenced astronomy, including developments in optics, clocks, printing, and voyages of exploration by Italian and other navigators.
Bio:
As a founder member of the South Lincolnshire Astronomical and Geophysical Society in 1976, Dr Mike Leggett began to present astronomy talks for his local society. Since that time he has presented lectures for the British Interplanetary Society, at University of Aberdeen evening classes, for the Society for the History of Astronomy and to astronomical societies and other groups throughout the UK. He is currently Publicity Officer for the Milton Keynes Astronomical Society, for whom he has also served as Chairman and Secretary. A former Council Member and Publicity Officer for the Society for the History of Astronomy (SHA), he is currently county co-ordinator for Buckinghamshire, Lincolnshire, Norfolk and Rutland in the SHA survey of astronomical history of the UK.
A Fellow of the Royal Astronomical Society and a Fellow of the British Interplanetary Society, Dr Mike Leggett is also a member of the British Astronomical Association, the Society for Popular Astronomy, the National Space Society and the Planetary Society.