APOLOGIES FOR CROSS-POSTING
    
The annual convention of the {\it Astronomische Gesellschaft} will be taking   
place in G"ottingen this year under the rubric {\it NEW ASTROPHYSICAL  
HORIZONS}. At this occasion there will be a meeting of the History of  
Science Working Group (AK Astronomiegeschichte) on  
   
        Monday, September 20, 1999, probably beginning around 10 a.m. 

The Working Group's Organizing Committee has -- with the approval of the  
society's Local Organizing Committee -- chosen the following theme:  
    
     {\bf The history and function of nonverbal representations in research  
     practice in astronomy and astrophysics}  
    
  This primarily involves images or other forms of pictorial registration  
  (e.g., photos, video tapes) of observational data. Such records form an  
  integral part of the history of astronomy from its very beginnings down to  
  modern-day electronically manipulable CCD-imaging.  
    
  Other examples include: star-position charts, lunar maps, sunspot sketches  
  and photographs, spectral atlases, graphical data representations (such as  
  the Hertzsprung-Russell or Maunder diagrams), spectroheliograms, planet  
  drawings, images from satellites and outer space,, photometer curves,  
  and many more.  
    
  How direct is this graphic conversion by man or machine of the subject of  
  observation or registration? What problems emerge in the translation process?  
  How does the constant search for improvements in the representational form  
  develop? One instance is the rise of photography, which was welcomed  
  with the hope that henceforth `Nature herself' would become the recorder,  
  thus doing away with the problems of human bias and artistic deficiency  
  (Fox Talbot's `The Pencil of Nature', 1844).  
    
  In practice, though, the retouching of photographic prints was as  
  inescapable as the necessity of the observer to select the 'best' (also  
  aesthetically speaking) among the available images. Well into the 1890s,  
  lithography remained the preferred means in spectroscopy of depicting the  
  optical spectrum, despite its high production costs.  
  When does such a change in preference occur? What are the repercussions  
  in the research practice? What influence do external  
  technological developments have?  How did and how do astronomers and  
  astrophysicists interact with illustrators, engravers, lithographers,  
  photographers and other specialists in the graphic arts involved in the  
  drafting or finishing of their figures for publication or teaching?  
  What criteria are used in such reworking---are they really unassailable?  
  What heuristics are used to discriminate between fact and artefact?  
  What specifically happened in controversies over illustrations (like the one   about the notorious Martian canals), and what technical alternatives for  
  representations existed at the various times?      

  Aside from documenting observational results, images have other  
  functions as well: they must convince the reader or viewer, clarify  
  complicated processes by means of simplified illustration, or be  
  a mnemonic aid to the beginner in visualizing specific patterns.  
  How are and were the classes of stellar spectra or solar spots learned?  
  What role did pictures have in teaching?  
    
  Historical studies of astronomical and astrophysical representations  
  are our emphasis, but scientists in the field are also invited to think  
  about the current functions of imaging (e.g., unsharp masking, speckle  
  deconvolution or image compression) and the ever changing techniques used,  
  which inevitably will soon become part of history as well.  
    
  The conference language is English. Following a decision by the  
  society's board, a projected fee in the amount of about 30 DM  (15 Euro)
  will have to be charged to all those participants not registering to the 
  AG meeting.  
    
  Please direct any questions about the topic, offers to deliver  
  brief talks (together with a one-page English abstract, in  
  ASCII, LaTeX, Word95/97 saved as rtf file, or written by typewriter)  
  no later than  
    
                           May 31, 1999    
    
  to:  
    
  Dr.habil. Klaus Hentschel  
  Institute for History of Science  
  University of G"ottingen  
  Humboldtallee 11  
  D-37073 G\"ottingen  
  Tel. +(49)-551-398412  
  E-mail: [log in to unmask]  
    
    
  Organisational questions, technical requests, etc., please direct to:  
    
  Dr. Axel D. Wittmann  
  Universit"ats-Sternwarte  
  Geismarlandstr. 11  
  D-37083 G"ottingen  
  Tel. +(49)-551-395045  
  Fax. +(49)-551-395043  
  E-mail: [log in to unmask]  
    
    
  



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