Dr. Kutluay YÜCE

Course Code and Name: AST101 History of Astronomy

Course Content: Definitions and conceptions: Science, history of science. Birth of science, eras, method of science. Astronomy; study of field, connection of other natural sciences, universitality. Astronomical studies in ancient era: Mesopotamia, Egypt, Indian and Chinese cosmology. Apparent motions of the celestial objects, constellations, basic concepts in astronomy. Classical Greek civilization: Ionians (Thales, Anaximander, Anaximenes, Anaxagoras), Pythagoreans, school of Elea, other ideas, Hellenic period (Socrates, Plato, Eudoxus, Aristotle, Heraclides), Hellenitic period (Euclid, Aristarchus, Eratosthenes, Hipparchus). Greco-Roman period, Dark ages (Ptolemy). Islamic Astronomy: Habeş el-Hasib, Harezmi, Fergani, Sabit Bin Kurra, El Battani, El Sufi, Eb-ül Vefa, İbn-i Yunus, El Heysem, El Biruni, İbn-i Sina, El Zerkali, Ö. Hayyam. Observatories Ottomans. Renaissance period; the scholastics (Copernicus, Brahe, Kepler, Galilei, Huygens). Halley, Newton. Classical mechanics after Newton and nature of light, understanding of properties of the stars (parallax, spectrum, observations of variable stars). Turkish astronomy in republic era

Credits: National: 2 (2,0,0) – ECTS: 3

References:

– Tarih Boyunca Türklerde Gökbilim, 2008, Yavuz Unat, Kaynak Yayınları
– Astronomi Tarihi, 2001, Yavuz Unat, Nobel Yay. Dağ.
– Doğa Bilimleri Tarihi, 2001, Osman Gürel, İmge Kitabevi
– Babillerden Günümüze Kozmoloji, 2000, Halil Kırbıyık, İmge Y.
– Bilim Tarihi, 1997, Sevim Tekeli, Esin Kahya vd, Doruk Yay. (Bilim Tarihine Giriş, 1999, Nobel Yay. Dağ.)
– Bilim Tarihi, 1997, Cemal Yıldırım, Remzi Kitabevi
– Mısırlılarda ve Mezopotamyalılarda Matematik, Astronomi ve Tıp, 1991, Aydın Sayılı, Atatürk Kül. Mrk. Yay.47
– The Observatory in İslam, 1985, Aydın Sayılı
– Ortaçağ Bilim ve Tefekküründe Türklerin Yeri, 1998, Aydın Sayılı
– Various Secientific WEB sites on History of Astronomy