The NATO ARW on the problems of ground-based observations of Solar Eclipses was held in Sinaia (Romania) between 1 and 5 June 1996. The Workshop was divided into seven sessions, in which 17 papers were given, by key speakers, along with 30 oral presentations. Additionally, 30 posters were presented. This issue contains only the invited and oral papers. The posters are to be published in a special issue of the Romanian Astronomical Journal. The contributions were based on our present knowledge of solar corona physics and on the perspectives for future total eclipse observations, focussing especially on that of August 11, 1999, which will be the last eclipse of the century. The workshop sessions reviewed the results of past eclipse observations, coronal hot and cold structures, coronal heating, public education, and instrumental problems. At the end of the meeting a fruitful general discussion drew out problems to be studied and techniques to be used for forthcoming observations. Posters completed the workshop contributions.

Eclipses have long been seen as important celestial phenomena, whether as omens affecting the future of kingdoms, or as useful astronomical events to help in deriving essential parameters for theories of the motion of the moon and sun. This is the first book to collect together all presently known records of timed eclipse observations and predictions from antiquity to the time of the invention of the telescope. In addition to cataloguing and assessing the accuracy of the various records, which come from regions as diverse as Ancient Mesopotamia, China, and Europe, the sources in which they are found are described in detail. Related questions such as what type of clocks were used to time the observations, how the eclipse predictions were made, and how these prediction schemes were derived from the available observations are also considered. The results of this investigation have important consequences for how we understand the relationship between observation and theory in early science and the role of astronomy in early cultures, and will be of interest to historians of science, astronomers, and ancient and medieval historians.

On their 100th anniversary, the story of the extraordinary scientific expeditions that ushered in the era of relativity In 1919, British scientists led extraordinary expeditions to Brazil and Africa to test Albert Einstein's revolutionary new theory of general relativity in what became the century's most celebrated scientific experiment. The result ushered in a new era and made Einstein a global celebrity by confirming his dramatic prediction that the path of light rays would be bent by gravity. Today, Einstein's theory is scientific fact. Yet the effort to weigh light by measuring the gravitational deflection of starlight during the May 29, 1919, solar eclipse has become clouded by myth and skepticism. Could Arthur Eddington and Frank Dyson have gotten the results they claimed? Did the pacifist Eddington falsify evidence to foster peace after a horrific war by validating the theory of a German antiwar campaigner? In No Shadow of a Doubt, Daniel Kennefick provides definitive answers by offering the most comprehensive and authoritative account of how expedition scientists overcame war, bad weather, and equipment problems to make the experiment a triumphant success. The reader follows Eddington on his voyage to Africa through his letters home, and delves with Dyson into how the complex experiment was accomplished, through his notes. Other characters include Howard Grubb, the brilliant Irishman who made the instruments; William Campbell, the American astronomer who confirmed the result; and Erwin Findlay-Freundlich, the German whose attempts to perform the test in Crimea were foiled by clouds and his arrest. By chronicling the expeditions and their enormous impact in greater detail than ever before, No Shadow of a Doubt reveals a story that is even richer and more exciting than previously known.

In this illuminating guide to the criteria of rational theorizing, Michael Shepanski identifies, defends and applies W. V. Quine's epistemic norms – the norms that best explain Quine's decisions to accept some theories and not others. Parts I and II set out the doctrines of this epistemology, demonstrating their potential for philosophical application. Part III is a case study in which Shepanski develops a theory of the propositional attitudes by the method of formalizing inferences to behaviour. He presents critiques of popular alternative views, including foundationalism, the centrality of knowledge and Quine's own epistemological naturalism. By reassessing Quine's normative epistemology, Shepanski advances our understanding of Quine's philosophy whilst providing a guide for our own theorizing.

The aim of this Advanced Study Institute was to give an account on the most recent results obtained in solar research. Bucharest was chosen to host it, because the capital city of Romania was located right in the middle of the totality path of the last eclipse of the millennium, on 11th August 1999; furthermore the phenomenon was close to reach there its longest duration: 2m 23s. Such a total eclipse is not only a very spectacular event which draws the crowds: to astronomers, solar eclipses still offer the best conditions for observing the lower part of the corona. The Sun plays a crucial role in our very existence. It was responsible for the formation of the Earth, and rendered this planet fit to host living beings, providing the right amount of heat, and this for a long enough span of time. Quite understandably, it has always been a prime target of human curiosity, and more recently one of scientific investigation. During the last century, it was realized that the Sun is a star like billions of others; we learned since that it draws its energy from the nuclear fusion of hydrogen, and we are now able to estimate its age and life expectancy.

This book contains the proceedings of the Summerschool and Workshop Motions in the Solar Atmosphere held from September 1st to September 12th, 1997, at the Solar Observatory Kanzelh6he, which belongs to the Astronomical Institute of the University of Graz, Austria. This type of conference has proved to be very successful in bringing together experts from specialized topics in solar physics and young scientists and students from different countries. Moreover, the summerschool was accompanied by a workshop which offered young scientists the opportunity to present their new results to a general audience. In total the summerschool and the workshop were attended by 50 par ticipants from 10 different countries. The topic selected was quite general, covering the whole solar atmo sphere and its dynamic processes: from dynamo actions and large and small scale motions in the photosphere through the complex dynamics of the chro mosphere to the corona. Also the possible influences of variations in solar output parameters to the Earth's climate were addressed. The main lec tures were given by 7 lecturers. Furthermore, there were 20 contributions to the workshop which were presented in oral form. The selection of the Kanzelh6he Solar Observatory located in Central Europe, Austria, also permitted colleagues from the former eastern coun tries to attend the meeting. At the Kanzelh6he Observatory new instru ments had been recently installed so that the meeting provided a further stimulus for the local people working there.

With beautiful illustrations and a detailed map, Sun Moon Earth has everything you need to get ready for the next solar eclipse. On April 8, 2024, millions of Americans will experience an awe-inspiring phenomenon: a total eclipse of the sun. In Sun Moon Earth, astronomer Tyler Nordgren illustrates how this most seemingly unnatural of natural phenomena was transformed from a fearsome omen to a tourist attraction. From the astrologers of ancient China and Babylon to the high priests of the Maya, Sun Moon Earth takes us around the world to show how different cultures interpreted these dramatic events. Greek philosophers discovered eclipses' cause and used them to measure their world and the cosmos beyond. Victorian-era scientists mounted eclipse expeditions during the age of globe-spanning empires. And modern-day physicists continue to use eclipses to confirm Einstein's theory of relativity. Beautifully illustrated and lyrically written, Sun Moon Earth is the ideal guide for all eclipse watchers and star gazers alike.

On observations of total solar eclipse, May 28, 1900, effects on weather, shadow bands, relation between solar and terrestrial meteorology, and reference formulas; with detailed data.

Proceedings of the Monterey Workshop, held in Monterey, California, August 1999