THE ELECTRONIC JOURNAL OF
THE ASTRONOMICAL SOCIETY OF THE ATLANTIC
Volume 6, Number 1 - August 1994
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
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* ASA Membership and Article Submission Information
* A Review of EARLY ASTRONOMY - Julian A. Smith
* A Review of GEOMETRICAL AND STATISTICAL METHODS OF ANALYSIS
OF STAR CONFIGURATIONS: DATING PTOLEMY'S ALMAGEST
- Julian A. Smith
* Benjamin Banneker - Geoffrey S. Baker
* Historic Oella, Maryland's Benjamin Banneker Memorial 5K Run
* Working Group and Newsletters for the History of Astronomy
- Wolfgang R. Dick
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ASA MEMBERSHIP INFORMATION
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Submissions are welcome for consideration. Articles submitted,
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by the Astronomical Society of the Atlantic, Incorporated.
A REVIEW OF EARLY ASTRONOMY
by Julian A. Smith
EARLY ASTRONOMY (New York: Springer-Verlag, 1994, 258 pages
plus index) is a remarkably sure-footed summary of the history of
mathematical astronomy in the pre-telescopic era. Ten chapters
explain the astronomical work of prehistoric Man, the Megalithic
builders, Babylonia, Egypt, China, Ancient Greece, India, Islam, the
Mayans, and the European Renaissance. Written by University of
British Columbia mathematician and historian of astronomy Hugh
Thurston, EARLY ASTRONOMY is especially strong in its technical and
mathematical detail. No mere summary of astronomical concepts through
the ages, Thurston's book includes almost two hundred geometrical
diagrams that explain in detail the mathematical theories behind them,
including Megalithic alignments, Babylon's "system A" and "system B"
astronomy, Eudoxus' homocentric spheres, Hipparchus' theory of
deferents and epicycles, and so on.
A similar attention to detail is given in Thurston's consideration
of astronomical devices. Though this is emphatically not a history of
instrumentation, EARLY ASTRONOMY differs from many general histories
of astronomy by describing the mathematical workings of meridian arcs,
quadrants, and armillaries in some depth.
It is curious that while Thurston does devote chapters to both
Arabic Astronomy and the Renaissance, he avoids any description of
astronomy in Medieval Europe. This is a regrettable omission, given
the historical predecessors of Copernicus, and the ample scholarship
in this area (interested readers might look at the works of Pierre
Duhem, Olaf Pedersen, Edward Grant, Lynn Thorndike, David Lindberg,
and many more, in this connection).
There are other lacunae in the text. In Thurston's discussion
of the origin of star nomenclature (pages 1-4), Richard Allen's
(1838-1908) helpful classic STAR NAMES, THEIR LORE AND MEANING (New
York: Dover, 1963) is left out. Similarly, Thurston alludes to the
Ishango bones (page 53), possibly the earliest astronomical instrument
of all, but does not describe them further. He follows Otto
Neugebauer's thorough HISTORY OF ANCIENT MATHEMATICAL ASTRONOMY (New
York: Springer-Verlag, 1975) in several respects, including his abrupt
dismissal of Egyptian astronomy in two pages (pages 82-83). Yet given
recent archaeological and historical research on Egyptian instrumen-
tation and iconography, surely more could have been done here.
Regarding Arabic astronomy, Thurston says that "we are in sore
need of a general study of Arabic astronomy by a specialist" (page
251). Yet there are several Variorum editions that cover this area in
some depth, including David A. King's new compilations, ASTRONOMY IN
THE SERVICE OF ISLAM (Aldershot, Hampshire: Variorum, 1993), ISLAMIC
ASTRONOMICAL INSTRUMENTS (London: Variorum, 1987), and ISLAMIC
MATHEMATICAL ASTRONOMY (London: Variorum, 1986; rev. ed. 1993).
Only six pages are given to Arabic astronomy from al-Khwarizmi (ca.800-
ca.847) to Ulugh Beg (1394-1449). A summary of King's research would
have allowed this chapter to be considerably extended.
Even so, Thurston has managed to pack a great deal of information
into the 258 pages of this text. What has been lost in scope (Egypt,
Medieval Europe, Islam) has been partially made up by the detailed
mathematical analysis of Greek and Renaissance Astronomy. Thurston is
particularly thorough in his study of Ptolemy's ALMAGEST. He concurs
with R. R. Newton's assertions in THE CRIME OF CLAUDIUS PTOLEMY
(Baltimore: Johns Hopkins, 1977) that Ptolemy invented or modified
others' observations to get his results; and he explains how Ptolemy
borrowed both theory and data from Hipparchus. There are six
appendices, which amplify the mathematical techniques employed by
the two Greek astronomers. EARLY ASTRONOMY contains a helpful if
incomplete bibliography, but there is a thorough index.
EARLY ASTRONOMY is quite good at refuting common astronomical
myths and legends. The widely-quoted tale of the "incredibly accurate
Mayan calendar" is debunked; so are many of the hoary old myths
surrounding Stonehenge. While you may not always agree with
Thurston's claims, you will certainly find his analysis to be
interesting and thought-provoking. This is a useful summary of
pre-telescopic mathematical astronomy, and a useful "companion volume"
to more general histories of the field, such as those of J. L. E.
Dreyer or Anton Pannekoek.
Related EJASA Articles -
"Did Kepler Fake the Evidence?", by Ken Poshedly - May 1990
"Sir William Herschel and the Natural History of the Heavens",
by Keith M. Parsons - June 1991
"Solar Eclipses in History", by Ken Poshedly - July 1991
"Astronomy in Ancient Mesopotamia", by Stacey Abrams - September 1991
"Marcus Manilius and Ancient Astronomy", by Ian Bacon - June 1993
"A History of the Study of Planetary Nebulae and Basic Models
of Their Formation", by Curtis A. Deer - February 1994
About the Author -
Julian A. Smith was born in 1961 in Luton, England. Julian has
been interested in astronomy since his father, a physician, made the
"mistake" of giving him a telescope for Christmas the year *before*
he gave Julian a microscope (thus hooking him on astronomy and not
medicine). Julian received his B.Sc. and M.A. in astronomy/history of
science at the University of Toronto. He is now doing his Ph.D. in
the history of science at the Institute for the History and Philosophy
of Science and Technology at the University of Toronto. Currently
Julian is teaching history of science at Ryerson Polytechnic
University in Toronto.
_________________________________________________________________________
(_)_______________________________________________________________________)
| Julian A. Smith (jsm...@epas.utoronto.ca or ih...@epas.utoronto.ca) |
| Institute for the History and Philosophy of Science and Technology |
| University of Toronto voice: (416) 978-5047 fax: (416) 978-3003 |
| Department of History, Ryerson Polytechnical University |
| 350 Victoria Street, Toronto, Ontario voice: (416) 979-6203 |
| Editor, HOST: An Electronic History of Science and Technology Journal |
| "Nam et ipsa scientia potestas est" " Knowledge itself is power." |
| -Francis Bacon (1561-1626), _Religious Meditations_ |
|_______________________________________________________________________|_
(_)_______________________________________________________________________)
A REVIEW OF GEOMETRICAL AND STATISTICAL METHODS OF
ANALYSIS OF STAR CONFIGURATIONS: DATING PTOLEMY'S ALMAGEST
by Julian A. Smith
Almost all astronomers can tell you the basic "facts"
surrounding Claudius Ptolemy (ca. 100-170 A.D.) and his famous
ALMAGEST. Historians rightly consider Ptolemy to be one of the
most significant astronomers of antiquity. His compilation of
several centuries of Greek astronomy in the 13-book ALMAGEST
served as the principal astronomical reference work in Europe
and Arabia for well over one thousand years.
Recently, however, many questions have been raised about Ptolemy's
astronomical "achievement". R. R. Newton's controversial THE CRIME OF
CLAUDIUS PTOLEMY (Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press, 1977)
argued that Ptolemy falsified many of his observations. Newton said
the ALMAGEST contains data that does not match what observers would
have seen in Alexandria in the Second Century A.D.. According to
Newton, the ALMAGEST tells "the story of a scientific crime...a crime
committed by a scientist against his fellow scientists and scholars,
a betrayal of the ethics and integrity of the profession that has
forever deprived mankind of fundamental information about an important
area of astronomy and history...[Ptolemy] is the most successful fraud
in the history of science" (pages xiii, 379). Not surprisingly, THE
CRIME OF CLAUDIUS PTOLEMY provoked a firestorm of scholarly debate,
and prompted a new examination of the ALMAGEST and its author.
Very little is known with certainty about Ptolemy. ALMAGEST
translator and editor G. J. Toomer admits that "our meager knowledge
of Ptolemy's life is based mostly on deductions from his surviving
works, supplemented by some dubious information from authors of late
antiquity and Byzantine times" (Toomer, "Ptolemy", DICTIONARY OF
SCIENTIFIC BIOGRAPHY, 11, 186). Even so, virtually all historians
agree that Ptolemy lived and worked in Alexandria during the reigns
of the Roman Emperors Hadrian and Antonius, making his astronomical
observations there during the period to be 127-141 A.D..
Now, however, a new book has suggested a radically different
picture of Ptolemy. GEOMETRIC AND STATISTICAL METHODS OF ANALYSIS
OF STAR CONFIGURATIONS: DATING PTOLEMY'S ALMAGEST (Boca Raton,
Florida: CRC Press, 1993, 293 pages plus index), by the Russian
academicians Vladimir V. Kalashnikov, G. V. Nosovsky, and A. T.
Fomenko, says what most historians would find unthinkable: That
Ptolemy did not observe in the Second Century A.D. and the ALMAGEST
ascribed to him was really written by a collection of anonymous
astronomers during the Medieval era, probably around 900-1000 A.D.!
How do the authors justify such an outrageous claim? They
subject the star catalogue in the ALMAGEST to an elaborate series of
mathematical and statistical analyses, in an attempt to determine the
date of its creation by studying the proper motions of its stars.
Their basic method is fairly simple. All stars move through space
with respect to the Sun and the star's accumulated motion over time
across the celestial sphere is known as its "proper motion". For
example, Sirius, the brightest star, has a proper motion of 1".33 of
arc every year. Now suppose you compared the current position of
Sirius with its place on an undated chart and found them to vary by,
say, 25'50". Since that difference equals one thousand annual
increments of 1".33, we could conclude that the undated chart would
be approximately one thousand years old, and would have been created
about 1000 A.D..
Of course, this is a highly simplified explanation of their
technique. Fomenko, Kalashnikov, and Nosovsky have to make allowances
for the fact that the very identities of the stars in the ALMAGEST's
charts are not always well known; that some stars have been measured
more carefully than others; that atmospheric refraction, precession,
and other phenomena have altered the apparent positions of Ptolemy's
stars; that Ptolemy may have introduced errors of latitude and
longitude in his observations, and so on. These difficulties
transform an otherwise simple set of proper motion calculations into
an elaborate collection of mathematical and statistical analyses and
introduce many possibilities for error. Most importantly, however,
they change the relative age of the ALMAGEST, leading Fomenko,
Kalashnikov, and Nosovsky to assign dates for its composition, ranging
anywhere between 600-1300 A.D. (page 153), with the era 900-1000 A.D.
being most likely (page 168).
Even so, a period of 600-1300 A.D. is still long after the
traditional date for the ALMAGEST and is sure to provoke much
criticism. How well does their analysis stand up? To begin with,
while their technique of "proper motions" does provide good results
in their 1510-1620 dating (page 182) of the Tycho Brahe (1546-1601)
catalogue (the true period is 1570-1600), it is by no means clear that
we can compare the data of so careful an observational astronomer as
Tycho with the more theoretical and mathematical Ptolemy. It is
hardly surprising that their dating of the star catalogues of Tycho,
Johannes Hevelius (1611-1687), and Ulugh Beg (1394-1449) works well,
for these were made fairly close to our modern era (between the
Fifteenth and Seventeenth Centuries) by careful observers. Ptolemy's
accuracy, however, is by no means so clear.
Secondly, DATING PTOLEMY'S ALMAGEST, though strong on mathematical
techniques, is weak on historical analysis. If the ALMAGEST's star
catalog was really created around 900-1000 A.D., why is it cited,
mentioned, discussed, and revised by astronomers before that date?
Fomenko, Kalashnikov, and Nosovsky devote almost no attention to the
mass of historical scholarship discussing reactions to Ptolemy in the
Dark Ages, Islam, and the early Medieval period.
Thirdly, the authors' use of mathematics sometimes ironically
works against them. By changing the parameters of their equations
a small amount, they often get quite large variations, pushing
calculated dates for the ALMAGEST catalogue to back to 50 B.C. (page
57), 500 A.D. (page 166-168), and even hopeless values like 2350 B.C.
(page 164)! That final value was derived by using longitudes, a
method they justly conclude is "apparently senseless" (page 164).
Still, such wide variations in dates might well lead the reader to
wonder just how certain their 900-1000 A.D. interval really is.
Finally, DATING PTOLEMY'S ALMAGEST introduces problems into the
chronology of the history of science that even the authors might find
hard to explain away. For example, in their "addendum", Fomenko,
Kalashnikov, and Nosovsky suggest that "possibly, Hipparchus and
Ptolemy are astronomers who really existed and were separated by
approximately 200 to 300 years (as is presumed in the traditional
chronology). However, the time of their lives should be displaced
to the future by 1,000 or 1,300 years. Possibly, the activities of
Hipparchus should be attributed to about the 10th-11th centuries, and
Ptolemy's to the 13th-14th centuries. The ALMAGEST was printed soon
after it was finally written in the 14th-15th centuries" (page 278).
Even ignoring the considerable Ptolemaic manuscript evidence prior
to 1200, what are we to make of the reassigning of Hipparchus (fl.
147-127 B.C.) to 900 A.D.? Later on, for example, DATING PTOLEMY'S
ALMAGEST admits that Hipparchus' work is discussed by "the famous
Roman historian Pliny (traditionally attributed to 23-79 A.D.)" (page
280). Either Pliny explained the work of an astronomer not yet born,
or he, too, needs to be "relocated" to the Medieval period, with fatal
consequences. The impact of moving this widely-cited author to the
Medieval period would be rather dramatic, to say the least, affecting
everything from the date of the eruption of Mount Vesuvius and the
burial of Pompeii (79 A.D.) to the dates of Roman Emperors Nero
(37-68 A.D.) and Titus (39-81 A.D.).
Some of these problems could have potentially been corrected in
the editing process. Unfortunately, the editing of this book leaves
much to be desired. It seems to have been done with much haste. The
text is full of examples of poor English usage, including misplaced
and inappropriate articles, fractured syntax, run-on sentences,
misplaced modifiers, and so on. For example, we are told that
Pythagoras "was born in the beginning of the 6th century B.C., and
died in its end or about" (page 247). Later on, the authors say that
"it is believed today that for three centuries after the death of
Hipparchus, the history of astronomy is as if covered by the gloom of
centuries of stagnation, in which mainly the discoveries of Hipparchus
spread and were popularized" (page 251).
The reader is further informed that "the astronomic knowledge was
at such a high level in the antique society that it reveals on various
occasions, some things of greater nonscientific nature" (page 251).
After Ptolemy, "then an overall blank space begins, and still many
centuries passed before a revival of interest to astronomy...the
best minds of the era were buried in theology, if not in practical
activities" (page 253). Finally, in the "rapid independent blossoming
forth of European astronomy" in the Sixteenth and Seventeenth
Centuries (page 259), "the first measurement of the Earth was made,
which was a decisive step in comparison with the measurements made
by Greeks and Arabs" (page 260). There are many more examples of
ambiguity and confusion; while the careful reader can usually figure
out exactly what is being argued, these difficulties of syntax and
style are irritating, to say the least.
There are also many typographical irregularities, particularly
in proper names. "Herbert" is obviously Gerbert of Aurilac, Pope
Sylvester II (ca. 945-1003 A.D.), "Nicholas of Horem" should be
Nicholas Oresme (ca. 1325-1382), "Nicholas of Kues" is Nicholas of
Cusa (1401-1464), and Tycho Brahe's "isle Gwain" is the Danish island
of Hven (pages 256-259). More careful proofing could have eliminated
many of these problems.
With all of these difficulties, what can we conclude about DATING
PTOLEMY'S ALMAGEST? In short, thought Fomenko, Kalashnikov, and
Nosovsky have presented an interesting and thought-provoking technique
for dating star catalogues, they have not built a satisfactory case
for changing the "traditional chronology" of Ptolemy. Their "evidence"
is both insufficient and contradictory, and needs much more work.
To satisfy the critics, they will have to smooth out some of the
mathematical "anomalies", explain the contradictory problems of
chronology (how can Ancient Roman historians cite Medieval
astronomers?) and answer the historical citations of the ALMAGEST
catalogue prior to 900-1000 A.D..
Even so, DATING PTOLEMY'S ALMAGEST does at least present a new
approach to this type of problem and offers a potentially powerful
technique for the study of other star catalogues. Though readers
will clearly not be willing to rewrite the history of astronomy to
accommodate a medieval Ptolemy, they will find the authors' method of
analysis interesting and informative.
Related EJASA Articles -
"Did Kepler Fake the Evidence?", by Ken Poshedly - May 1990
"Sir William Herschel and the Natural History of the Heavens",
by Keith M. Parsons - June 1991
"Solar Eclipses in History", by Ken Poshedly - July 1991
"Astronomy in Ancient Mesopotamia", by Stacey Abrams - September 1991
"Marcus Manilius and Ancient Astronomy", by Ian Bacon - June 1993
"A History of the Study of Planetary Nebulae and Basic Models
of Their Formation", by Curtis A. Deer - February 1994
About the Author -
Julian A. Smith was born in 1961 in Luton, England. Julian has
been interested in astronomy since his father, a physician, made the
"mistake" of giving him a telescope for Christmas the year *before*
he gave Julian a microscope (thus hooking him on astronomy and not
medicine). Julian received his B.Sc. and M.A. in astronomy/history of
science at the University of Toronto. He is now doing his Ph.D. in
the history of science at the Institute for the History and Philosophy
of Science and Technology at the University of Toronto. Currently
Julian is teaching history of science at Ryerson Polytechnic
University in Toronto.
_________________________________________________________________________
(_)_______________________________________________________________________)
| Julian A. Smith (jsm...@epas.utoronto.ca or ih...@epas.utoronto.ca) |
| Institute for the History and Philosophy of Science and Technology |
| University of Toronto voice: (416) 978-5047 fax: (416) 978-3003 |
| Department of History, Ryerson Polytechnical University |
| 350 Victoria Street, Toronto, Ontario voice: (416) 979-6203 |
| Editor, HOST: An Electronic History of Science and Technology Journal |
| "Nam et ipsa scientia potestas est" " Knowledge itself is power." |
| -Francis Bacon (1561-1626), _Religious Meditations_ |
|_______________________________________________________________________|_
(_)_______________________________________________________________________)
BENJAMIN BANNEKER
by Geoffrey S. Baker
Benjamin Banneker (1731-1806) was America's first African-American
man of science. He was a self-educated astronomer and mathematician
who lived most of his life on a very modest tobacco farm located in
what is now the community of Oella, Maryland.
Banneker was born in 1731. His grandmother, an English woman who
had been an indentured servant, was his first teacher. Recognizing his
quick mind and memory, she arranged for him to attend a nearby school.
Although Banneker had to leave school as soon he was old enough to
work on his father's farm, he pursued education throughout his life.
After a day in the fields, Banneker often spent his evenings
studying higher mathematics and the physical sciences. At the age of
21, he constructed an accurate wooden clock after studying the gears
of a pocket watch. Using only the simplest tools, but directed by his
mathematical understanding and his mechanical skills, he created a
clockwork of wooden wheels and gears that was not merely a re-creation
of the watch he had studied.
In the 1780s, Banneker formed a close relationship with George
Ellicott, a member of the Ellicott family who had established a nearby
flour mill. Ellicott, a young surveyor, shared an interest in
astronomy with Banneker and he loaned Banneker a telescope, drafting
instruments, and astronomy books. With those tools, Banneker learned
how to accurately predict and diagram the paths of the Sun, the Moon,
and the planets.
Banneker's abilities and accomplishments as an astronomer became
so well known that in 1791, when in his sixties, he was invited to
join a team commissioned by President George Washington to survey the
boundaries of the District of Columbia. Banneker maintained the
astronomical clock that was essential for the accurate surveying of
the initial reference lines that were the bases for all remaining
measurements.
Following that expedition he completed work on an almanac for the
mid-Atlantic states. During that period of history, almanacs were
nearly essential scientific references for farmers who depended on
them for the times of sunrise and sunset and to determine planting
times. Banneker published his first almanac in late 1791, then
published a new almanac annually until 1797.
Banneker sent a copy of his almanac to Thomas Jefferson, then
Secretary of State. Jefferson sent it on to the Secretary of the
Academy of Sciences in Paris. At a time when slavery was common
in this country, Banneker, a free man, was celebrated by the
abolitionists because his accomplishments showed clearly that
ability and genius is not constrained by race or skin color.
Banneker died at his home in early October of 1806. His house
was destroyed by fire shortly after his death, but archaeological
excavations have uncovered the foundations of his cabin and a barn.
Today, much of Banneker's farm has been purchased by Baltimore County
to create an historic park honoring the achievements of this
African-American man of science.
Banneker's life illustrates what is possible when education as a
lifelong pursuit is coupled to a human spirit that refuses to accept
the possible limitations posed by limited circumstances.
For a detailed, accurate bibliography, read THE LIFE OF BENJAMIN
BANNEKER, by Silvio A. Bedini. Published by Scribner, New York, 1971.
Bedini's biography of Mr. Banneker may be purchased by sending a check
for $24.50 ($23.00 plus $1.50 for postage) to:
The Friends of Benjamin Banneker
c/o Mrs. Jean Walsh
717 Edmondson Avenue
Catonsville, MD 21228
U.S.A.
About the Author -
Geoffrey S. Baker is a 36 year-old freelance editorial photo-
grapher and runner living in Banneker's home town of Oella, Maryland.
Mr. Baker has run countless ten-kilometer (6.2-mile) races, six
marathons (26.2 miles), and three ultramarathons (fifty miles). He
was a founding member of the Prince George's (Maryland) Running Club
and the Greenbelt Park (MD) Track Club. Currently he is an active
runner in the Howard County (MD) Striders.
Mr. Baker created the memorial 5K race after reading THE LIFE
OF BENJAMIN BANNEKER by Silvio A. Bedini.
Special Note: There is a JPG (XV) image of Benjamin Banneker
available upon request in encoded format from Larry Klaes, EJASA Editor
(kl...@mtwain.enet.dec.com). The attribution for the illustration is:
Huey Lee Smith, Artist, Banneker-Douglas Museum, Annapolis, Maryland.
HISTORIC OELLA, MARYLAND'S BENJAMIN BANNEKER MEMORIAL 5K RUN
Come celebrate in the memory of the first African-American man of
science, Benjamin Banneker. As a largely self-taught mathematician
and astronomer, Banneker became nationally renowned for his partici-
pation in the 1791 survey of Washington, D.C.. Banneker is best known
for six almanacs published from 1792 to 1797. He has been acclaimed
also for his exchange of correspondence with Thomas Jefferson on the
equality of man and the "injustice of a State of Slavery."
In the Benjamin Banneker Memorial 5K Race, you will run through
history high above the babbling rapids of the Patapsco river and back
in time to the historic mill town of Oella, Maryland. A canopy of
trees in their fall splendor guides the way past Banneker's deeply
wooded homestead along the one-time #9 Trolley Line Trail. Racers'
footsteps will echo off the present day Wilkens-Rogers flour mill,
site of the Ellicott family's (founders of Ellicott City) first
milling operation.
You will be challenged by Oella's narrow, winding and hilly "main
street", site of the enduring W. J. Dickey and Sons woolen mill (now
occupied by artists' studios and art galleries). You will continue
past stone and brick row houses, some dating back to 1809, to finish
in the heart of Oella. After your run, linger awhile and enjoy our
old-fashioned mill village hospitality at Oella's Fall Festival and
Fair. Bring the family and spend the day with us.
Details: The race is limited to the first 250 entrants. It
will be held rain or shine at 8:00 a.m. on Saturday, October 1, 1994.
Race packet pickup and parking: 7:00 a.m. at the start/finish on
Westchester Ave. in Oella, MD (See directions below). Unique,
astronomy-related race premiums are guaranteed for the first 100
finishers. There will also be overall and random awards. Miles will
be marked and a large digital clock will be placed at the finish.
Water and facilities are provided at the start/finish. Oella Fall
Festival after the race. Optional T-shirts will be sold on race day
($10). For more information call Geoffrey Baker, Race Director, at
(410) 461-7291 (until 10 p.m.) or by E-Mail to 73740.3175 (CompuServe),
or 73740.3...@compuserve.com (Internet).
Registration: Tax deductible entry fee: $5 if postmarked by
September 12, 1994. Do not mail after the twelfth. Race day entries,
space permitting: $10. Confirmation by mail if entry is received in
time with SASE. Please print. Entry is not valid unless all
information is legible and waiver is signed. Make check or money
order payable to: BB 5K Race, Catonsville Recreation and Parks
Council.
Mail fee and entry form (below) to: BB 5K The Greater Oella
Community Association, P.O. Box 2242, Ellicott City, MD 21041
---------------------------------------------------
ENTRY FORM (PLEASE PRINT)
First Name______________________________________
Last Name_______________________________________
Address_________________________________________
City____________________________________________
State___________________________________________
Zip_________________________
Telephone (________)__________-_________________
Age on race day_________________________
Sex___________________________________
You MUST read, sign, and date the following waiver. NO EXCEPTIONS!
Release and Waiver of Liability, Assumption of Risk, and Indemnity
Agreement ("Agreement") in consideration for being permitted to
participate in any way in the Benjamin Banneker Memorial 5K on October
1, 1994, an event organized by the Greater Oella Community
Association, and run under the auspices of Catonsville Recreation and
Parks Council, I, for myself, my personal representatives, assigns,
heirs and next of kin:
1. ACKNOWLEDGE, agree and represent that I understand the nature
of Running Activities and that I am qualified to participate in such
Activity. I further acknowledge that the Activity will be conducted
over public roads and facilities open to the public during the
Activity and upon which the hazards of traveling are to be expected. I
further agree and warrant that if at any time I believe conditions to
be unsafe, I will immediately discontinue further participation in the
Activity.
2. UNDERSTAND that bicycles, skateboards, baby joggers, roller
skates or blades, animals, and radio headsets are not allowed in the
race and I will abide by this guideline.
3. FULLY UNDERSTAND that: (a) RUNNING ACTIVITIES INVOLVE RISKS AND
DANGERS OF SERIOUS BODILY INJURY, INCLUDING PERMANENT DISABILITY,
PARALYSIS AND DEATH ("RISKS"); (b) these Risks and dangers may be
caused by my own actions, or inactions, the actions or inactions of
others participating in the Activity, the condition in which the
Activity takes place, or THE NEGLIGENCE OF THE "RELEASES" NAMED BELOW;
(c) there may be OTHER RISKS AND SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC LOSSES either not
known to me or not readily foreseeable at this time; and I FULLY
ACCEPT AND ASSUME ALL SUCH RISKS AND RESPONSIBILITY FOR LOSSES, COSTS,
AND DAMAGES I incur as a result of my participation in the Activity.
4. HEREBY RELEASE, DISCHARGE, COVENANT NOT TO SUE AND AGREE TO
INDEMNIFY AND SAVE AND HOLD HARMLESS the Greater Oella Community
Association and Baltimore County, their administrators, officers,
volunteers, staff and agents and employees, other participants, and
any other sponsors, advertisers, and if applicable, owners and leasers
of premises on which the Activity takes place (each considered on the
"RELEASES" herein) FROM ALL LIABILITY, CLAIMS, DEMANDS, LOSSES, OR
DAMAGES ON MY ACCOUNT CAUSED OR ALLEGED TO BE CAUSED IN WHOLE OR IN
PART BY THE NEGLIGENCE OF THE "RELEASES" OR OTHERWISE, INCLUDING
NEGLIGENT RESCUE OPERATIONS.
I HAVE READ THIS AGREEMENT, FULLY UNDERSTAND ITS TERMS, UNDERSTAND
THAT I HAVE GIVEN UP SUBSTANTIAL RIGHTS BY SIGNING IT AND HAVE SIGNED
IT FREELY AND WITHOUT AND INDUCEMENT OR ASSURANCE OF ANY NATURE AND
INTEND IT TO BE A COMPLETE AND UNCONDITIONAL RELEASE OF ALL LIABILITY
TO THE GREATEST EXTENT ALLOWED BY LAW AND AGREE THAT IF ANY PORTION OF
THIS AGREEMENT IS HELD TO BE INVALID THE BALANCE, NOTWITHSTANDING,
SHALL CONTINUE IN FULL FORCE AND EFFECT.
Signature _____________________________
Date______________________
----------------------------------------------------------
Directions:
From DC: Route 95 north to exit 47 (route 166). Bear left on the
exit ramp to 166. 166 past UMBC, bear right at park & ride, to Rolling
Road towards Catonsville. Rolling Road to a T intersection with a
traffic light, turn left on Frederick Road (route 144). Frederick Road
2.8 miles to a right on Westchester Ave. (Directly across from the
very large Wilkens-Rogers flour mill). Westchester Ave. to race
parking on your left.
From Columbia: Route 29 north, exit at route 40 east
Ellicott City. At first light on route 40 turn right on Rogers Ave.
Rogers Ave. to first intersection. Turn right continuing on Rogers
Ave. At bottom of hill turn left on Frederick Ave. (Main Street). Main
Street down the hill through Historic Ellicott City, pass under the
train trestle, and head over the Patapsco River bridge. At the end of
the bridge take your second left on Westchester Ave. (Directly across
from the very large Wilkens-Rogers flour mill). Westchester Ave. to
race parking on your left.
From Towson: Baltimore beltway (695) south/west towards
Catonsville. Exit 15 to route 40 west (Baltimore National Pike). At
second light on route 40 turn left on Rolling road. Rolling road to
second light-turn right on Old Frederick road. Old Frederick to a
right on Oella Ave. (four way stop sign). Oella Ave. to a left on
Westchester Ave. Race parking is 100 yards up Westchester Ave. on
the right.
WORKING GROUP AND NEWSLETTERS FOR THE HISTORY OF ASTRONOMY
by Wolfgang R. Dick
A Working Group for the History of Astronomy was founded
during the Annual Meeting of the Astronomische Gesellschaft (AG),
the International Society for German-Speaking Astronomers, at Jena,
Germany on September 14, 1992.
Aims of the Working Group are:
- Organize scientific meetings
- Provide information about publications in the field of the
history of astronomy
- Undertake joint projects.
The working group is open for all who are interested. The
membership is independent from that in the AG and at present is
free of charge.
The working group publishes a six-page newsletter in the German
language ("Mitteilungen zur Astronomiegeschichte"), as well as special
issues with bibliographies. Outside Germany the newsletter is sent
free of charge at present.
In January of 1994 the working group started to issue an
electronic newsletter on the history of astronomy in the German
language called "Elektronische Mitteilungen zur Astronomiegeschichte"
(EMA). EMA is aimed to complete the printed newsletter. It contains
announcements of conferences, exhibitions, new books, and related
materials.
An English translation, "Electronic Newsletter for the History
of Astronomy" (ENHA), provided by Donald Bellunduno (Network address
is 76450.1...@CompuServe.COM) is available. Both newsletters are
distributed free of charge to all interested.
To be included into the mailing list of ENHA and/or EMA, please
send an E-Mail message to Wolfgang R. Dick at w...@potsdam.ifag.de
President of the WG: Prof. Dr. Peter Brosche, Observatorium Hoher
List der Sternwarte der Universitaet Bonn, D-54550 Daun, Germany,
Telephone: (++6592) 2150, Telefax: (++6592) 2937
Secretary: Dr. Wolfgang R. Dick, Institut fuer Angewandte Geodaesie,
Aussenstelle Potsdam, PF 60 08 08, D-14408 Potsdam, Germany,
Telephone: (++331) 316-619, E-Mail: w...@potsdam.ifag.de (Internet)
THE ELECTRONIC JOURNAL OF THE ASTRONOMICAL SOCIETY OF THE ATLANTIC
August 1994 - Vol. 6, No. 1
Copyright (c) 1994 - ASA
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