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Keplerâs New Star (1604)
Context and Controversy
Series: - Medieval and Early Modern Philosophy and Science, Volume: 31
Volume Editor:
The supernova of 1604 marks a major turning point in the cosmological crisis of the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. Capturing the eyes and imagination of Europe, it ignited an explosion of ideas that forever changed the face of science. Variously interpreted as a comet or star, the new luminary brought together a broad network of scholars who debated the nature of the novelty and its origins in the universe. At the heart of the interdisciplinary discourse was Johannes Kepler, whose book On the New Star (1606) assessed the many disputes of the day. Beginning with several studies about Keplerâs book, the authors of the present volume explore the place of Kepler and the ânew starâ in early modern culture and religion, and how contemporary debate shaped the course of science down to the present day.
Contributors are: (1) Dario Tessicini, (2) Christopher M. Graney, (3) Javier Luna, (4) Patrick J. Boner, (5) Jonathan Regier, (6) Aviva Rothman, (7) Miguel Ã. Granada, (8) Pietro Daniel Omodeo, (9) Matteo Cosci, and (10) William P. Blair.
Contributors are: (1) Dario Tessicini, (2) Christopher M. Graney, (3) Javier Luna, (4) Patrick J. Boner, (5) Jonathan Regier, (6) Aviva Rothman, (7) Miguel Ã. Granada, (8) Pietro Daniel Omodeo, (9) Matteo Cosci, and (10) William P. Blair.
Patrick J. Boner, Ph.D. in History and Philosophy of Science (2007), is a Visiting Scholar at the Catholic University of America. He is the author of several studies, including Keplerâs Cosmological Synthesis: Astrology, Mechanism and the Soul (Brill, 2013).
"[...] this rich collection is an important contribution to understanding the undercurrents that shaped early modern pre-telescopic astronomy. Bringing together questions relating to astronomical measurements, theories of astrological influences, metaphysical speculations, and the broader social and cultural contexts of early modern science will undoubtedly open new venues for historiographical research." - Raz Chen-Morris, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, in: Journal for the History of Astronomy 2023, Vol. 54(3) 360â62
"Ten contributing authors (including Boner) explore topics such as the astrological implications of Kepler's discovery, the nature of stars (e.g., scintillation caused by crystalline structure), correspondence among Italian scientists indicating how ideas about new celestial discoveries were exchanged and debated, and in the concluding chapter the scientific legacy of Kepler's supernova. With its extensive footnotes, 25-page bibliography, and indexes of persons and places, this volume is for experts and mature astronomy enthusiasts." - M.-K. Hemenway, (formerly) University of Texas at Austin, in: CHOICE, April 2022, Vol. 59, No. 8
"Ten contributing authors (including Boner) explore topics such as the astrological implications of Kepler's discovery, the nature of stars (e.g., scintillation caused by crystalline structure), correspondence among Italian scientists indicating how ideas about new celestial discoveries were exchanged and debated, and in the concluding chapter the scientific legacy of Kepler's supernova. With its extensive footnotes, 25-page bibliography, and indexes of persons and places, this volume is for experts and mature astronomy enthusiasts." - M.-K. Hemenway, (formerly) University of Texas at Austin, in: CHOICE, April 2022, Vol. 59, No. 8
List of Figures
List of Abbreviations
Notes on Contributors
Introduction
1 Straight Paths and Evanescent Bodies: The Physics and Dynamics of Celestial Novelties in Keplerâs De stella nova
âDario Tessicini
2 Of Mites and Men (and Stars): Kepler on the Question of Star Sizes in De Stella Nova
âChristopher M. Graney
3 The Measure of the Universe in De stella nova
âJavier Luna
4 Celestial Novelty and the Science of the Stars: Kepler vs. Krabbe on Accuracy and Authority in Early Modern Germany
âPatrick J. Boner
5 Stars, Crystals and Courts: Johannes Kepler and Anselmus Boëtius de Boodt
âJonathan Regier
6 Keplerâs Astrological Play
âAviva Rothman
7 The Nova of 1600 in Cygnus and the Christianization of the Constellations
âMiguel Ã. Granada
8 Epicurean Astronomy? Atomistic and Corpuscular Stars in Keplerâs Century
âPietro Daniel Omodeo
9 The Correspondence of Clavius, Dal Monte, Magini and Other Italian Astronomers on The Nova of 1604
âMatteo Cosci
10 The Scientific Legacy of Keplerâs âStella Novaâ
âWilliam P. Blair
Bibliography
Index
List of Abbreviations
Notes on Contributors
Introduction
1 Straight Paths and Evanescent Bodies: The Physics and Dynamics of Celestial Novelties in Keplerâs De stella nova
âDario Tessicini
2 Of Mites and Men (and Stars): Kepler on the Question of Star Sizes in De Stella Nova
âChristopher M. Graney
3 The Measure of the Universe in De stella nova
âJavier Luna
4 Celestial Novelty and the Science of the Stars: Kepler vs. Krabbe on Accuracy and Authority in Early Modern Germany
âPatrick J. Boner
5 Stars, Crystals and Courts: Johannes Kepler and Anselmus Boëtius de Boodt
âJonathan Regier
6 Keplerâs Astrological Play
âAviva Rothman
7 The Nova of 1600 in Cygnus and the Christianization of the Constellations
âMiguel Ã. Granada
8 Epicurean Astronomy? Atomistic and Corpuscular Stars in Keplerâs Century
âPietro Daniel Omodeo
9 The Correspondence of Clavius, Dal Monte, Magini and Other Italian Astronomers on The Nova of 1604
âMatteo Cosci
10 The Scientific Legacy of Keplerâs âStella Novaâ
âWilliam P. Blair
Bibliography
Index
This study will appeal primarily to specialists and students of the history of science and early modern Europe (1500â1700). Spanning several countries and cultures, it will interest a wide variety of scholars.