Description
Book SynopsisThe 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 Kepler’s book, the authors of the present volume explore the place of Kepler and the ‘new star’ 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 Á. Granada, (8) Pietro Daniel Omodeo, (9) Matteo Cosci, and (10) William P. Blair.
Table of ContentsList of Figures List of Abbreviations Notes on Contributors Introduction 1 Straight Paths and Evanescent Bodies: The Physics and Dynamics of Celestial Novelties in Kepler’s De stella nova Dario Tessicini 2 Of Mites and Men (and Stars): Kepler on the Question of Star Sizes in De Stella Nova Christopher M. Graney 3 The Measure of the Universe in De stella nova Javier Luna 4 Celestial Novelty and the Science of the Stars: Kepler vs. Krabbe on Accuracy and Authority in Early Modern Germany Patrick J. Boner 5 Stars, Crystals and Courts: Johannes Kepler and Anselmus Boëtius de Boodt Jonathan Regier 6 Kepler’s Astrological Play Aviva Rothman 7 The Nova of 1600 in Cygnus and the Christianization of the Constellations Miguel Á. Granada 8 Epicurean Astronomy? Atomistic and Corpuscular Stars in Kepler’s Century Pietro Daniel Omodeo 9 The Correspondence of Clavius, Dal Monte, Magini and Other Italian Astronomers on The Nova of 1604 Matteo Cosci 10 The Scientific Legacy of Kepler’s ‘Stella Nova’ William P. Blair Bibliography Index
