TBA
Astronomy and its related sciences (including space and planetary sciences, cosmology, astrophysics, astrobiology, and others) have a rich history with connections that span centuries, cultures, and disciplinary boundaries. This working group explores the many ways in which astronomical knowledge, interests, and ideas have interacted with human history, exploring impacts and influences both in and beyond the scientific/scholarly community. We welcome contributions across a variety of historical time periods and from varied disciplinary and methodological approaches.
Consortium Respectful Behavior Policy
Participants at Consortium activities will treat each other with respect and consideration to create a collegial, inclusive, and professional environment that is free from any form of discrimination, harassment, or retaliation.
Participants will avoid any inappropriate actions or statements based on individual characteristics such as age, race, religion, ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, marital status, nationality, political affiliation, ability status, educational background, or any other characteristic protected by law. Disruptive or harassing behavior of any kind will not be tolerated. Harassment includes but is not limited to inappropriate or intimidating behavior and language, unwelcome jokes or comments, unwanted touching or attention, offensive images, photography without permission, and stalking.
Participants may send reports or concerns about violations of this policy to conduct@chstm.org.
Upcoming Meetings
Tuesday, October 7, 2025, 10:00 - 11:30 am EDT
Tuesday, November 4, 2025, 10:00 - 11:30 am EST
TBA
Tuesday, December 2, 2025, 10:00 - 11:30 am EST
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Tuesday, January 6, 2026, 10:00 - 11:30 am EST
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Tuesday, February 3, 2026, 10:00 - 11:30 am EST
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Tuesday, March 3, 2026, 10:00 - 11:30 am EST
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Tuesday, April 7, 2026, 10:00 - 11:30 am EDT
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Tuesday, May 5, 2026, 10:00 - 11:30 am EDT
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Past Meetings
Group Conveners

Stephen Case
Stephen Case (PhD, University of Notre Dame) is a historian of astronomy focusing on the nineteenth century. His essays have appeared in Physics Today, Aeon Magazine, and American Scientist. He is the author of Making Stars Physical: the Astronomy of Sir John Herschel (University of Pittsburgh Press, 2018) and Creatures of Reason: John Herschel and the Invention of Science (University of Pittsburgh Press, 2024) and is co-editor of The Cambridge Companion to John Herschel (Cambridge University Press, 2024).
Connemara Doran
Connemara Doran is the Historian of Science at the Air Force Office of Scientific Research (AFOSR), the basic science funding office of the U.S. Air Force and U.S. Space Force. Dr. Doran has published peer-reviewed journal articles and book chapters on the history and philosophy of astronomy, cosmology, physics, mathematics, technology, and energy resources. She previously was a National Research Council - National Academy of Sciences (NRC-NAS) Postdoctoral Fellow at AFOSR, a Guggenheim Fellow in Space History at the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum, and a Lecturer on the History of Science at Harvard University, where she also received her AB, AM, and PhD degrees.

Sarah J. Reynolds
Sarah J. Reynolds is an associate professor at the University of Indianapolis in the Dept. of Physics and Earth-Space Science. She earned a Ph.D in physics with research in high-energy astrophysics and a Ph.D. in the history and philosophy of science with a dissertation on nineteenth-century laboratory-based science education. She studies the history of 19th- and 20th-century astronomy, physics, and chemistry in educational contexts, and the history of astrobiological thought from the early modern period through present day.