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, November 4, 2025, 10:00 - 11:30 am EST
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
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Narratives on the Marginalization of Astrology
For our first discussion, we will be looking at two articles on the marginalization of astrology. When, how, and why did astrology go from being considered a viable knowledge system to a pseudo-science? Recent work has revisited this question, providing an overview of different factors for astrology’s marginalization and showing how explanations have moved from an emphasis on intellectual factors to social/institutional influences and back again. This will be the first meeting of our working group, so please come prepared to briefly introduce yourself and what brings you to the group!
Sources to discuss:
Michelle Aroney, “Reassessing the Marginalization of Astrology in the Early Modern World,” The Historical Journal (2023), 66, 1152–1176 https://doi.org/10.1017/S0018246X23000328
H. Darrel Rutkin, “How to Accurately Account for Astrology’s Marginalization in the History of Science and Culture: The Central Importance of an Interpretive Framework,” Early Science and Medicine (2018), 23, 217–243 https://doi.org/10.1163/15733823-00233P02
Further reading:
Rienk Vermij and Hiro Hirai, “The Marginalization of Astrology: Introduction” Early Science and Medicine (2017), 22, 405–409 [intro to special issue] https://doi.org/10.1163/15733823-02256P01
Peter Wright, “Astrology and Science in Seventeenth-Century England,” Social Studies of Science (1995), 5/4, 399–422 https://www.jstor.org/stable/284805
Lynn Thorndike, “The True Place of Astrology in the History of Science,” Isis (1955), 46/3, 273–278 https://www.jstor.org/stable/226346
*Note: While the readings will be temporarily posted here, because access statistics can be valuable for authors, publishers, and libraries, we encourage you to use the citations and links above to access them through your institution if possible.
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.
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