Derek Howse

Bio: Derek Howse is an academic researcher. The author has contributed to research in topics: Greenwich & Observatory. The author has an hindex of 6, co-authored 11 publications receiving 204 citations.

Background to discovery : Pacific exploration from Dampier to Cook

Abstract: "Background to Discovery" recounts the great voyages of discovery, from Dampier to Cook, that excited such fervent political and popular interest in eighteenth-century Europe. Perhaps this book's greatest strength lies in its remarkable synthesis of both the achievements of European maritime exploration and the political, economic, and scientific motives behind it. Writing essays on the literary and artistic response to the voyages as well, the contributors collectively provide a rich source for historians, geographers, and anyone interested in the history of voyage and travel.

Greenwich Time and the Longitude

Abstract: The history of the Royal Observatory, Greenwich has been revised to coincide with the Millenium. Color illustrations and updated text tell the story of Greenwich from its foundations in 1676 to its present status as Longitude 0, the world's Prime Meridian for measuring longitude and time. The book covers the importance of longitude for navigation and traces the history of Greenwich Time, the basis of universal time-keeping. The book is co-published with the National Maritime Museum, where Derek Howse was the former Head of Navigation and Astronomy.

Nevil Maskelyne, the seaman's astronomer

Abstract: Part 1 Preparation: the Maskelynes of Purton the longitude problem the transit of Venus, 1761 Saint Helena, 1761 the Barbados trials, 1763-4 Astronomer Royal, 1765 the Royal Observatory and its instruments the Harrison affair, 1764-7 the Nautical Almanac. Part 2 Achievement: early years at Greenwich, 1765-9 the 1770s weighing the world - Schiehallion, 1774 the 1780s - and a new planet the 1790s the final years, 1800-11. summing up.

2,400 Years of Malacology

Abstract: This paper provides a comprehensive catalog of biographical and bibliographical publications for over 12,000 malacologists, conchologists, paleontologists, and others with an interest in mollusks, from Aristotle to the present. For each person, the birth/death years and nationality are given (when known), followed by bibliographic citations to the literature about that person and his/her collections and publications. Appendices provide citations to (1) publications on oceanographic expeditions and other natural history expeditions that resulted in the collection and description of mollusks; (2) histories of malacological institutions and organizations; and (3) histories and dates of publication of malacological journals, and journals frequently cited in malacological publications, such as those of the Zoological Society of London. Two Annexes provide collations for several molluscan works.

Moon-Earth-Sun: The oldest three-body problem

Abstract: The daily motion of the Moon through the sky has many unusual features that a careful observer can discover without the help of instruments. The three different frequencies for the three degrees of freedom have been known very accurately for 3000 years, and the geometric explanation of the Greek astronomers was basically correct. Whereas Kepler's laws are sufficient for describing the motion of the planets around the Sun, even the most obvious facts about the lunar motion cannot be understood without the gravitational attraction of both the Earth and the Sun. Newton discussed this problem at great length, and with mixed success; it was the only testing ground for his Universal Gravitation. This background for today's many-body theory is discussed in some detail because all the guiding principles for our understanding can be traced to the earliest developments of astronomy. They are the oldest results of scientific inquiry, and they were the first ones to be confirmed by the great physicist-mathematicians of the 18th century. By a variety of methods, Laplace was able to claim complete agreement of celestial mechanics with the astronomical observations. Lagrange initiated a new trend wherein the mathematical problems of mechanics could all be solved by the same uniform process; canonical transformations eventually won the field. They were used for the first time on a large scale by Delaunay to find the ultimate solution of the lunar problem by perturbing the solution of the two-body Earth-Moon problem. Hill then treated the lunar trajectory as a displacement from a periodic orbit that is an exact solution of a restricted three-body problem. Newton's difficultly in explaining the motion of the lunar perigee was finally resolved, and the Moon's orbit was computed by a new method that became the universal standard until after WW II. Poincar\'e opened the 20th century with his analysis of trajectories in phase space, his insistence on investigating periodic orbits even in ergodic systems, and his critique of perturbation theory, particularly in the case of the Moon's motion. Space exploration, astrophysics, and the landing of the astronauts on the Moon led to a new flowering of celestial mechanics. Lunar theory now has to confront many new data beyond the simple three-body problem in order to improve its accuracy below the precision of 1 arcsecond; the computer dominates all the theoretical advances. This review is intended as a case study of the many stages that characterize the slow development of a problem in physics from simple observations through many forms of explanation to a high-precision fit with the data.

Time-Space Compression: Historical Geographies

Abstract: 1. Introduction: Folding Time and Space 2. Theorizing Time-Space Compression 3. Early Modern Time-Space Compression 4. Late Modern Time-Space Compression 5. Postmodern Time-Space Compression 6. Concluding Thoughts

The global institutionalization of geological science, 1800 to 1990

Abstract: Historical and quantitative examination of one scientific field - geology - provides the basis for exploring how Western science became institutionalized worldwide during the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. Prior research emphasizes the importance of industrialization, Protestantism, and the legacy of colonial rule. An alternative perspective is offered here-one rooted in sociological neoinstitutionalism. Mechanisms are examined that linked non-Western colonies and nations to world society, serving as conduits for the diffusion of Western science. The relevant mechanisms have changed over time as world society has become more organized and structured. Direct ties among nations were important early on, but links to international organizations became important in the postwar era. Historical examples and a quantitative analysis of the spread of professional geological associations from 1800 to 1990 provide evidence in support of several theories. Results suggest that the institutionalization of geology was very much an international process. Societies strongly linked to world society institutionalized geological science rapidly, supporting neoinstitutional predictions. Finally, Protestantism had a positive effect on the institutionalization of geological science, while the effects of colonization and industrialism were mixed and fluctuated over time

The Leap Second - Its History and Possible Future

Abstract: This paper reviews the theoretical motivation for the leap second in the context of the historical evolution of time measurement. The periodic insertion of a leap second step into the scale of Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) necessitates frequent changes in complex timekeeping systems and is currently the subject of discussion in working groups of various international scientie c organizations. UTC is an atomic time scale that agrees in rate with International Atomic Time (TAI), but differs by an integral number of seconds, and is the basis of civil time. In contrast, Universal Time (UT1) is an astronomical time scale deened by the Earth's rotation and is used in celestial navigation. UTC is presently maintained to within 0.9 s of UT1. As the needs of celestial navigation that depend on UT1 can now be met by satellite systems, such as the Global Positioning System (GPS), options for revising the dee nition of UTC and the possible role of leap seconds in the future are considered.