Aurorae Borealis Studia Classica

Introduction

Per Pippin Aspaas — 2023-04-25

The sixteenth volume in the series presents all articles on the aurora borealis that were published in the journal of the Swedish Societas Regia Literaria et Scientiarum (now Kungl. Vetenskaps-Societeten i Uppsala) from 1730 to 1739. The articles are by the society’s secretary, the professor of astronomy in Uppsala, Anders (in Latin: Andreas) Celsius and by several other Swedish professionals and amateurs of science. In the introduction to this volume, neo-Latinist and historian of science Per Pippin Aspaas summarizes the contents of all articles dealing with the aurora and presents extracts of these texts in English translation. He also provides a short history of the society in the period and gives brief presentations of Anders Celsius, Herman Spöring, Sven Hof, Johan Göstaf Hallman, Johan Sparschuch and Nils Wallerius as auroral researchers.

Acta Literaria et Scientiarum Sveciæ, Volumen Tertium

Societas Regia Literaria et Scientiarum — 2023-04-25

This file contains the entire third volume of the Acta (Proceedings) of the Uppsala-based Societas Regia Literaria et Scientiarum (Royal Society of Learning and Sciences, or Kungl. Vetenskaps-Societeten i Uppsala).

Extracts from Acta Literaria et Scientiarum Sveciæ, Volumen Tertium (1730–1734)

Johan Göstaf Hallman — 2023-04-25

The file is a facsimile of extracts from the third volume of the Acta Literaria et Scientiarum Sveciae, comprising all articles on the aurora borealis in issues of the journal covering the years 1730 to 1734. For a detailed summary of contents, see the introduction by Per Pippin Aspaas.

Extracts from Acta Literaria et Scientiarum Sveciæ, Volumen Quartum (1735–1739)

Johan Sparschuch — 2023-04-25

The file is a facsimile of extracts from the fourth volume of the Acta Literaria et Scientiarum Sveciae, comprising all articles on the aurora borealis in issues of the journal covering the years 1735 to 1739. For a detailed summary of contents, see the introduction by Per Pippin Aspaas.

CCCXVI. Observationes de lumine Boreali, ab a. MDCCXVI. ad a. MDCCXXXII. partim a se, partim ab aliis, in Svecia habitas

Anders Celsius — 2023-03-28

This file is a digitized version of Anders Celsius' 1733 monograph on the aurora borealis, in the form of a PDF with fulltext-search functionality embedded. For a detailed summary of contents, see the Introduction by Per Pippin Aspaas.

Biographical Introduction, Summary of Contents and Appendix with bibliography of references

Per Pippin Aspaas — 2023-03-24

The fourteenth volume in the series presents a dissertation by Conradus (Conrad) Quensel (1676–1732), professor at Lund University in Sweden, and his student, Johannes (Hans) Eurodius (1703–1756). In the text, detailed descriptions of two northern lights seen in Lund in the autumn of 1726 are accompanied by ample discussion of observations made ten years earlier in both Sweden and on the Continent, where an exceptionally strong auroral outbreak was seen in March 1716. The theoretical deliberations of Quensel/Eurodius largely follow theories presented by Friedrich Wolff and Johann Friedrich Weidler in the aftermath of the 1716 event. As praeses, Quensel was responsible for the contents, whereas Eurodius acted as respondens, meaning that it was his task to defend the dissertation orally in a public defence. It is unclear who actually wrote the dissertation text. The introduction, written by neo-Latinist and historian of science Per Pippin Aspaas, contains biographical information about the authors as well as a summary with ample extracts of the Latin text in English translation. A list explaining the references in Quensel/Eurodius’ text rounds off the introduction.

De Lumine Nocturno Boreali Svetice Nordskien

Conrad Quensel — 2023-03-24

The file is a facsimile of the original dissertation, with fulltext search functionality embedded in the PDF. For a detailed summary of contents, see the introduction by Per Pippin Aspaas.

Transcription of CCCXVI. Observationes de lumine Boreali partim a se, partim ab aliis, in Suecia habitas

Anders Celsius — 2023-03-28

This file is a transcription of the book: CCCXVI. Observationes de lumine Boreali ab A. MDCCXVI. ad A. MDCCXXXII. partim a se, partim ab aliis, in Suecia habitas / collegit Andreas Celsius (Nuremberg, 1733). The transcription was made by Per Pippin Aspaas based on scans of a copy kept at the Bayerische Staatsbibliothek in Munich, Call number Res/4 Phys.sp. 302,9, urn:nbn:de:bvb:12-bsb10908928-9. The conventions of the ERC-funded NOSCEMUS project of the Ludwig Boltzmann Institut für Neulateinische Studien in Innsbruck, Austria have been followed. The transcription is published under the license CC BY 4.0.

Biographical Introduction and Summary of Contents

Per Pippin Aspaas — 2023-03-28

The fifteenth volume in the series presents a monograph by the famous meteorologist and astronomer Anders (in Latin: Andreas) Celsius (1701–1744), founder of the Centigrade temperature scale known as °C. From a young age, Celsius collected observations of the aurora borealis from Swedish territories. He participated in the editing of the Acta Literaria Sveciæ, the journal of the Royal Swedish Society of Learning and Sciences in Uppsala, in which a substantial number of observations were published. The journal articles in question were often quite short, with the aurora often inserted in lists of meteorological observations with little space for descriptions. By contrast, Celsius’ monograph contains a ten pages long historical introduction discussing the periodicity of the phenomenon, arguing that one should differentiate between minor and major aurorae: only the latter were visible on the European Continent and British Isles. There follows a 48-page chronological account of 316 observations made in Sweden, including Finland, during the period from 1716 to 1732. A network of observers established by the Uppsala society provided the basis for this impressive display of Swedish science. Celsius himself had made 67 of the 316 observations; the rest had been reported by sixteen other amateur and professional practitioners of science. The introduction, written by neo-Latinist and historian of science Per Pippin Aspaas, contains biographical information on each of the various observers as well as extracts of Celsius’ text in English translation.

Introduction

Per Pippin Aspaas — 2022-07-22

The thirteenth volume in the series presents all articles on the aurora borealis that were published in the journal of the Swedish Societas Literaria / Societas Regia Literaria et Scientiarum (now Kungl. Vetenskaps-Societeten i Uppsala) from 1720 to 1729. The articles are by the adjunct/professor of astronomy in Uppsala, Erik Johan (Ericus Johannes) Burman; the professor of mathematics in Lund, Conrad (Conradus) Quensel; and the adjunct/professor of astronomy in Uppsala Anders (Andreas) Celsius. E. J. Burman developed a theory of two kinds of aurora borealis and inspired other investigators across Sweden to observe the phenomenon according to his instructions.

The introduction, written by Latinist and historian of science Per Pippin Aspaas, consists of a short history of the society in the period including brief presentations of Burman, Quensel and Celsius. Furthermore, Aspaas summarizes the contents of all articles dealing with the aurora and presents extracts in English translation.

First published in July 2022. In March 2023, an updated version with fulltext searchable facsimiles was published. Some insignificant typos were corrected and acknowledgements added to the Introduction.