The Role of Eclipses and European Observers in the Development of `Modern Astronomy' in Thailand
Abstract
`Modern astronomy' was introduced to Siam (present-day Thailand) (Siam officially changed its name to Thailand in 1939) when the Belgian Jesuit missionary-astronomer Father Antoine Thomas carried out stellar and lunar eclipse observations during 1681 and 1682 in order to determine the latitude and longitude of Ayutthaya. Three years later a contingent of French Jesuit missionary astronomers observed a total lunar eclipse from Lop Buri, which marked the start of an intensive two-and-a-half year period of observational activity at Lop Buri under the sponsorship of King Narai. During this interval, a partial solar eclipse and two further lunar eclipses were observed from a number of different observing sites. Although a substantial astronomical observatory was constructed in Lop Buri and this was used by French Jesuit missionary-astronomers, `modern astronomy' ended suddenly in 1688 when King Narai died and most Western missionary-astronomers were expelled from Siam.
- Publication:
-
The Growth and Development of Astronomy and Astrophysics in India and the Asia-Pacific Region
- Pub Date:
- 2019
- DOI:
- Bibcode:
- 2019ASSP...54..173O
- Keywords:
-
- Physics