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.
‘Modern astronomy’ only re-emerged in Siam after a hiatus of almost 200 years when another royal supporter of astronomy, King Rama IV, invited French astronomers to observe the total solar eclipse of 18 August 1868 from Siam, and his son, King Rama V, hosted British astronomers during the 6 April 1875 total solar eclipse. Thailand’s romance with total solar eclipses continued during the 9 May 1929 solar eclipse when King Rama VII visited British and German astronomers based near Siam’s southern border, and this was the catalyst required for the birth of home-grown ‘modern astronomy’. Soon after, Siam’s first astronomy classes began at Chulalongkorn University, and in 1944 this university hosted Siam’s first professional astronomer when Rawee Bhavilai, a solar specialist, joined the Physics Department. The latest phase in the professionalisation of astronomy occurred in 2009 when the Government approval the formation of the National Astronomical Research Institute of Thailand (NARIT).
In this paper we trace the critical roles that solar and lunar eclipses played in the emergence and final adoption of ‘modern astronomy’ in Thailand from 1682 through to the present day.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Similar content being viewed by others
Notes
- 1.
All of the times listed in Tables 2, 3, 5, 7 and 9 were calculated using Herald’s OCCULT v3.6 and the NASA Catalog, which agreed to within 1 min in all instances. ‘Local Time’ was defined as UT + 7 h. The Jesuits in Siam in the seventeenth century used local apparent solar time for their eclipse timings. This means that for instance the times given in the table for the 1685 lunar eclipse, for comparison with the timings of the Jesuits should be corrected by −18 min to account for the time difference between the 7 h meridian (105° E) and the meridian of Lop Buri (100.65° E). Additionally, they should be corrected by +6 min by the equation of time to get apparent solar time. The start of the totality, 4:37, will then be corrected to 4:25 local apparent solar time and the time of the end of the totality, 6:21, will be corrected to 6:09, both of which are very close to the times actually reported by the Jesuits.
- 2.
- 3.
- 4.
Note that Fig. 4 is an updated version of Fig. 14 that was published in Orchiston et al. 2016: 39. In Fig. 4 the revised boundary of the water reservoir is now based on the cadastral map that was prepared by A.J. Irwin in the 1890s, but was unavailable when the 2016 paper was researched and written.
- 5.
- 6.
The prostrated individuals in this drawing are King Narai’s court astrologers.
- 7.
- 8.
There is confusion over the correct spelling of Wat San Paulo, with both this (correct) version and ‘Wat San Paolo’ featuring at different times on different interpretive panels at the site itself! Even Soonthornthum (2011: 181) mistakenly uses Wat San Paolo.
- 9.
In fact, by this time only one observatory had been built (cf. Hodges, 1999). Moreover, part of the massive building shown in Fig. 6 was still under construction when Constantine Phaulkon and King Narai died in June and July 1688 respectively (Smithies 2003). Because of their passing, the planned Ayutthaya observatory was never built.
- 10.
This was only 35 s shorter than the longest possible duration of totality of a total solar eclipse, which is 7 min 32 s.
- 11.
Other spellings of his name are Rawee Bhavilai and Rawī Phāwilai.
- 12.
For details of NARIT’s education and outreach accomplishments see Soonthornthum (2017).
References
Astrophysical Journal, 25, facing 53 (1907).
Aubin, D., 2010. Eclipse politics in France and Thailand, 1868. In Aubin, D., Bigg, C., and Sibim, H.O. (eds.). The Heavens on Earth: Observatories and Astronomy in Nineteenth-Century Science and Culture. Durham (North Carolina), Duke University Press. Pp. 86–117.
Batten, A.H., 2014. Stratton, Frederick, John Marrian. In Hockey et al., 2081–2083.
Baum, R., 2014. Rayet, Georges-Antoine-Pons. In Hockey et al., 1803–1804.
Bhavilai, R., 1971. The Fine Structure of the Solar Corona. Ft. Belvoir (Virginia), Defence Technical Information Center.
Bhumadhon, P., 2000. Astronomical Archives from France Concerning the Kingdom of Siam during the Reign of King Narai. Bangkok, Thai Astronomical Society (in Thai).
Bulletin de la Société Astronomique de France (1913).
Chaumont, Chevalier de, 1686. Relation de l’Ambassade de Monsieur le Chevalier de Chaumont à la Cour du Roy de Siam, avec ce qui s’est Passé de plus Remarquable durant son Voyage. Paris, Arnoult Seneuse et Daniel Horthemels.
Choisy, Abbé de, 1687. Journal du Voyage de Siam fait en M.DC.LXXXV et M.DC.LXXXVI. Paris, Sebastien Mabre-Cramoisy.
Clerke, A., 1893. A Popular History of Astronomy during the Nineteenth Century. London, Adam and Charles Black.
Clerke, A., 1903. Problems in Astrophysics. London, Adam and Charles Black.
Cottam, S., and Orchiston, W., 2015. Eclipses, Transits and Comets of the Nineteenth Century: How America’s Perception of the Sky Changed. Cham (Switzerland), Springer.
Cruysse, D. van der, 1992. Aspects of Siamese-French relations during the seventeenth century. Journal of the Siam Society, 80, 63–69.
Cruysse, D. van der, 2002. Siam and the West, 1500–1700. Chiang Mai, Silkworm Books.
Débarbat, S., 2014. Tisserand, François-Félix. In Hockey et al., 2160.
Débarbat, S., 2015. A homage to Richard Stephenson: French observations of the Sun at the time of the ‘Sun King’. In Orchiston, W., Green, D.A., and Strom, R. (eds.). New Insights from Recent Studies in Historical Astronomy: Following in the Footsteps of F. Richard Stephenson. A Meeting to Honor F. Richard Stephenson on his 70th Birthday. Cham, Springer. Pp. 53–60.
Espenak, F., and Meeus, J., 2006. Five Millennium Canon of Solar Eclipses: −1999 to + 3000. Greenbelt, NASA (Technical Publication TP-2006-214141).
Euarchukiati, V., 2019. The 1875 British solar eclipse expedition to Siam led by Sir Arthur Schuster. In Orchiston and Vahia.
Gervaise, N., 1689. Histoire Naturelle et Politique de Royaume de Siam. Paris, E. Ducastin.
Giblin, R.W., 1904. Lopburi past and present. Journal of the Siam Society, 5(3), 8–28.
Giblin, R.W., 1909. Early astronomical and magnetic observations in Siam. Journal of the Siam Society, 6(2), 1–15.
Gislén, L., Launay, F., Orchiston, W., Orchiston, D.L., Débarbat, S., Husson, M., George, M., and Soonthornthum, B., 2018. Cassini’s 1679 map of the Moon and French Jesuit observations of the lunar eclipse of 11 December 1685. Journal of Astronomical History and Heritage, 21, in press.
Gislén, L., Orchiston, W., Orchiston, D.L., George, M., Soonthornthum, B., Débarbat, S., Husson, M., and Launay, F., 2019. Exploring the first scientific observations of a solar eclipse carried out in Siam. In Orchiston and Vahia.
Gouye, T., 1692. Recueil des Observations Physiques et Mathématiques pour Servir à la Perfection de l’Astronomie et de la Géographie, Envoyées de Siam par les Jésuites Missionnaires. Paris, Imprimerie Royale.
Hearnshaw, J., 2009. The Analysis of Starlight: One Hundred and Fifty Years of Astronomical Spectroscopy. Cambridge, Cambridge University Press.
Hockey, T., et al., (eds.), 2014. Biographical Encyclopedia of Astronomers. Second Edition. New York, Springer.
Hodges, I., 1999. Time in transition: King Narai and the Luang Prasoet Chronicle of Ayutthaya. Journal of the Siam Society, 87, 33–44.
Hughes, S., 2013. Catchers of the Light: The Forgotten Lives of the Men and Women Who First Photographed the Heavens. Their True Tales of Adventure, Adversity & Triumph. Two Volumes. Paphos, ArtDeCiel Publishing.
Hutawarakorn-Kramer, B., and Kramer, M., 2017. King Rama V and British observations of the 6 April 1875 total solar eclipse from the Chao Lai Peninsula, Siam. In Nakamura and Orchiston, 319–325.
Hutchinson, E.W., 1933. The French Foreign Mission in Siam during the XVIIth century. Journal of the Siam Society, 26, 1–71.
Knowledge without bounds. Lumen [The University of Adelaide Magazine], Winter issue 2008.
Knill, O., 2014. Schuster, Arthur. In Hockey et al., 1957–1959.
Kochhar, R., and Orchiston, W., 2017. The development of modern astronomy and emergence of astrophysics in India. In Nakamura and Orchiston, 705–770.
Launay, F., 2003. La tête de femme de la carte de la Lune de Cassini. L’Astronomie, 117, 10–19.
Launay, F., 2012. The Astronomer Jules Janssen: Globetrotter of Celestial Physics. New York, Springer.
Le Blanc, M., 1692. Histoire de la Revolution du Roiuame de Siam Arrivée en l’Anée 1688. Deux Tomes. Paris, Horace Molin.
Lefebvre, B., 1930. Antoine Thomas de Namur: Missionnaire et Astronome (1644–1709). Bruxelles, Établissements Émile Bruylant.
Link, F., 1969. Eclipse Phenomena in Astronomy. New York, Springer.
Lockyer, J.N., and Schuster, A., 1878. Report on the total solar eclipse of April 6, 1875. Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society of London, 169, 139–154.
Loubère, S., de la, 1693. A New Historical Relation of the Kingdom of Siam. London, T. Horne.
Love, R.S., 1994a. The making of an Oriental despot: Louis XIV and the Siamese embassy of 1686. Journal of the Siam Society, 82, 57–78.
Love, R.S., 1994b. Simon de la Loubere: French views of Siam in the 1680s. Journal of the Siam Society, 82, 155–164.
Love, R.S., 1999. Monarchs, merchants, and missionaries in early modern Asia: the missions Étrangères in Siam, 1662–1684. The International History Review, 21, 1–27.
Maunder, E.W. (ed.), 1899. The Indian Eclipse 1898. Report of the Expeditions Organized by the British Astronomical Association to Observe the Total Solar Eclipse of 1898, January 22. London, Hazell, Watson and Viney.
Mumpuni, E.S., Orchiston, W., and Steinicke, W., 2017. J.A.C. Oudemans’ observations of the 18 August 1868 and 12 December 1871 total solar eclipses from the Dutch East Indies. In Nakamura and Orchiston, 357–373.
Nakamura, T., and Orchiston, W. (eds.), 2017. The Emergence of Astrophysics in Asia: Opening a New Window on the Universe. Springer International Publishing.
Nath, B.B., 2013. The Story of Helium and the Birth of Astrophysics. New York, Springer.
Nitiyanant, P., 2015. Solar Eclipses in Siam (Thailand). Chiang Mai, National Astronomical Research Institute of Thailand (www.narit.or.th/en/index.php/public-outreach/articles-for-public/357-solar-eclipses-in-siam-thailand).
Orchiston, W., and Orchiston, D.L., 2017. King Rama IV and French observations of the 18 August 1868 total solar eclipse from Wah-koa, Siam. In Nakamura and Orchiston, 291–317.
Orchiston, W., and Orchiston, D.L., 2019. King Rama IV, Sir Harry Ord and the total solar eclipse of 18 August 1868: power, politics and astronomy. In Orchiston and Vahia.
Orchiston, W., and Swarup, G., 2018. The emergence of radio astronomy in Asia: opening a new window on the Universe. In Vahia, M., Orchiston, W., and Sule, A. (eds.). Growth and Development of Astronomy and Astrophysics in India and the Asia-Pacific Region. Proceedings of the 9th International Conference on Oriental Astronomy. Mumbai, Tata Institute of Fundamental Research. Pp. 179–204.
Orchiston, W., and Vahia, M. (eds.), 2019. Exploring the History of Southeast Asian Astronomy: A Review of Present Projects, and Future Prospects and Possibilities. Cham (Switzerland), Springer International Publishing.
Orchiston, W., Lee, E.-H., and Ahn, Y.-S., 2017. British observations of the 18 August 1868 total solar eclipse from Guntoor, India. In Nakamura and Orchiston, 771–793.
Orchiston, W., Orchiston, D.L., George, M., and Soonthornthum, B., 2016. Exploring the first scientific observations of lunar eclipses made in Siam. Journal of Astronomical History and Heritage, 19, 25–45.
Orchiston, W., Orchiston, D.L., George, M., Soonthornthum, B., and Komonjinda, S., 2018b. Seventeenth century Jesuit astronomical activities in Siam. In Shi, Y.-L. (ed.). Astronomical Heritages in Asia-Pacific Areas: Proceedings of the Eighth International Conference on Oriental Astronomy. Hefei, University of Science and Technology of China.
Orchiston, W., Orchiston, D.L., George, M., Gislén, L., Débarbat, S., Husson, M., Launay, F., and Soon-Thornthum, B., 2018a. Father Antoine Thomas and the birth of ‘modern astronomy’ in Thailand. Journal of Astronomical History and Heritage, 21, in press.
Prominent astronomer Prof Rawi Dies. Bangkok Post, 17 March 2017.
Rawi Bhavilai. Australian National University web site: https://rsaa.anu.edu.au/people/alumni/rawi-bhavilai (2017).
Schuster, A., 1932. Biographical Fragments. London, Macmillan.
Sioris, G.A., 1988. Phaulkon – The Greek First Counsellor of the Court of Siam: An Appraisal. Bangkok, Siam Society.
Smith, S.J., 1880. History of Siam in the Reign of Phra Narai 1657–1682. Bangkok, S.J. Smith’s Office.
Smithies, M., 1994. Saint Tachard: a rejoinder to Vongsuravatana. Journal of the Siam Society, 82, 175–178.
Smithies, M., 2002. Three Military Accounts of the 1688 “Revolution” in Siam. Bangkok, Orchid Press.
Smithies, M., 2003. Eclipses in Siam, 1685 and 1688, and their representation. Journal of the Siam Society, 91, 189–204.
Smithies, M., and Bressan, L., 2001. Siam and the Vatican in the Seventeenth Century. Bangkok, River Books.
Snedegar, K., 2014. Pogson, Norman Robert. In Hockey et al., 1739–1741.
Soonthornthum, B., 2011. The emergence of astronomy in Thailand. In Nakamura, T., Orchiston, W., Sôma, M., and Strom, R. (eds.). Mapping the Oriental Sky. Proceedings of the Seventh International Conference on Oriental Astronomy. Tokyo, National Astronomical Observatory of Japan. Pp. 179–186.
Soonthornthum, B., 2017. The development of astronomy and emergence of astrophysics in Thailand. In Nakamura and Orchiston, 271–290.
Soonthornthum, B., Euarchukiati, V., and Orchiston, W., 2019. The total solar eclipse of 9 May 1929: the British and German expeditions to Siam. In Orchiston and Vahia.
Sternstein, L., 1965. ‘Krung Kao’: the old capital of Ayutthaya. Journal of the Siam Society, 53, 82–121.
Stratton, F.J.M., 1928. The solar eclipse of May 9, 1929. Journal des Observateurs, 11, 199–201.
Tachard, G., 1686. Voyage de Siam des Pères Jésuites Envoyés par le Roi aux Indes & à la Chine. Paris, Seneuze et Horthemels.
Tachard, G., 1688. Relation of the Voyage to Siam Performed by Six Jesuits sent by the French King, to the Indies and China, in the Year 1685, with their Astrological Observations, and their Remarks on Natural Philosophy, Geography, Hydrography, and History. London, J. Robinson and A. Churchil.
Tachard, G., 1689. Second Voyage du Père Tachard et des Jésuites Envoyez par le Roy au Royaume de Siam: Contenant Diverses Remarques d’Histoire, de Physique, de Geographie, & d’Astronomie. Paris, Horthemels.
Teare, S.W., 2014. Melotte, Philibert Jacques. In Hockey et al., 1454–1455.
Thavornthanasan, T., 1986. The role of Lopburi during the reign of King Narai (1656–1688). In Renard, R.D. (ed.). Anuson Walter Vella. Honolulu, University of Hawaii. Pp. 134–155.
Theis, C., 2014. Rosenberg, Hans. In Hockey et al., 1861–1862.
Thomas, A., 1679. Observations de l’éclipse de lune du 29 Octobre 1678 à Coimbre. Journal des Sçavans, 56.
Thomas, A., 1692. Observations faites aux Indes et à la Chine. In Gouye, 120–196.
Thomas Gouye, n.d. http://fr.wikipedia.org.wiki/ Thomas_Gouye
Tobin, W., 2014. Stephan, Jean-Marie-Edouard. In Hockey et al., 2053–2054.
Udias, A., 2003. Searching the Earth and the Sky. The History of Jesuit Observatories. Dordrecht, Kluwer.
Vande Walle, W.F., and Golvers, N. (eds.), 2003. The History of the Relations between the Low Countries and China in the Qing Era (1644–1911). Leuven, Ferdinand Verbiest Institute (Leuven Chinese Studies 14).
Acknowledgements
We wish to thank Visanu Euarchukiati (Bangkok, Thailand) for locating a copy of A.J. Irwin’s cadastral map of Lop Buri and making this available to us (so that we could prepare Fig. 4). Apart from the calculations for Tables 2, 3, 5, 7 and 9, which were performed by the third author of this paper, research on the seventeenth century eclipses was largely based on data gathered by the first two authors during a detailed literature survey and on three visits to Lop Buri and Ayutthaya in 2014 and 2015. We are grateful to staff from the Lop Buri City Hall, and the Department of Fine Arts at Kraisorm Siharat Pavilion (the ‘Water Reservoir Palace’ in Lop Buri) for their assistance. Finally, we wish to thank the King Prajadhipok Museum, Office of the National Research Council of Thailand, Observatoire de Marseille and the Royal Astronomical Society for kindly supplying Figs. 12, 17, 18, 22, 23 and 24.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2019 Hindustan Book Agency 2018 and Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd.
About this paper
Cite this paper
Orchiston, W. et al. (2019). The Role of Eclipses and European Observers in the Development of ‘Modern Astronomy’ in Thailand. In: Orchiston, W., Sule, A., Vahia, M. (eds) The Growth and Development of Astronomy and Astrophysics in India and the Asia-Pacific Region. Astrophysics and Space Science Proceedings, vol 54. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-13-3645-4_14
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-13-3645-4_14
Published:
Publisher Name: Springer, Singapore
Print ISBN: 978-981-13-3644-7
Online ISBN: 978-981-13-3645-4
eBook Packages: Physics and AstronomyPhysics and Astronomy (R0)Springer Nature Proceedings excluding Computer Science