Hurt, C.D. Informational sources in science and technology, 3rd ed. Englewood, Colorado: Libraries Unlimited, 1998. pp. 91-92.
Astronomy
Fascination with the sky and its elements was a characteristic of prehistoric peoples. This fascination continues in the form of the science called astronomy. Determining our place in a celestial system and the place of that system in the universe is a goal of those who practice astronomy.
Astronomy has undergone significant transformations. Once the province of optical methodologies, astronomy is now employing techniques ranging from radio waves to high-level mathematics. Physics and mathematics are playing a much larger role in astronomy. The ability of an astronomer to see with the eye is less important now than at any time in astronomy’s history. Proof comes from formulas and algorithms, and less from observation. This is not to say observation in astronomy is dead. The methodologies to push the frontiers of astronomy are more numerous than ever before but observation will continue to be a major part of astronomy.
The new techniques in astronomy carry with them a literature that needs to be merged with astronomy’s traditional literature. The use of physics, mathematics, computer science, and other disciplines means that sections of literature from these disciplines will find their way into the literature of astronomy. The difficulty is in determining when and how this literature will be used. Bibliographic control of the traditional astronomy literature was reasonable. As astronomy has broadened its techniques for obtaining data and information, control of the literature has become less reliable.
Astronomy is the recipient of a great deal of information from space probes and new observations. These new data sets are being incorporated into the literature as quickly as possible. The new knowledge they generate will change and replace current thought in astronomy. Astronomers and those in the information professions should be wary of the considerable amount of literature in astronomy. This may be especially true for the secondary literature such as dictionaries and encyclopedias.
As is in the case with most of the literature of science and technology, the monographic literature of astronomy is not a tool of the researcher, but the archival description of the field. Much of the new data and theoretical advances are published in journal literature and in research notes within the journal literature. Conferences are especially important in some fields of astronomy because of the currentness of information to be obtained there and the informal information flow. There is a high reliance on star catalogs and data sources in printed form, which are indispensable to working astronomers at all levels.
The future for astronomy and its literature is rich and full. Significant data will be generated from sources such as the Hubble Telescope and missions to other planets. Data from these sources will move the discipline of astronomy in new and unforeseen ways. As long as government funding continues to be used for space exploration, astronomy will be able to mine a continuing and rich influx of data. These data will require the use of tools already in astronomy, in other disciplines, or yet to be developed. This will make bibliographic control of astronomy even more difficult.
Astronomy
Readings
Astronomy. In Columbia encyclopedia [Internet]. New York: Columbia University Press, 2002 [cited 2013-11-04] [15 paragraphs]. Available from https://web.archive.org/web/20041213170914/http://www.bartleby.com/65/as/astronomy.html
Claspy, William P. Information use in astronomy. In: Grothkopf, U.; Andernach, H.; Stevens-Rayburn, S.; Gomez, M; editors. Library and information services in astronomy III [Internet]. Proceedings; 1998 Apr 21-24; Puerto de la Cruz, Tenerife, Spain: Astronomical Society of the Pacific conference series; [cited 2013-11-04]. 153: 177-84. Available from: http://www.stsci.edu/stsci/meetings/lisa3/claspyw.html
Hurt, C.D. Information Sources in Science and Technology, 3rd ed. Englewood, Colo.: Libraries Unlimited, 1998. pp. 91-92.
Kraus J, Banholzer, P. Astronomical resources on the Internet. Issues in Science and Technology Librarianship. [Internet]. 2002 Spring [cited 2013-11-04]; (34): [about 26 p.]. Available from http://www.istl.org/02-spring/internet2.html
Web sites
Astronomical Society of the Pacific http://www.astrosociety.org/
The ASP is the largest general astronomy society in the world. Publishes the free teacher’s newsletter Universe in the Classroom http://www.astrosociety.org/education/publications/tnl/tnl.html
Astronomy http://www.ipl.org/IPLBrowse/GetSubject?vid=13&cid=1&tid=7116&parent=7115
From IPL
Astronomy http://ipl.org/IPLBrowse/GetSubject?vid=12&cid=3&tid=4303&parent=4302
From IPL Kidspace
Astronomy https://web.archive.org/web/20041109061809/http://wpl.winnipeg.ca/library/onlineresources/internet/science.asp
Sites selected by Winnipeg Public Library.
Astronomy & Astrophysics Web Sites: Educational Resources http://libguides.lib.umanitoba.ca/astronomy
Compiled by Sciences and Technology Library, The University of Manitoba Libraries.
Astronomy.com http://www2.astronomy.com
Website from the publishers of Astronomy magazine. Includes news, feature stories, observing, an image gallery, parent and teacher resources, Astro for Kids, and a beginner’s section.
Astronomy Resources on the Web https://web.archive.org/web/20041201121956/http://www.ala.org/ala/acrl/acrlpubs/crlnews/backissues2001/december2/astronomyresources.htm
Canadian Astronomical Society http://www.casca.ca/
Canadian Space Agency http://www.asc-csa.gc.ca/eng/
Check out especially Youth/Educator’s section; Resources section
Frequently Asked Questions about Astronomy http://www.noao.edu/outreach/faq_astronomy.html
The U.S. National Optical Astronomy Observatory is operated by the Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy (AURA), Inc. under cooperative agreement with the National Science Foundation.
Kathy Schrock’s Guide for Educators: Space & Astronomy https://web.archive.org/web/20040405020709/http://www.school.discovery.com/schrockguide/sci-tech/scisp.html
KidsAstronomy.com
http://www.kidsastronomy.com/
Suitable for grades 4-8. Favourably reviewed in Library Media Connection, Nov/Dec 2004.
Manitoba Museum Planetarium https://manitobamuseum.ca/main/visit/planetarium
NASA http://www.nasa.gov/index.html
Observer’s Handbook List of Recommended Books https://web.archive.org/web/20060918231955/http://www.rasc.ca/handbook/books.html
Observer’s Handbook Websites https://web.archive.org/web/20060130215140/http://www.rasc.ca/handbook/websites.html
Royal Astronomical Society of Canada http://www.rasc.ca/
Winnipeg Centre located at: http://winnipeg.rasc.ca/
SEDS—Students for the Exploration and Development of Space http://www.seds.org/
Students for the Exploration and Development of Space was founded in 1980 at MIT and Princeton and consists of an international group of high school, undergraduate, and graduate students from a diverse range of educational backgrounds who are working together to promote space as a whole.
University of Toronto. Astronomy and Astrophysics Library. http://www.astro.utoronto.ca/AALibrary/library.html
Maintains a database of citations to reviews of books and software: Astronomy Books and Software Reviews at http://www.astro.utoronto.ca/AALibrary/reviews.html
Astronomy: definition
1. The scientific study of matter in outer space, especially the positions, dimensions, distribution, motion, composition, energy, and evolution of celestial bodies and phenomena. 2. A system of knowledge or beliefs about celestial phenomena: the various astronomies of ancient civilizations.
Astrology: definition
1. The study of the positions and aspects of celestial bodies in the belief that they have an influence on the course of natural earthly occurrences and human affairs. 2. Obsolete
So what is the difference?
- Astrology is the ancient practice of using the locations of the planets to look into a person’s personality or predict the future. This is a totally non-scientific field that does not involve and use science. By contrast, astronomy is the scientific study of the universe. Astronomers observe the night sky to determine their origins and learn more about the origin and structure of the universe.
- Ancient astronomers practiced astrology.
Astrophysics: definition
Application of the theories and methods of physics to the study of stellar structure, stellar evolution, the origin of the solar system, and related problems of cosmology. The distinction between astrophysics and modern astronomy is disappearing in scientific usage.
What is astrophysics?
- The same as astronomy but refers to the addition of the laws of physics by Isaac Newton
- Astrophysics assume that the terrestrial laws of physics hold throughout the universe
- Astrophysics, therefore, is the application of the fundamental laws of nature to gain an understanding of the stars, galaxies, and the origin and fate of the cosmos
- Astronomy is synonymous with astrophysics, they both refer to the same discipline
Astronomy
- Astronomy is the science in which the entire universe is studied. It requires knowledge of several sciences, including physics, chemistry, geology, mathematics, engineering, computer science
- Professional astronomers today are more properly called astrophysicists, because they apply the laws of physics to celestial phenomenon in order to better understand them
- Most professional astronomers work at colleges or universities, at government sponsored research centres or observatories or in private industry related to aerospace
- Much of the research work of modern astronomers done on computers
- Professional astronomers encouraged to collaborate so can share observing time and resulting data
- Astronomy an international science, often many nationalities on same team
- With more complex instrumentation need to include technologists on teams
- Often regarded as the oldest science
o Humans were making astronomical observations and keeping records as far back as recorded history
- Provided basis for the calendar
o Months and year determined by astronomical observations
- Served in navigation, surveying and timekeeping
Origins of astronomy – Time
- The Sun, Moon and stars served humanity for thousands of years as a clock and a calendar. Their motions were predictable.
- Today we have other means of measuring time but long ago an accurate understanding of the skies could mean life or death
- Studying the skies told people when to plant and harvest, when to go out to sea, when to expect good or bad weather, etc.
Ancient astronomical site
- Stonehenge, built in England c. 2100 BC
- Alignment of some of the stones with the midsummer sunrise and midwinter sunset suggest Stonehenge used for seasonal astrological festivals
Astronomy: a unique science
- Cannot experiment directly
- Must observe passively
- Must combine known facts with imagined possibilities
- Astronomy is unique among the sciences in that we cannot walk to a nearby star and inspect it close up, take a sample of it, or probe its interior
- All astronomical observations are necessarily remote – far removed from the object of study
- The only thing that astronomers can study is the light emitted by the object
- Astrophysics, therefore, is really about the subject of radiation and how radiation interacts with matter
- With the exception of experiments carried out in space by spacecraft, our knowledge of the universe comes from light reaching us from outer space
- Because of the speed of light, we observe objects not the way they are, but the way they were when the light left them
Problems in identifying of celestial objects
- Relative positions of objects in the universe are not fixed
- Sky looks different if observed in different wavelength ranges
- What you “see” depends on the type and sensitivity of tool used
- The more sensitive the tool, the more crowded the sky
Astronomy
- Draws on sciences such as
- Mathematics
- Physics
- Chemistry
- Geology
- Atmospheric sciences
- Biology
- Draws on technical disciplines such as
- Optics
- Mechanics
- Electronics
- Remote sensing
- Data analysis
- Astronomy is a visual science
- Hubble Space Telescope Public Pictures http://opposite.stsci.edu/gallery/
- The Gateway to Astronaut Photography of the Earth http://eol.jsc.nasa.gov/SearchPhotos/
- Able to attract the interest of a wide spectrum of people, especially the young
- Popular literature readily available
- Planetaria offer shows for public
Many aspects
- Ability to see into the future sets astronomy apart
- Eclipses
- Meteor showers
- Comets
- Religious aspects
- Pseudoscience aspects
- Space related science fiction
- Print and AV (movies, cartoons, tv series)
Public interest
- Public interest in astronomy high
- Hobbyists
- “Hollywood”
- Popular press
- Hubble telescope
- Comets
- Meteors
- Planets
- Space travel
- UFOs
- Compulsory in some provincial school curricula
- Level of scientific literacy low
Amateur astronomers
- Armchair amateur
- Generally a passive interest, e.g. reading magazines, attending lectures, viewing programmes, etc.
- Active amateur
- Observe, often with own instruments (can contribute to professional astronomy)
- Worldwide, amateur astronomers greatly outnumber professionals
Astronomy in schools
- Compulsory units in many science curricula
- Manitoba Grade 6: The Solar System
- Students develop an understanding of the Earth in space, the solar system, and the role of space research programs in increasing scientific knowledge
- Manitoba Senior 1: Exploration of the Universe
- Leads students through an exploration of the universe starting with some basic hands-on astronomy and ending with a critical look at issues surrounding space science and technology. Students observe and locate visible celestial objects.
Popular topics
Public/media interest themes
- Extrasolar planets
- Are we alone in the universe?
- Near-Earth objects?
- Could Earth be annihilated?
- Spectacular visible events
- Solar eclipses; bright comets
Societies
Literature of astronomy
- Astronomy literature in forefront of using computer-based tools and systems
- Conferences especially important in some fields
- High reliance on star catalogues
- Research published in refereed journals makes up almost 80% of cited material
- Nearly 56% of all references to materials published in last seven years (1998-2005)
Hurt, C. D. Informational sources in science and technology. 3rd ed. Englewood, Colo. : Libraries Unlimited, 1998. pp. 101-102
With its roots in alchemy, chemistry is the science of transformation. The literature of chemistry reflects this characteristic, constantly changing in a variety of ways. An example is the adoption of elements from physics into chemistry. Quantum chemistry is now a respected and intellectually rich area of chemistry. Traditionally divided into organic and inorganic chemistry, chemistry also has areas of intellectual activity such as analytical chemistry and physical chemistry.
Chemists publish most often in journals and in short bursts of information. A chemical journal article might not be more than one or two pages in printed form. Some people have accused chemists of publication of LPUs (least publishable unit). Those who make the claim generally come from disciplines where the publication has a double-digit page length.
Journal articles and conference proceedings are the stuff of chemistry. In this respect, chemistry is like other areas. Where it differs is in the control of its literature. Whether chemists simply understood that their literature needed to be controlled or whether the institutions of controls were unintended, chemistry is better controlled bibliographically than any other scientific discipline. Chemical Abstracts is one of the premier abstracting and indexing services in the world. Within chemistry, it is the premier abstracting and indexing service. Because chemists publish in small components, a consequence of this publication characteristic is that they publish a great deal. Chemical Abstracts does an excellent job of gathering this information and making it available to the research world.
One problem related to bibliographic control in chemistry is particularly vexing. Chemistry is often very graphic; that is, chemical equations are often paired with chemical structures. The highly graphical nature of chemistry is handled reasonably well by databases within the Chemical Abstracts Service (now CAS) umbrella. The ability to search by chemical structure is one of the more interesting and innovative means of bibliographic control in science and technology.
Chemists share many of the same problems with others in science, specifically, the lag time in journal publication. To counter this problem, chemistry enrages an intermediary publication, a letters journal. Letters journals are used to report findings that will soon be published. In effect, chemists use such journals to announce forthcoming papers. This technique significantly shortens the period from discovery to dissemination.
The relative shortness of chemistry papers either as letters or as articles suggests that electronic journals are a solution to the burgeoning chemical literature. However, although there are some extant examples, the use of letters journals seem to mitigate the need for electronic journals. There is a second reason, hinted as above, why chemistry will move more slowly into the electronic journal. Graphics-intensive material is difficult to convert into electronic form. The secondary literature is much more susceptible to conversion.
Changes in chemistry will come mainly from the movement of other fields into the main intellectual body of chemistry. A current example is the use of Riemann surfaces to describe and model certain chemical structures. The chemist must not only know the basics of chemistry but also have a passing understanding of some complicated mathematics.
Additional changes in chemistry will come from its melding with other disciplines. Biochemistry is one example. The entrance of other disciplines and techniques into chemistry will spread its literature to those other disciplines. The result will be a richer discipline but greater difficulty for bibliographic control of the field.
Hurt, C.D. Informational Sources in Science and Technology, 3rd Ed. Englewood, Colorado: Libraries Unlimited, 1998. pp.117-118.
Environmental sciences
The environmental sciences are a mixture of disciplines. In a number of ways, they typify science and its development. The environmental sciences combine the intellectual content of several disciplines into a new discipline. A consequence is that defining environmental sciences should be done with care. The terms will mean different things to different people.
The main constituents in environmental sciences are chemistry, biology, zoology, geoscience, ecology, and the engineering fields. To its credit, the environmental sciences incorporated these fields in a very short time and with remarkable continuity. Early in the 1970s a variety of scientists and technologists were publishing in newly established environmental sciences journals. The field was hot, and some researchers in chemistry, biology, and other fields found it easier to publish in journals that were new and hungry for solid papers. The environmental sciences were also a hot area for federally funded research in the early 1970s and beyond. The combination of funding and movement into an area perceived as fast-moving and cutting-edge was very attractive to some researchers.
The downturn in federal funding and the maturing of the discipline has tended to stabilize the field. It is still a field made up of persons who, for the most part, were trained in other disciplines. Because of their relative youth, the environmental sciences are predominately journal-driven with heavy reliance on conferences to assist in pulling the literature together. Monographs are being written, but fewer than in other fields.
One bibliographic consequence of the environmental sciences’ use of such a variety of literature is difficulty with finding and controlling that literature. The environmental sciences were lucky, however. The expansion of the field came at a time when funding for abstracting and indexing services were available and when computerized indexing and automation techniques were becoming widely used in the secondary literature. Environmental Abstracts is an example of an abstracting and indexing tool.
The future for the environmental sciences is one of maturation. This means there will be some consolidation of journals and secondary sources. It means an expansion in some areas of the field, with a concomitant increase in the number of journals and the inevitable lag time for the material to find its way into the secondary literature.
In using the material below, the reader must exercise more caution than in any other area of science and technology. The researcher or reference librarian must note that in more cases than not, there is a parallel literature in another discipline in addition to that found in the environmental sciences.
Environmental Science
Readings
Environment. From The Canadian Encyclopedia http://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.com/articles/environment
Check out links to other sites section http://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.com/en/article/environment/#SUBLinks
Hurt, C.D. Informational Sources in Science and Technology, 3rd Ed. Englewood, Colorado: Libraries Unlimited, 1998. pp117-118.
Safyan, SA. Access to information for environmentalists: a library perspective. Canadian Library Journal 47: 337-43.
Abstracts, Indexes, etc.
Energy, Science and Technology Information at the Office of Scientific and Technical Information http://www.osti.gov/home/
U.S. Department of Energy Web site with links to following searchable databases:
* Information Bridge and Energy Citations http://www.osti.gov/scitech/
Information Bridge is a searchable index and full text database of all research done by and for the Department of Energy since 1995, with projects in biology, environment, physics, chemistry, and engineering.
Energy Citations includes bibliographic records of literature in disciplines of interest to U.S. Department of Energy such as chemistry, physics, materials, environmental science, geology, engineering, mathematics, climatology, oceanography, computer science and related disciplines. It includes citations to report literature, conference papers, journal articles, books, dissertations, and patents. The Database provides access to DOE publicly available citations from 1958 through the present.
* E-print Network http://www.osti.gov/home/RETIRED/eprints.html
Documents that researchers circulate electronically in advance or in lieu of publication.
Forest History Society. Environmental History Bibliography. https://web.archive.org/web/20050304152550/http://www.lib.duke.edu/forest/Research/biblio.html
Contains over 35,000 annotated citations to books, articles, and dissertations published from 1633 to the present.
Manitoba Conservation. Library Services. http://web.archive.org/web/20031206114228/http://www.gov.mb.ca/conservation/library/
Web site of Conservation and Environment Library.
Online Resources and Guides
*Keiser, BE. Our environment: part 1, general sources. Searcher [Internet]. 2002 [cited June 3, 2016]; 10(8):[about 16 p.]Available from: http://www.infotoday.com/searcher/sep02/keiser.htm
Keiser, BE. Our environment: part 2, governments, laws, and organizations. Searcher [Internet]. 2002 [cited June 3, 2016]; 10 (10):[about 11 p.]. Available from http://www.infotoday.com/searcher/nov02/keiser.htm
Keiser, BE. Our environment: part 3, the science and technology. Searcher [Internet]. 2002 [cited June 3, 2016]; 11 (2):[about 5 p.]. Available from http://www.infotoday.com/searcher/feb03/keiser.shtml
The Electronic Green Journal https://web.archive.org/web/20110410132630/http://egj.lib.uidaho.edu/
Provides peer-reviewed articles, book reviews, news, and information on current printed and electronic sources concerning international environmental topics.
EnviroLink http://www.envirolink.org/
Joint site from EnviroLink Network, Animal Concerns Community, and others. Maintains a database of thousands of environmental resources.
Environment Canada. http://www.ec.gc.ca/
A comprehensive site devoted to the environment: acts and regulations; conferences and events; programs and services, including clean air, water, climate change, environmental assessment and enforcement, chemical safety, pollution, endangered species, etc.; and related links.
Environmental Research and Studies Centre. University of Alberta. http://www.ualberta.ca/~ersc/ERSC1.html
This comprehensive resource and links site is designed for:
Scientists seeking information on environmental research programs and researchers;
Students seeking information about environmental studies programs, courses, and careers;
Teachers seeking science-based resource materials for their classrooms;
Citizens seeking information about current environmental issues in Alberta, Canada and the World.
Environmental Studies and Sciences http://libguides.uwinnipeg.ca/environmental
The Greenpages.ca http://www.thegreenpages.ca/
Developed to help students find and access environment related information by collecting and organizing it into one resource. It is a collection of Canadian and international environment-related links to the World Wide Web. All links have been categorized into recognizable themes on how we impact our surroundings.
International Institute for Sustainable Development http://www.iisd.org/
IISD promotes the transition towards a sustainable future. We seek to demonstrate how human ingenuity can be applied to improve the well-being of the environment, economy, and society.
Sustainable Development Timeline http://www.iisd.org/sites/default/files/publications/sd_timeline_2012.pdf
Internet Public Library. Environmental Sciences and Ecology http://www.ipl.org/IPLBrowse/GetSubject?vid=13&cid=1&tid=7136&parent=7115
Kathy Schrock’s Guide for Educators – Environmental Science https://web.archive.org/web/20041205005355/http://school.discovery.com/schrockguide/sci-tech/scien.html
Canada’s School Net Learning Resources http://web.archive.org/web/20050207200805/http://www.schoolnet.ca/home/e/resources/index_cur.asp
Librarians’ Index to the Internet: Environment https://web.archive.org/web/20050211084025/http://lii.org/search/file/environ
Manitoba Conservation http://www.gov.mb.ca/conservation/
Conservation Data Centre http://www.gov.mb.ca/conservation/cdc/
The Manitoba Conservation Data Centre (MBCDC) is a storehouse of information on Manitoba’s biodiversity – its plant and animal species, as well as its natural plant communities.
McGill University Libraries. Environmental Studies http://libraryguides.mcgill.ca/environmental-studies See also Subject Guide: Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences http://libraryguides.mcgill.ca/atmospheric-and-oceanic-sciences
State of the Environment Infobase https://web.archive.org/web/20090305073944/http://www.ec.gc.ca/soer-ree/English/default.cfm
The State of the Environment Infobase was administered by the National Indicators and Reporting Office, and presented Environment Canada’s work on state of the environment reporting and environmental indicators – designed to translate science and data into information and knowledge that can be used.
Vaughan Memorial Library. Environmental Science Research Guide – Reference Sources http://libguides.acadiau.ca/envs
Lists both print and online resources.
Environmental disasters Disasters https://web.archive.org/web/20111206041535/http://bubl.ac.uk/link/d/disasters.htm
Disaster! Finder https://web.archive.org/web/20090201010531/http://disasterfinder.gsfc.nasa.gov/ Disaster Finder was a service developed and maintained by NASA, Solid Earth and Natural Hazards Program (Code YO), NASA Headquarters, Washington, D.C., USA. This service was created for the disaster community at-large so that the best links in disaster information could be found quickly and easily.
Natural Disaster References Database https://web.archive.org/web/20090222150246/http://ndrd.gsfc.nasa.gov/
A bibliographic database on research, programs, and results which relate to the use of satellite remote sensing for disaster mitigation. The NDRD was compiled and abstracted from articles published from 1981 to January 2000.
Core collections EPA Core List for an Environmental Reference Collection http://www2.epa.gov/libraries/core-list-environmental-reference-collection
A listing of information resources in the areas of environmental protection, management, and science as selected by librarians supporting the United States Environmental Protection Agency.
