Research Guides: History and Philosophy of Science: Physics and Astronomy

Primary Sources

Sidereus nuncius by Galileo Galileo
Call Number: QB41 .G17 1610
A facsimile copy of Galileo's 1610 text of observations made through the telescope. The Sidereus Nuncius was significant as Galileo was able to use his telescope to record his observations of the moon and to demonstrate that its terrain was imperfect and mountainous. It contains more than seventy drawings, including diagrams of the moon and various constellations.
An easy and pleasant introduction to Sir Isaac Newton's philosophy : containing The First principles of mechanics, trigonometry, optics, and astronomy by Fellow of the Royal Society
Call Number: Shaw ; BX9333 .C67 1772
Publication Date: 1772
The book offers an introduction to Newton's philosophy. The appendix contains short lectures to introduce school children to the Newton's ideas as well as the principles of astronomy.
Atlas of plates illustrative of Ferguson's principles of astronomy by James Ferguson
Call Number: QB42 .F4 1785 atlas
Publication Date: 1785
A book of elaborate illustrated plates by James Ferguson, a Scottish astronomer, known for his studies and lectures on mechanics, optics, and astronomy. This book contains large folded engravings of mechanisms as well as the motions of celestial bodies.
Philosophiæ naturalis principia mathematica by Isaac Newton
Call Number: QA803 .A2 1713*
Publication Date: 1713
An early edition of Newton's work on the laws of motion and his law of universal gravitation. The work was comprised of three volumes and first published in 1687. It forms the foundation of classical mechanics.

Finding Aids at FSU

Finding aids are tools that help a user find information in a specific record group, collection, or series of archival materials. Examples of finding aids include published and unpublished inventories, container and folder lists, card catalogs, calendars, indexes, registers, and institutional guides. The finding aids below connect to archival documents in FSU's collection.

Paul A. M. Dirac Papers (MSS 1989-009): This collection contains the papers of Paul A. M. Dirac (1902-1984), a theoretical physicist considered to be one of the founders of quantum mechanics and quantum electrodynamics. It consists of correspondence, manuscripts of scientific papers and lectures, manuscript calculations, books, photographs, sound recordings, etc.

Paul Dirac Photographs (MSS 2021-003): photographs depicting Paul Dirac, including images with family, friends, and colleagues.

External Resources

Starry Messenger: This is an online resource for the history of astronomy developed by The Whipple Museum of the History of Science and the Department of History and Philosophy of Science at Cambridge University. It focuses on the history of astronomy, its instruments, and uses.
History of Astronomy Online Resources: A compilation of resources, books, articles, and journals pertaining to astronomy maintained by the American Astronomical Society
Epact: a valuable tool for understanding historical scientific instruments and their uses
Newton Papers: A digital collection of the papers of Isaac Newton, an English physicist, astronomer, and mathematician