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Alfred Russel Wallace and the RASC Astronomical Art & Artifact Alfred Russel Wallace and the RASC by R.A. Rosenfeld, RASC Archivist ([email protected]) o year passes without some milestones of that a decade after Darwin’s death, the great popularizer Sir Robert particularly significant part of human culture we call Ball could even state that “Astronomers were thus the first N“science” being celebrated in a big way. Big ideas get big evolutionists, they have sketched out a majestic scheme of parties. Astronomy is decently endowed with such occasions. evolution for the whole solar system and now they are rejoiced The 1986 apparition of Halley’s Comet included a celebration to find that the great doctrine of Evolution has received an of Edmund Halley’s work, and, from the cometary proof of extension to the whole domain of organic life by the splendid Newtonian celestial mechanics, led to a year-long party hosted genius of Darwin [Lightman 2007, 413].” Ball’s words carried by his successors for themselves and for the shades of Halley, weight. Formerly the Astronomer Royal of Ireland, that same his friend Newton, and their admirers Delisle, Messier, and year he was appointed to succeed John Couch Adams in the others (gains for the history of astronomy are well presented in Lowndean Chair of Astronomy and Geometry at Cambridge Thrower et al. 1990). The 2004 transit of Venus commemorated University. At Cambridge he was a colleague of the other historical efforts through parallactic methods to determine professor of astronomy, Sir George Darwin, Plumian Professor and refine what we now know as the astronomical unit (AU), of Astronomy and Experimental Philosophy, and second son of and honoured those who made the predictions, undertook Charles. Sir George was a distinguished celestial mechanician, the measurements, and travelled to make them: Horrox and and an honorary member of the RASC. Crabtree; Mason and Dixon; Lord Lindsay; and David Gill Charles Darwin himself wished to study rudimentary (IAU 2004; Sheehan and Westfall 2004). We are currently in positional astronomy in preparation for his trip aboard the the midst of one such celebration, the 400th anniversary of Beagle (Darwin Letter 122, 1831 September 9). The RASC the inauguration of telescopic astronomy, with Galileo the Archives, unfortunately, does not contain any original principal symbolical recipient of the IYA cake and champagne correspondence or documents of Charles Darwin, but it does (there is a desire in some quarters to give a portion of Galileo’s own an unpublished letter cake to Thomas Harriot [Chapman 2009], yet from his letters of his good friend, and co- it seems that Galileo’s English contemporary would not have discoverer of the theory of disputed the Tuscan philosopher’s claim to his fame). For all of evolution by natural selection, their epochal importance, Galileo’s telescopic lunar and Jovian Alfred Russel Wallace observations and the current celebration they’ve sparked may (1823-1913; McKinney 1976; not be remembered as the chief scientific commemoration Garwood 2004; Smith 2007; of the year. That distinction is undoubtedly reserved for the Smith 2008). 200th anniversary of the birth of Charles Darwin, and the Now considered one of sesquicentennary of the publication of On the Origin of Species the great natural philosophers by Means of Natural Selection, or the Preservation of Favoured of all time, some scientists Races in the Struggle for Life (www.darwin2009.cam. and historians of science ac.uk). would rate Wallace as “the That there are connections between Darwin, his work, single most outstanding field and astronomy is not news. Probably no part of astrophysics, biologist and tropical regions planetary astronomy, astrobiology, or even instrumentation has naturalist in history” (Smith remained unaffected by the idea of evolution. It’s so common as 2008), which is, as it were, an explanatory template to order data that we hardly notice its astronomical praise, given the use (we’re more likely to notice its absence). What readers may constellation of highly gifted not know is how quickly evolution made its mark in astronomy, and persevering naturalists at Alfred Russel Wallace at least in some quarters. It had proceeded so far that, by 1892, work in and beyond Victoria’s August / août 2009 JRASC Celebrating the International Year of Astronomy (IYA2009) 165 empire. The golden age of visual observational astronomers Astronomical Society, when it was so styled) were entirely was also the golden age of daring field naturalists. Their like conducted through the Society’s Secretary, J.R. Collins and numbers have not been seen since. Among Wallace’s (1865-1957; Broughton 1994, 71). That this was not the many achievements, in addition to the co-discovery of only letter exchanged between the two men is clear from the theory of natural selection, are the Wallace Line, a a statement in a review (Collins 1905) of one of Wallace’s major demarcation between the zoogeographical regions major works on astrobiology (the field would then be known of Asia and the transitional zone bordering Australia, the as the “life on other worlds” question), Man’s place in the early development of the field of biogeography, and the Universe (1903). In light of the nature of Wallace’s reply to formulation of the concepts of warning colouration, and Collins (supra), it’s not unexpected that Collins’ review of the Wallace Effect, which states that natural selection can Wallace’s forthcoming book was favourable. While there is lead to reproductive isolation. nothing particularly novel revealed in the letter published Wallace’s competence in astronomy, and commitment here, what is perhaps surprising to a modern reader is the and contributions to the discipline far outstripped those apparent freedom with which a relatively undistinguished of Charles Darwin. He received solid training in practical office holder in a provincial society can initiate an epistolary astronomy when he was educated by his brother in the exchange with a figure of world standing. There’s something craft of surveying (Fichman 2004, 13-14). Some of his work almost disarming about the apparent lack of reflection from the 1880s dealt with astronomical matters, but it in the act. The good will evident in Wallace’s response to wasn’t until the increased activity of the pluralists — those Collins says much for the character for the man. This lion at arguing for an abundance of life throughout the Universe any rate is not going to devour the oblivious lamb. Equally — that Wallace made his main contributions. He was also surprising is Wallace’s request for Collins’ assistance. It’s a noted opponent of Percival Lowell’s Martian theories as if Stephen Hawking placed a call in the RASC Bulletin and “discoveries” (Crowe 1986, 530-531). Wallace showed for assistance on a particular aspect of Hawking radiation, himself fully conversant with the professional astronomical after having received a letter from the Archivist! literature, and fully able to use it professionally. His work The tenor of the times was such that this was not a on the atmosphere and surface features of Mars was much particularly infrequent occurrence. And it may hold a lesson more cogent and scientific than Lowell’s. He has been in public relations for those concerned with improving public claimed as a founding figure of modern astrobiology, and perceptions of the “image” of the professional scientist an early developer of a form of the Anthropic Principle during either of the landmark 2009 celebrations. Perhaps (Smith 2008). we should all try to be more like Wallace, professionals or Wallace’s relations with the RASC (and the Toronto amateurs. 166 Celebrating the International Year of Astronomy (IYA2009) JRASC August / août 2009 Edition a Struve treatment of the galactic location of the Solar System and the Earth, then he could be citing something similar to Struve 1847, but if Letter pasted into front end-papers of Wallace 1903b, RASC he means a Struve manuscript that emphasizes the unique qualities of the Earth for life, I can find no reference to it in either Crowe 1986, or Archives Rare Book Collection, s.n. Batten 1988. It is also unclear to which of the Struve clan of astronomers Wallace is referring. The wording may imply that Wallace thought such a /p. 1Broadstone,1 Dorset. work was to appear shortly, but that need not mean the author was alive June 2nd - 1903 in 1903. Wallace 1903b does not clarify matters. J.R. Collins Esq. 7 Presumably the printing of Wallace 1903b. Dear Sir[,] References Many Thanks for your very interesting letter2 & the paper Manuscript & photos. of the Nova Persei neb[ula].3 Letter from A.R. Wallace to J.R. Collins 1903 June 3 The astronomical criticisms of my article are, as you say, very weak, — while the French ones4 are even weaker, & Books and Articles both, (in this month’s Knowledge5) quote us as claiming our system to be in the exact centre of the Milky Way — a word Batten, A.H. 1988, Resolute and Undertaking Characters: The I have carefully avoided using. The one real difficulty I feel is, Lives of Wilhelm and Otto Struve, D. Reidel, Dordrecht that I cannot/p. 2 show evidence for the stable position of our Bode, M.F. & Evans, A. 2008, Classical Novae, 2nd edition, sun during the epoch required for the development of Life. The Cambridge University Press, Cambridge observed & calculated motion of sun and stars is nothing, as all Broughton, P. 1994, Looking Up: A History of the Royal may be moving in orbits small or large, but the difficulty is to Astronomical Society of Canada, Dundurn, Toronto- find or suggest any probablecentre of attraction for part or the Oxford whole of the Stellar universe.
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