Heaven and Earth United ― Instruments in Astrological Contexts

Recognising that almost every culture has entertained the idea that the stars and planets influence the Earth and its inhabitants, Heaven and Earth United explores the ways in which scientific instruments have been used for astrological purposes.

Richard Dunn is Senior Curator for the History of Science at Royal Museums Greenwich. His publications include The Telescope: A Short History (2009), Finding Longitude (2014, with Rebekah Higgitt) and Navigational Instruments (2016).

Silke Ackermann studied History, Languages and Cultures of the Orient, and History of Science at Frankfurt University (Germany). She worked for sixteen years in a variety of curatorial and managerial roles at the British Museum before taking up the Directorship of the Oxford University Museum of the History of Science following a two-year stint at a German University between these two roles. She served as President of the Scientific Instrument Commission of the International Union for the History and Philosophy of Science until 2017.

Giorgio Strano is Curator of the Collections at the Museo Galileo: Istituto e Museo di Storia della Scienza in Florence. He is involved in the study and popularization of the history of mathematical astronomy. He has published articles in Italian and international journals and has collaborated on the creation of exhibitions on the history of astronomy and science.