In astronomy, Japan still focused on foreign studies as in the late Meiji period. In
this chapter, a brief history of positional astronomy and the early stage of astrophysics in the Meiji and Taisho eras are presented (Nakamura 2008).
2.2 Positional Astronomy
2.2.1 E. Lépissier and H. M. Paul, First Foreign Instructors
The Meiji government took up the modernization of astronomy at Kaisei Gakko
(Nakamura 2008). Emile Lépissier (1824–1874), who was a former Deputy Astronomer at the Paris Observatory, was invited to be the first professor of astronomy at
Kaisei Gakko in 1870. He taught positional astronomy to about 15 students until
1873. Besides teaching, he was consulted on plans for the new observatory, but he
retired in 1874 due to illness. In 1877, Kaisei School was reorganized as Imperial
University, and the Departments of Physics and Astronomy were installed in the
College of Science the following year. In parallel, an astronomical-meteorological
observatory was built on campus. The first professor of astronomy in the Department
of Science at Imperial University was Henry M. Paul (1851–1931), who had been
working at the Naval Observatory in Washington, D.C., in the fields of positional
astronomy and geodetic surveying. In Japan, he served as a professor of astronomy
at Imperial University from 1880 to 1883 (Watanabe 1975). Although his lectures
were limited to spherical astronomy and geodesy, he cultivated several able students,
including Tanakadate Aikitsu (Sect. 2.3.2). In 1883, Paul returned to the Naval
Observatory, his home institute.
2.2.2 Terao Hisashi and Position Astronomy
Terao was the first Japanese professor of astronomy at Tokyo Imperial University,
and he contributed to the progress of positional astronomy in Japan (Hirayama et al.
1923).
Terao Hisashi (寺尾寿, 1855–1923) was born in the city of Fukuoka (at present)
in Kyushu as the eldest son of Terao Kiheita (寺尾喜平太), a samurai of the
Fukuoka clan in the Edo era. Terao entered Kaisei School in 1874, just after the
retirement of Lépissier. After graduation, Terao studied positional astronomy at the
Paris Observatory from 1879 to 1883, in a government study-abroad program. In
Paris, he learned astronomy at the Paris Observatory under Francoix Felix Tisserand
(1845–1896), known as the author of the Treatise on Celestial Mechanics.
In 1882, he participated in a French expedition to Martinique Island in the
Caribbean Sea for the purpose of observing the transit of Venus on the solar disk.
Thereafter he visited several observatories in the USA and returned to Japan in 1883,
18
2 Astronomy from Meiji to Taisho Period 1868–1926
this chapter, a brief history of positional astronomy and the early stage of astrophysics in the Meiji and Taisho eras are presented (Nakamura 2008).
2.2 Positional Astronomy
2.2.1 E. Lépissier and H. M. Paul, First Foreign Instructors
The Meiji government took up the modernization of astronomy at Kaisei Gakko
(Nakamura 2008). Emile Lépissier (1824–1874), who was a former Deputy Astronomer at the Paris Observatory, was invited to be the first professor of astronomy at
Kaisei Gakko in 1870. He taught positional astronomy to about 15 students until
1873. Besides teaching, he was consulted on plans for the new observatory, but he
retired in 1874 due to illness. In 1877, Kaisei School was reorganized as Imperial
University, and the Departments of Physics and Astronomy were installed in the
College of Science the following year. In parallel, an astronomical-meteorological
observatory was built on campus. The first professor of astronomy in the Department
of Science at Imperial University was Henry M. Paul (1851–1931), who had been
working at the Naval Observatory in Washington, D.C., in the fields of positional
astronomy and geodetic surveying. In Japan, he served as a professor of astronomy
at Imperial University from 1880 to 1883 (Watanabe 1975). Although his lectures
were limited to spherical astronomy and geodesy, he cultivated several able students,
including Tanakadate Aikitsu (Sect. 2.3.2). In 1883, Paul returned to the Naval
Observatory, his home institute.
2.2.2 Terao Hisashi and Position Astronomy
Terao was the first Japanese professor of astronomy at Tokyo Imperial University,
and he contributed to the progress of positional astronomy in Japan (Hirayama et al.
1923).
Terao Hisashi (寺尾寿, 1855–1923) was born in the city of Fukuoka (at present)
in Kyushu as the eldest son of Terao Kiheita (寺尾喜平太), a samurai of the
Fukuoka clan in the Edo era. Terao entered Kaisei School in 1874, just after the
retirement of Lépissier. After graduation, Terao studied positional astronomy at the
Paris Observatory from 1879 to 1883, in a government study-abroad program. In
Paris, he learned astronomy at the Paris Observatory under Francoix Felix Tisserand
(1845–1896), known as the author of the Treatise on Celestial Mechanics.
In 1882, he participated in a French expedition to Martinique Island in the
Caribbean Sea for the purpose of observing the transit of Venus on the solar disk.
Thereafter he visited several observatories in the USA and returned to Japan in 1883,
18
2 Astronomy from Meiji to Taisho Period 1868–1926