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Putting astronomy on the map: The launch of the first geographical‐astronomical journal

2020; Wiley; Volume: 62; Issue: 1 Linguagem: Inglês

10.1111/1600-0498.12282

1600-0498

Alexander Stoeger,

Historical Geography and Cartography

In 1798, astronomer Franz Xaver von Zach in Gotha and publisher Friedrich Justin Bertuch in Weimar launched the first astronomical-geographical journal, Allgemeine geographische Ephemeriden (AGE). The journal was intended to provide professionals and interested lay readership with high-quality maps, information about new discoveries, and statistical data. The periodical was shaped by Zach's expertise and Bertuch's economic potential. Their extraordinary collaboration and their different conceptions of a specialised periodical also played a role in how the journal developed. This paper examines the collaboration between the editor and the publisher of the AGE and their different ideas of the journal's purpose. By analysing the content of the AGE during Zach's time as editor, as well as shortly thereafter, and comparing them to Zach's second journal, the Monatliche Correspondenz, this paper shows the differences between a scientific journal aimed at a professional readership and one intended to address an interested lay readership by providing information, maps, and illustrations. The following pages illustrate how Zach's and Bertuch's ideas of a successful journal were reflected in the structure and content of the periodicals.