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    James Brannon, PhD

    Independent Scholar & Historian of Astronomy

    CONTACT
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    About

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    Publications & Work

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    Education

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    Contact

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    ABOUT

    James Brannon, PhD

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    James has devoted the last two decades to pursuing academic interests at the intersections between science and humanities, including recent efforts as an independent scholar in the history of ancient, medieval and Renaissance astronomy. Earlier, James spent twenty-five years as a research scientist and engineer with IBM, involved in laser interactions with material surfaces.

  • Publications & Works

    BOOK Project

    “The Sphere of Anthony Ascham: A Commentary and Transcription of TheEarliest Known English-Language Cosmography Based on Sacrobosco’s De Sphaera,” Springer-Nature, 2025

    ARTICLE

    “Aristotle and Planetary Order: An Analysis of His Solar Placement," planned submission to Journal for the History of Astronomy, 2025.

    ARTICLE

    “Cicero's Planetary Order and Distances in De Divinatione - The Earliest-Extant Chaldean Order Statement,” submitted to Early Science and Medicine, March, 2025.

    ARTICLE

    “Plato and Planetary Order: Uncertainty in the positions of Mercury and Venus,” Journal for the History of Astronomy, Vol. 54(4), 2023, pp.404-424.

    ARTICLE

    “The Sphere of Anthony Ascham: Sources for the Earliest-Known English-Language Cosmography based on Sacrobosco’s De Sphaera,” Centaurus, Vol. 63(2), 2021, pp. 353-380.

    Article

    “Bi-Daily Venus in the Medieval Thought of William of Conches: Explaining an Uncommon Celestial Event by Circumsolarity,” Journal for the History of Astronomy, Vol. 51(3), 2020, pp. 305-323.

    MA PAPER

    “Teaching Astronomy in Medieval Europe: The Dragmaticon as an Important Visual Predecessor to De Sphaera,” University of Wisconsin-Madison (2016, M. Shank/F. Hsia, advisors)

    MA THESIS

    “The Transitional Medieval Astronomies of William of Conches and Sacrobosco,” Stanford University (2013, P. Findlen, advisor).

  • EDUCATION

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    MA, History of Science

    (M. Shank, 2016)

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    MLA, Liberal Arts & Humanities

    (P. Findlen, 2013) 

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    PhD, Chemical Physics

    (D. Magde, 1979)

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    MS, Physical Chemistry

    (1976)

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    BS, Chemistry

    (1974)

  • Contact

    Phoenixville, PA
    650-815-9305
    650-815-9305
    jbhistastron@gmail.com
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James Brannon, PhD

About

Publications & Works

Education

Contact

Felix - 2024

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