(Dr. Curie leads you along a moonlit path up a hill to an observation platform. You see a woman peering through the eyepiece of a telescope, pausing occasionally to make notes.) “We are in Poland during the middle of the 17th century. We are coming to visit a truly remarkable woman. Her name is Maria Cunitz, and she is, obviously, an astronomer. In fact, she is one of the earliest female astronomers, and her work is still used today, in spite of the fact that her name is hardly known. She is extremely well educated, mainly by private tutors, and is fluent in seven languages: German, Italian, French, Polish, Latin, Greek and Hebrew. She even has a crater on the planet Venus named for her.”
(As you approach, the woman notices you, and waves you closer.)
“Good evening, Maria. I hope we are not interrupting.”
“Not at all, Dr. Curie. It is a lovely, clear night, and I thought I would work on my tables. What brings you to Poland?”
“Actually, you bring us here. I was wondering if you could tell my guest a little bit about yourself and your work.”
“You flatter me. Well, my name is Maria Cunitz. I was born in Silesia in 1610. I was educated by Dr. Elias von Löven, a physician, who eventually became my husband. I am best known for my book, Urania Propitia.”  Maria Cunitz, Urania Propitia, 1650 (Title Page) Weblink: History Of Science Digitized Images. Courtesy History of Science Collections, OU Libraries. “Yes, your book was quite an accomplishment. Can you discuss it?”
“During my studies, in 1627, I became acquainted with Johannes Kepler’s work. Kepler was a Copernican astronomer of little renown amongst his contemporaries. While studying his works, I became very familiar with his Rudolphine tables. When I compared his tables to my research, I found some……discrepancies.”
“And what exactly are Rudolphine tables?”
“The Rudolphine Tables were named after Emperor Rudolf II, and charted the positions of over 1,000 stars that had been measured by Kepler and Tycho Brahe, as well as nearly 500 more that had been charted by Ptolemy. They are used primarily to compute planetary positions.”
 Maria Cunitz, Urania Propitia, 1650 (Rudolphine Tables) Weblink: History Of Science Digitized Images. Courtesy History of Science Collections, OU Libraries. “I see, and had this not been done before?”
“Certainly. Many times, but the Rudolphine tables were more accurate than the Alphonsine tables of the 13th century, and the Prussian tables of the 16th century.”
“And what did your research find?”
“Well, Kepler’s methods of calculation had been far too complex. I simplified his calculations, which in turn made his tables not only easier to read for both learned and non-learned readers, but it made them far more accurate.”
“Interesting. You made these discoveries in 1627, but did not publish your work until 1650. What happened?”
“As is often the case, war happened. The Thirty Years War forced my husband and me to flee here to Poland, and interrupted much of my work. Fortunately, I was able to continue my correspondence with some of my colleagues, such as Johannes Hevelius, and my research continued, just at a much slower rate.”
“I understand. Can you talk about your elegant solution to Kepler’s problem?”
“Elegant? You flatter me again. Kepler’s problem measured the interaction between two bodies based upon their masses, speeds, and distance from one another. As usual, Kepler’s solution was far more complicated than it needed to be. My solution was easier to apply, and could be used in many other areas of science, even outside of physics. Kepler’s problem, and my solution, has been used in classical mechanics, celestial mechanics, and even Newtonian gravity.”
“And what of the title? What is Urania Propitia?”
(Maria blushes and smiles)
“It means Near the Heavens, and it was my husband’s nickname for me. I published the work in both German and Latin, as I wanted it to be accessible to anyone with the desire to learn. The book was published with one page being Latin, and the facing page in German, with both pages having the same content.”
“It sounds like a truly lovely work. Do you have a copy you can share with us?”
“My personal copy is back in my library, but if you would like to see one up close, your guest has easy access to a copy.”
“Oh? How is that?”
“The History of Science Collection at the University of Oklahoma owns an original copy of my work. I am happy that they have seen fit to add my work to their collection.”
“How fortuitous! They have several copies of my works there as well.”
“Well, I suppose they certainly know a great mind when they see one. After all, who could pass up the works of a Nobel Prize winner of your caliber?”
“Yes, Maria, that’s very funny. I’ve heard that jibe more than once on this trip.”
“Is there anything else I can answer for you?”
“No, I believe that does it. Thank you for your time. It was extremely informative. We shall let you return to your work.”
(Dr. Curie leads you back to her office at the University of Paris) You can either: Return to the Main Project Page or E-mail Richard Cavett with questions or comments.
Bibliography Ogilvie, Marilyn and Harvey, Joy, eds., The Biographical Dictionary of Women in Science. New York: Routledge, 2000.
Cunitz, Maria, Urania Propitia. Olsnae Silesiorum, 1650.
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