Excavation in the Sky: Historical Inference in Astronomy

Abstract

The philosophy of historical sciences investigates their distinct objects of study, epistemic challenges, and methodological solutions. Rethinking astronomy in this light offers a contribution to both. First, the methodology of historical sciences adds to a more adequate description of how astronomers study and utilize token events. Second, astronomy faces a typical difficulty in identifying traces of some past events and has developed a delicate solution to it. This enriches the idea of trace and suggests a methodology that relies on iterations between data-driven approaches and theory-driven approaches, together with the cross-validation between multiple relevant historical events or datasets.