독립혁명기와 초기 공화정 시기 미국 천문학의 발전과 미국 상징의 탄생: 미국 성조기, 국새, 화폐를 중심으로

The Development of American Astronomy during the Revolutionary Era and Early Republic Era and the Birth of American Symbols

An event that further heightened public interest was the recording of the Transit of Venus on 3 June 1769, and David Rittenhouse's creation of an Orrery in April 1770 – a device demonstrating the motion of the inner planets within the solar system. His submitted Venus observations and the Orrery he constructed brought his name to prominence not only across colonial America but throughout the global scientific community. Subsequently, during the period of the American Revolution and the drafting of the Federal Constitution, America predominantly adopted astronomical imagery – stars, constellations, and solar motifs – as symbols representing the nation. The American flag (the Stars and Stripes), the Great Seal of the United States, and the federal coins minted in 1787 all featured astronomical imagery – stars, the sun, and radiating patterns – which were frequently employed during the Revolutionary period and the early republic. These images, primarily employed as America progressed towards a federal union during its independence process, emphasised that the thirteen states must cooperate and achieve harmony to advance as the United States of America.