Astronomy at the Turn of the Twentieth Century in Chile and the United States

This Palgrave Pivot tells the transnational story of the astronomical observatory in the hills near Santiago, Chile, built in the early twentieth century through the efforts of astronomers from the Lick Observatory in California. Venturing abroad to learn from largely unmapped Southern skies and, hopefully, answer lingering questions about the structure of the galaxy, they planned a three-year research expeditionbut ended up staying for more than twenty-five years. The history of the Mills Expedition offers a window onto the history of astronomy, the challenges of scientific collaboration across national lines, and the political and cultural contexts of early-twentieth-century Chile and the United States.

Explores how the San Cristóbal Observatory emerged from a research expedition by American astronomers, and its connections to broader scientific, political, and cultural contexts Combines a rigorously researched history of an important episode in the evolution of modern astronomy with an accessible, engaging writing style Offers insight into the history of science in the global South, international scientific collaborations, and the origins of modern global astronomy

Auteur
Bárbara K. Silva is a FONDECYT-Chile researcher and Lecturer of Latin American History at Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile.

Contenu

1. Introduction: Look Up to Southern Stars.- 2. Preparing the Mills Expedition.- 3. The Astronomers' Arrival and Challenges of Getting Settled in Chile.- 4. The Americans Want to Stay.- 5. Changing Years for the Mills Expedition.- 6. Epilogue: Transnational Mirrors for the Stars.