Astronomy at the Turn of the Twentieth Century in Chile and the United States: Chasing Southern Stars, 1903–1929

Description

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 expedition—but 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. Front Matter ....Pages i-xiv Introduction: Look Up to Southern Stars (Bárbara K. Silva)....Pages 1-11 Preparing the Mills Expedition (Bárbara K. Silva)....Pages 13-26 The Astronomers’ Arrival and Challenges of Getting Settled in Chile (Bárbara K. Silva)....Pages 27-60 The Americans Want to Stay (Bárbara K. Silva)....Pages 61-84 Changing Years for the Mills Expedition (Bárbara K. Silva)....Pages 85-117 Epilogue: Transnational Mirrors for the Stars (Bárbara K. Silva)....Pages 119-129 Back Matter ....Pages 131-134