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

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.

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.

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