The Transit of Venus Enterprise in Victorian Britain

In the nineteenth century, the British Government spent money measuring the distance between the earth and the sun using observations of the transit of Venus. This book presents a narrative of the two Victorian transit programmes. It draws out their cultural significance and explores the nature of "big science" in late-Victorian Britain.

About the author

Jessica Ratcliff is assistant professor of science and technological studies at Cornell University.

Summary

In the nineteenth century, the British Government spent money measuring the distance between the earth and the sun using observations of the transit of Venus. This book presents a narrative of the two Victorian transit programmes. It draws out their cultural significance and explores the nature of "big science" in late-Victorian Britain.

Product details

• Authors: Jessica Ratcliff
• Publisher: University Of Pittsburgh Press
• Languages: English
• Product format: Paperback / Softback
• Released: 30.06.2022
• EAN: 9780822966449
• ISBN: 978-0-8229-6644-9
• No. of pages: 320
• Dimensions: 146 mm x 229 mm x 13 mm
• Weight: 331 g
• Series: Sci & Culture in the Nineteent; Sci & Culture in the Nineteenth Century; Science and Culture in the Nineteenth Century
• Subjects: Humanities, art, music > History; Natural sciences, medicine, IT, technology > Physics, astronomy > Astronomy