University of Pittsburgh Press
The Transit of Venus Enterprise in Victorian Britain
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The Transit of Venus Enterprise in Victorian Britain

By Jessica Ratcliff
An engaging and provocative contribution.
Victorian Studies
Paperback $50.00

Request Exam or Desk Copy. Request Review Copy

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.

More Praise

An excellent history of the transit of Venus. . . . This well-researched volume, which includes 25 pages of notes, judicious use of archives, and an excellent bibliography, takes its place in the considerable literature generated by the last transit.

Journal of the History of Astronomy

Highly recommended.

Choice

December, 2020

isbn : 9780822966449

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about the author

Jessica Ratcliff

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

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Jessica Ratcliff