British University Observatories 1772-1939

This book provides an explanatory history of the institutional development of each of the five original British university observatories. It charts the ability of academic astronomers to contribute both to national astronomy and to advance science within their universities, and thus an explanation of the long-term significance of the sector between c.1772 and 1939.In this comparative history the relative importance of each observatory emerges, whilst also answering fundamental...
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This book provides an explanatory history of the institutional development of each of the five original British university observatories. It charts the ability of academic astronomers to contribute both to national astronomy and to advance science within their universities, and thus an explanation of the long-term significance of the sector between c.1772 and 1939.In this comparative history the relative importance of each observatory emerges, whilst also answering fundamental questions about how and why astronomy came into the universities, and how research was reconciled with teaching, as well as addressing how each institution responded to the challenge of astrophysics and the role of astronomers in the professionalization of the discipline.