Chasing Venus (eBook)

On two days in 1761 and 1768, astronomers positioned across the world cast their eyes to the skies to witness a rare event: Venus travelling across the face of the sun. The two transits formed the most significant astronomical events in scientific history, as by recording the path of Venus and comparing results, these men hoped to unlock the answer to one of the most pressing questions of the Enlightenment: the dimensions of our solar system. For the first time, scientists from across the globe came together - despite wars, savage weather and bitter rivalries - to measure the universe.

Chasing Venus recounts the extraordinary expeditions that set off to observe the transits, and the triumphs and misfortunes that befell them. Overcoming enormous obstacles to make their observations, these astronomers were pioneers: helping to discover new lands, animal and plant species, and to connect and map the world as we know it today.

Featuring a cast of some of the most recognisable names in world history - Edmond Halley, Benjamin Franklin, James Cook, Mason and Dixon and Catherine the Great, among others - Chasing Venus is a thrilling adventure story, a tale of obsession and personal tragedy, and an inspiring account of Enlightenment science and discovery.

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On two days in 1761 and 1769 hundreds of astronomers pointed their telescopes towards the skies to observe a rare astronomical event: the transit of Venus across the face of the sun.United by this momentous occasion, scientists from around the globe came together to answer the essential question: how can the universe be measured? In Chasing Venus Andrea Wulf paints a vivid portrait of the rivalries, triumphs and misfortunes that befell these men, along with their passion and determination to succeed. This extraordinary book tells their story and how one single event prompted the first international scientific collaboration.