The Price of Prestige

144 chapter five

for transit observations in 1857 , securing the necessary funds and working

on the acquisition of scientific instruments as early as 1870. Not satisfied

with organizing British expeditions alone, Airy worked diligently to pro-

mote TOV observations abroad and called on leading powers to establish

“transit commissions” as preparation. Germany established a governmen-

tal “transit commission” in 1869 , France in 1870 , and the US Congress

granted $ 2 , 000 for such a commission in 1871.^20 The British government

furnished £ 15 , 500 for transit expeditions, as well as the use of military per-

sonnel and navy vessels (Dick 2003 , chap. 7 ).^21 Ultimately, Airy oversaw

more than twelve British expeditions to the far corners of the world.^22

In the United States, preparations began relatively late, raising fears that

the expeditions would be ill prepared for the “astronomical event of the

century”: “England, France, Germany and Russia are busily equipping as-

tronomical expeditions to assist in solving what has been justly called ‘one

of the sublimest problems of the universe.’... While other countries are so

busy, what are the United States doing? We have found previous attempts

to answer this question not very satisfactory” (“The Astronomical Event

of the Century,” 1874 ). Similarly, Hilgard ( 1874 ) used the pages of the In-

ternational Review to warn American policy makers, “No nation could now

claim to be in the foremost rank of civilization that would refuse to bear its

part in researches of an interest to all mankind.” Here the participation in

transit observations becomes a clear status symbol — only those countries

able and willing to pay can be considered part of the civilized world.

The American transit commission needed to secure congressional fund-

ing for overseas expeditions, a daunting task given Congress’s general re-

luctance to fund astronomy projects (Plotkin 1978 ). In March 1872 , the

US Naval Observatory’s superintendent requested $ 150 , 000 for transit

expeditions. He argued that funding is needed because other nations of-

fered their scientists generous support. He ended up securing $ 177 , 000

for overseas expeditions in addition to the right to use navy ships and

personnel — more than he had asked for (Dick 2003 ).^23 Again, the po-

litical motivation for Big Science funding was not the expected scientific

benefit but rather a sense of international competition and a challenge to

national prestige.

The American transit commission organized eight expeditions. The

USS Swatara was refitted to transport the expeditions to their destina-

tions, resulting in a thirty- month voyage to the most remote corners of

the earth. The New York Times triumphantly described the mission as

“the most important expedition that has ever been sent out by the United