ASTRONOMY AND IMPERIALISM

Astronomy played a fundamental role in the expansion of the British empire—yet its place in histories of imperialism has often been overlooked or even rejected. Reflecting on this history has important implications for our understanding of science today. Indeed, many of the same contested ideas about objectivity, rationality, and the supposed ‘purity’ of the physical sciences underpin large-scale contemporary astronomical projects around the world. This panel discussion brings together historians and astronomers to ask: are astronomy and imperialism still inter-related? And if so, how should we talk about and critique astronomy in the public sphere?

Panellists:
Dr Eleanor Armstrong (she/her) Postdoctoral Researcher, Stockholm University
Dr. Uahikea Maile (he/they) Assistant Professor of Indigenous Politics , Department of Political Science at the University of Toronto
Osase Omoruyi, Center for Astrophysics | Harvard & Smithsonian