Barbara KIRSI SILVA

Barbara Kirsi Silva (PhD in History, 2015) works on the history of science and technology in contemporary Latin America, with a global perspective. The main topics of her research are history of astronomy, history of solar energy, and scientific knowledge production. This research complements her previous work on identity and nation building processes in the region. Additionally, she has combined academic research with exploring new formats and communication processes of history.

She is the author of the books Astronomy at the Turn of the Twentieth Century. Chasing Southern Stars (Palgrave Macmillan, 2019), Estrellas desde el San Cristóbal (Catalonia, 2019), Identidad Terremoteada (Ediciones UAH, 2018), and the edited volume The Sun at the Service of Mankind. History of Solar Energy in Chile (Ril-USM-Serc, 2019).

She is currently a History Professor at the Faculty of Philosophy and Humanities, Universidad Alberto Hurtado – Chile, and FONDECYT Researcher – Chile, PI project 11200168.

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June 1963, summit meeting on Cerro Morado. Credit: ESO/F.K. Edmonson.
June 1963, summit meeting on Cerro Morado. Credit: ESO/F.K. Edmonson.
On June 8-10 1963, ESO officials were the guests of AURA on their property and on June 10 gathered on Cerro Morado, discussing ESO prospects in Chile. On June 8 1963, they undertook the trip on horseback to Tololo, where most of June 9 was spent for inspection of the AURA site. From there, both groups went on June 10 to the neighbouring mountain Morado on the AURA territory, south of Tololo; it was AURA’s suggestion that this mountain, with its large surface and well tested, favourable observing conditions, might offer a suitable location for the ESO Observatory. On the photograph, from left to right: Ch. Fehrenbach, O. Heckmann, Sr Marchetti, J.H. Oort, N.U. Mayall, F.K. Edmondson and A.B. Muller.
Material civilization

European Astronomy in Chile

Barbara KIRSI SILVA

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