Uniting the Planet: A History of Internationalism in Astronomy

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Astronomy is usually concerned with matters very distant from Earth. Most phenomena studied by astronomers transcend human spaces and timescales by orders of magnitude. Yet, many scientists have been interested not just in the physical composition of stars and galaxies, but also in the political state of their own planet. Since the first half of the twentieth century, an increasing number of them have pursued parallel careers as academics and activists. Forging a global community, they sought to take down the barriers based on nationality and passports that divided them. Many professional scientists joined the International Astronomical Union’s Commission 38 on Exchange of Astronomers. In the spirit of internationalism after World War II, this professional body supported travel worldwide with funds from UNESCO. Equally important were amateur astronomers who reached out to peers in countries excluded from the international scientific community at different points in time, such as Iraq. The efforts of these scientific diplomats went beyond securing visas for people who were marginalized because of nationality, country of birth or place of residence. Through new organizations like Astronomers Without Borders (AWB), they also spread new visions of Earth as a planet without political boundaries.

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