Scientific Collaborations Between the US and New Zealand

In 1874, when Venus transited across the sun for the first time since 1769, several nations arranged expeditions to witness the rare astronomical event. More than a century afterwards, a group of scientists from the United States traveled to New Zealand and other southern hemisphere locations to view, study and record the Transit event with 19th century science and technology. The hosting of U.S. scientific parties by New Zealand appears to be the first demonstration of the two nations coordinating on a formal scientific project, making 2024 the 150th anniversary of scientific partnership between New Zealand and the United States of America. Due to the infrequency of the event, nations from across the world mobilized multiple expeditions to get the best chance at capturing data in case bad weather or technical mishap befell one site. New Zealand hosted expeditions from Germany, France, England and the U.S., with the latter setting up two of their eight sites at Whangaroa Harbor on the Chatham Islands, and Queenstown, Otago, New Zealand. In 2023 a New Zealand research team with the support of the Chatham Islands Museum, Massey University and the University of Otago undertook a research trip in May to New York, Philadelphia, and Washington DC to visit collections relating to the expedition. Relationships were formed with the teams at the Library Company of Philadelphia, U.S. Navy Observatory Library, Library of Congress and Peerless Rockville Historic Preservation, with the goal of collaborating on trans-Pacific events to showcase the collections and commemorate 150 years of scientific partnership.
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