Mining the Sky: José Árbol y Bonilla, Zacatecas Meteorites, and the Circulation of Scientific Knowledge

Abstract

This article explores how the celebrated mining city of Zacatecas contributed to the history of astronomy through keen awareness of mineralogy. Two local meteorites shaped discussions of meteoritics around the world as institutions clamored for samples: one in 1792 and the other, a witnessed fall, in 1885. Using scientific journals and local accounts, this study analyzes how Zacatecas astronomers such as José Árbol y Bonilla participated in the circulation of knowledge of meteorites by sharing samples and including the stories of locals who participated in scientific discovery. This article concludes with an examination of private collectors, including Porfirian technocrats, who halted the meteorites’ journey.