The return of Halley's comet: popularization of astronomy in 'El Imparcial'. Mexico, 1910

Abstract

The return of Halley’s comet in 1910 became a popular event because of its scientific importance and the controversy surrounding it. Although this event was publicized through different media, this paper aims to specifically study the popularization process documented in the Mexican newspaper El Imparcial. Our methodology is based on qualitative content analysis, through which we identified four main themes: ‘scientific explanation’, ‘controversy’, ‘public interest’ and ‘expectations for 1986’. The examination of these themes reveals the people who promoted the dissemination, the interests and strategies of the press, and the public’s reaction.