The Cosmic Diary is not just about astronomy. It's more about what it is like to be an astronomer.
The Cosmic Diary aims to put a human face on astronomy: professional scientists will blog in text and images about their lives, families, friends, hobbies and interests, as well as their work, their latest research findings and the challenges that face them. The bloggers represent a vibrant cross-section of female and male working astronomers from around the world, coming from five different continents. Outside the observatories, labs and offices they are musicians, mothers, photographers, athletes, amateur astronomers. At work, they are managers, observers, graduate students, grant proposers, instrument builders and data analysts.
Throughout this project, all the bloggers will be asked to explain one particular aspect of their work to the public. In a true exercise of science communication, these scientists will use easy-to-understand language to translate the nuts and bolts of their scientific research into a popular science article. This will be their challenge.
Mariana Barrosa (Portugal, ESO ePOD)
Nuno Marques (Portugal, Web Developer)
Lee Pullen (UK, Freelance Science Communicator)
André Roquette (Portugal, ESO ePOD)
Jack Oughton (UK, Freelance Science Communicator)
Alice Enevoldsen (USA, Pacific Science Center)
Alberto Krone Martins (Brazil, Uni. S. Paulo / Uni. Bordeaux)
Kevin Govender (South Africa, S. A. A. O.)
Avivah Yamani (Indonesia, Rigel Kentaurus)
Henri Boffin (Belgium, ESO ePOD)
Maybe you have seen the webcast from APEX within the “Around the world in 80 telescopes” event. Then you know that around the telescope, at 5100 meters altitude, there is… nothing. Just a high mountain landscape, no life, no plants, but many rocks.
→ read more
The last few days of my last shift have been quite busy, and when I returned from the observatory to Santiago, my life continued to be busy, even if I don’t really understand why. Anyway, I had this pending post about the SABOCA refill procedure, and here it comes.
→ read more
Despite the fact that they are scientists, astronomers are sometimes a bit fuzzy with their definitions and how they use them. While a professional astronomer working in the same field usually knows what we are talking about, this ambiguity can sometimes be difficult to understand for the general public.
→ read more
Hi all, it’s me again. This time relaxed because it seems that we managed to present an interesting and well received presentation of the APEX Telescope.
→ read more
…at least we have learned something in today’s final rehearsal of our webcast, which is scheduled for tomorrow’s “Around the World in 80 Telescopes” event.
→ read more
Yes, me too… Here at APEX we participate in the “Around the World in 80 Telescopes” event, and we start to get a little bit nervous about it.
→ read more
Michael Dumke,
40 years old, born in Germany
Biography:
Michael was an amateur amateur astronomer early on, as he would watch the night sky, together with his older brother, through a small
telescope. Several years later, when asking himself questions about
the origin of "life, universe, and everything," he decided to study
physics and astronomy at Bonn University. During his life as
professional astronomer, he has lived in Germany, France, and the USA, and he has seen (and worked at) many observatories.