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Meet the astronomers. See where they work. Know what they know.


The Project:

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.

Task Group:

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)

Archive for the ‘Astronomical libraries’ Category

A visit to el Real Observatorio de la Armada – the Royal Naval Observatory in San Fernando, Spain

One of the highlights of my visit to Spain has been a recent visit to el Real Instituto y Observatorio de la Armada, or in English, the Royal Naval Observatory in San Fernando near Cádiz. I spent a week working in the magnificent library there at the end of June.

Real Observatorio de la Armada at San Fernando. The building dates from 1798 and houses the library and historical archives. Francisco Gonzalez is standing on the steps in front of the building.

First some history: el Real Observatorio de la Armada, or ROA for short, was founded in 1753 in Cádiz. In 1798 it moved to a far superior site in San Fernando, some 8 km from central Cádiz. For those who know the topography of the area, Cádiz is built on an island on Spain’s Atlantic coast, and connected to the mainland by a long and narrow sandspit. Essentially the city is fully built out and land is at a premium. San Fernando is also an island of sorts (la Isla de León) but a narrow channel separates it from the mainland proper.

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July 23rd, 2009 | posted by john in Astronomical libraries, Astronomy in Spain, History of astronomy, JBH

In praise of astronomical libraries

Some of my happiest days have been spent in astronomical libraries. What greater pleasure to be alone amongst the stacks, surrounded by books, and to have twenty or thirty volumes of old journals spread out on the library table, to be absorbed in reading all those papers we meant to get through ten years ago, but never found time to digest? Every astronomer should take a few days off from their routine research or teaching or observing each year, and lose themselves in a good library and be absorbed by browsing.

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February 26th, 2009 | posted by john in Astronomical libraries