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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)

Sharing Uruguay’s passion for astronomy

Galilean Nights in Uruguay has a special connotation. Here astronomy is part of the curriculum in the education for 15-16 year old children with contents that travels from the universe as we can see it, to the universe as we can understand it. From astrometry to astrophysics. For a long time, since 1893, astronomy is taught to all tenth graders. I want to believe that this generates in our people a better relationship with the universe.

It is also the truth that there are three major centers of activity. The amateurs, Stargazers, college and high school teachers. All the good things that you can find in Galilean Nights in Uruguay comes from the passion that shows our people… And with the passion we “inject” to everybody. ;-)

Greetings from Montevideo – Uruguay

Claudio Pastrana
Coordinator for Uruguay

Galilean Nights en el Uruguay tiene una connotación especial. Aquí la astronomía es parte del currículo en la educación de los niños de 15-16 años con un programa que va desde el universo, como podemos verlo al universo como podemos entenderlo. De la astrometría a la astrofísica. Durante mucho tiempo, desde 1893, se enseña a todos los estudiantes de cuarto grado en educación secundaria. Quiero creer que esto genera en nuestro pueblo una mejor relación con el universo.

Podemos aclarar que hay tres grandes centros de actividad. La Asociación de Astrónomos Aficionados, La Universidad desde el departamento de Astronomía y profesores de secundaria. Todas las cosas buenas que se pueden encontrar en las noches de Galileo en el Uruguay viene de la pasión que demuestra nuestro pueblo …

Y con la pasión que “inyectamos” a todo el mundo. ;-)

Saludos desde Montevideo – Uruguay

Claudio Pastrana
Coordinador de Galilean Nights para Uruguay

See some pictures here: http://picasaweb.google.com/pastronomia/

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This entry was posted on Monday, October 19th, 2009 at 11:13 pm and is filed under Uncategorized. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.