Cosmic Diary Logo

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)

Venus Climate Orbiter “AKATSUKI” (PLANET-C) Message Campaign

Candidate positions of message plates installation

Candidate positions of message plates installation

We JAXA started a campaign to collect messages to be attached to the Venus Climate Orbiter “AKATSUKI”. This is something like the ones we carried out with the Mars orbiter “NOZOMI”, asteroid sample-return mission “HAYABUSA”, and the lunar orbiter “KAGUYA”. The basic idea is to enhance people’s interest in space and the Earth by holding a “message campaign” in which we invite people to send us messages that will be printed in fine letters on an aluminum plate and placed aboard the Venus Climate Orbiter “AKATSUKI”. We will accept messages both from Japan and overseas so that we can bind the feelings and thoughts of everybody in the world into one, and inject it into the orbit of Venus. Through this campaign, we would like to boost the public’s knowledge about Japanese space science research activities in Japan as well as abroad. The campaign is being carried out in collaboration with the International Year of Astronomy 2009 Japan Committee, and the IYA2009 Japan Committee hosts the webpage for individuals throughout the world to sign up the names and messages. The reason why we named the Venus Climate Orbiter PLANET-C as “AKATSUKI” prior to launch is to popularize the name of this orbiter through this campaign. The deadline is December 25 of this year. Do not miss it.
http://www.jaxa.jp/event/akatsuki/index_e.html

JAXAでは金星探査機「あかつき」に搭載するメッセージを集めるキャンペーンを開始しました。これは以前火星探査機「のぞみ」や小惑星探査機「はやぶさ」、月周回衛星「かぐや」で行ったのと同様のものです。メッセージキャンペーンを通じて集めたメッセージをアルミプレートに詳細に印字して金星探査機に搭載することで、多くの皆さんの宇宙や地球への関心を高めていただこうというのが基本的な考え方です。日本国内だけでなく海外からもメッセージを募集することで、世界中の人たちの考え方を一つにまとめ、金星の周回軌道に投入します。このキャンペーンを通じて、日本国内のみならず国外の人々にも日本の宇宙科学研究の成果に対する関心を高めてほしいと考えています。今回のキャンペーンは世界天文年2009日本委員会との共同で進められており、世界天文年2009日本委員会が募集窓口となるウェブページを運用します。金星探査機PLANET-Cを打ち上げ前に「あかつき」と命名したのにも、このキャンペーンを通じて名前を知っていただこうという理由があったからです。締め切りは今年の12月25日。この機会をお見逃しなく。
http://www.jaxa.jp/event/akatsuki/index_j.html
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