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Telescopes and space missions

Telescopes and space missions

Stars in his eyes

18 Mar 2009 James Dacey

Inspiring public interest in the night sky is one of the key objectives of the international year of astronomy. You can be sure then that the Public Astronomer of the UK – Marek Kukula – is experiencing a very high workload right now. Physics World reporter James Dacey managed to steal a bit of time from Kukula’s schedule to find out about his job, his interests, and his thoughts on the future of astronomy.

Marek Kukula

 

Can you tell me a bit about what the Public Astronomer does on a typical day?

That’s a tricky question because it really does vary so much. I guess my two key roles are, firstly, to ensure that our exhibits and programmes here at the Royal Observatory are accurate and up to date, and, secondly, that everything we present is clearly explained to the outside world. In practice this means that I could spend a morning with primary-school kids helping to run an astronomy workshop, then spend the afternoon with the media trying to explain the latest findings of the Cassini space programme or in a meeting to plan a new exhibition of astronomy images.

What made you pursue a career in explaining science to the public?

It was something I started to get into while I was a postdoctoral researcher at the UK’s other Royal Observatory in Edinburgh. As well as my research on galaxies, I was giving public lectures, talking to school groups and writing a couple of astronomy articles aimed at the general public. It was then that I began to realize that I had a passion for communicating astronomy to an audience beyond the research community. So, I suppose the main reason is because I really enjoy doing it.

What can visitors expect from the Royal Observatory exhibitions?

Well, the observatory gets over a million visitors per year, so we really are trying to cater for everybody here. For many years we’ve had the Time galleries alongside the Meridian line; these tell the story of the quest for longitude and showcase the history of Greenwich Mean Time. These are the kind of stories that can be told really well in a traditional museum setting, but then two years ago the observatory underwent a £16m expansion that included a new interactive centre focusing on contemporary astronomy research — the Weller Astronomy Galleries — and the brand new laser-powered Peter Harrison Planetarium, which is currently the only public planetarium in London. With these new facilities we now have the opportunity to showcase astronomy as a living, changing science and one that is practised by real people who make their careers by understanding and explaining the universe. Our galleries and planetarium shows help explain many of the latest discoveries and techniques in astronomy, and kids particularly love the interactive elements. And given the observatory’s long history, we’re able to place the modern science in its historical context.

Do you think astronomy would benefit from more engagement with the media?

I think it’s gradually becoming a more important aspect of research, and obviously the International Year of Astronomy gives everyone a fantastic opportunity to get their research out there to the general public. in addition, I think that if researchers do get involved with public-engagement projects, then it can help them when it comes to applying for research funding. If you can make your research sound exciting, relevant and comprehensible to a tabloid journalist or a bunch of surly 14 year olds, then suddenly a panel of academics doesn’t seem quite so scary.

But do you think some researchers don’t want to or aren’t cut out for this?

Obviously it’s a matter of individual choice, and some researchers will be happier just getting on with their work without having to deal with the media. But from my own experience, I think a lot of scientists would like to see their research publicized — they just don’t always have the time to do so, or perhaps they’re simply unsure how to go about it. In fact, these are issues that we’re looking to address here at the Royal Observatory by providing a stage on which researchers can present their discoveries to a wider audience, as well as offering backing and support for busy academics who maybe don’t have the time or the experience to organize public events by themselves.

Can you see yourself returning to research one day?

I certainly wouldn’t rule it out. I’m actually very lucky with this job because it does include the provision for me to carry out my own research, should I choose to do so. Having said that, I can’t imagine I’ll find time this year…possibly next year? To be honest though, I don’t miss academia that much right now and that’s mostly because I’m learning so much through this job. I trained as a radio astronomer studying distant galaxies, but I get asked to comment on literally all aspects of astronomy and cosmology — I’ve really had to read up on all my science and not just physics. The Royal Observatory was founded at a time when it was still just about possible for an individual to know everything there was to know about astronomy, but that’s obviously no longer the case. In effect I’m constantly researching and learning — which is about as exciting as it is daunting.

What do you see as the most exciting areas of astronomy?

There are so many exciting areas that it’s very difficult to pick just a few. However, I do think that there are three “big questions” that have intrigued people for centuries and where significant progress is finally being made during our lifetimes.

The first is about how the universe began and how it evolved into the clumpy distribution of galaxies that we see today. The second addresses how common planetary systems around other stars are, and how many of these resemble our own solar system. And the third concerns the origins of life here on Earth and the prospects of finding it elsewhere in the universe. We currently know so much more about each of these fundamental questions than we did, say, 15 years ago and the pace of discovery is almost dizzying — even though we can’t tell how close we are to final answers.

As the search for life on other planets becomes more focused, do you think physics education will need to adapt to become more interdisciplinary?

For me, one of the most exciting aspects of contemporary research is the way that it sometimes crosses traditional subject boundaries — astrobiology is a great example of this. And certainly when I go into a school to talk to a physics class about astronomy, it’s always fun to throw in a bit of biology or chemistry — you can see a dawning realization that “Oh, these subjects are connected…they’re all part of a bigger picture”.

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