Home > Projects and campaigns > Astronomy Blog
Astronomy Blog
Welcome to the UKRC Astronomy Blog. Throughout the International Year of Astronomy 2009 we are inviting a range of women to post a one-off entry about the role of astronomy
and outer space in their lives. So keep coming back, and post your queries, comments,
information and ideas.
Send your comments below.
Jocelyn Bell Burnell - Professor in Astrophysics, President of the Institute of Physics and gender equality champion
The International Year of Astronomy has been splendid. I had the honour of speaking at the launch at UNESCO in Paris, and it is a great pleasure to be the final guest blogger of the year on UKRC’s
astronomy blog. It’s an opportunity to look at some of the important issues that
are still around for women in physics and astronomy.What has the year been good for? It’s raised the profile of astronomy. It’s reached
many people who hadn’t opportunities before to learn about space. It’s strengthened
the campaign for dark skies. It’s got telescopes into schools. And more. We have
to thank the International Astronomical Union for getting it off the ground.
And for women, there has been the ‘She’s an Astronomer’ strand to the year. This is right and proper. When I became a professor, I
doubled the number of female professors of physics in the UK overnight, from one
to two. Now there are about 40 out of 360 in total. Around 20 percent of physics
undergraduates are women, and a lot go on to do PhDs. An increase – though still
slow, and hopefully the International Year will have a positive impact.
I nearly didn’t get to do science at secondary school. Girls were directed to
domestic science, boys to science. My parents fought for me, and thanks to them
I got put in with the boys. And at the end of that first term I came top of the
science class. Throughout my career I have been one of few women. When I was a
young working mum it was rare for a woman to be at work and even more unusual
for a mother. To get on as a woman in science you need lots of stamina, excellent
time management skills, and you have to know your priorities. It was very hard
work but it has been worth it.
While a grad student I was involved in the discovery of pulsars, but it was simply unthinkable then that a student should get a Nobel Prize
along with her supervisor. Views were very fixed – there was a senior male scientist
(in a white coat!), with minions doing the work. He claimed the reward, and took
the blame if things went wrong. Now things are more democratic, more team-based.
I have received many awards and accolades over the years. It’s more fun getting
lots of prizes; if you win a Nobel prize nobody gives you anything else, because
they see it as unsurpassable.I’ve always worked to improve things for other women, for example through the
Athena Project. I am the first female President of the Institute of Physics. I’ve been the astronomy Trustee of the National Maritime Museum for nine years – I am very proud of the Greenwich Observatory and the new planetarium that has been built under my watch. They’ve done a huge amount for the International
Year. People in academia are under immense pressure, and you have to balance research,
teaching, outreach and family commitments, let alone service to your profession
or beyond it. However, there are plenty of outside bodies keen to have an able
female member.
Science will be stronger when its workforce is more diverse – with a higher proportion
of women and people from other backgrounds. Changing society is a slow process,
but gradually men who have played a larger part in bringing up their children
are reaching positions of authority, and they have an awareness of the issues
that affect working women that is proving helpful.
Jocelyn Bell Burnell is visiting Professor in Astrophysics at the University of Oxford and Professorial Fellow at Mansfield College, Oxford. She has had a long and distinguished career, and has been awarded many prizes
(see the attached biography for more information). In 2007 she was made Dame of the British Empire.Comments:
Ruth Wilson (UKRC moderator)
Hi Jocelyn,
Its an honour to have you as our final astronomy blogger for the International Year. I've really enjoyed reading the very different stories of our guest astronomy bloggers over the last 12 months. Its brought home to me how varied the careers in astronomy can be, and that different people have their own approaches and enthusiasms.
Our bloggers seem to have found their passion for the stars at quite different stages of life. When did you become interested in space, and what triggered your interest?
Its an honour to have you as our final astronomy blogger for the International Year. I've really enjoyed reading the very different stories of our guest astronomy bloggers over the last 12 months. Its brought home to me how varied the careers in astronomy can be, and that different people have their own approaches and enthusiasms.
Our bloggers seem to have found their passion for the stars at quite different stages of life. When did you become interested in space, and what triggered your interest?
Charles Bell
So nice to find your blog, Jocelyn. Your work in astronomy is inspiring to me.
Charles Bell
H47 Vicksburg
Charles Bell
H47 Vicksburg
Gary White
Hi, Dr. Bell Burnell!
You have inspired so many of us with your ground-breaking (sky-breaking?) work in astrophysics, and with your fascinating presentations about the current state of knowledge of the exotica in the universe...but as impactful as those events have been for me, I have to admit that nothing affected me quite so much as when you arrived a little early for the 2004 Sigma Pi Sigma Congress to be inducted as one of its few Honorary Members, and sought us out (those of us on the SPS staff) to volunteer to help prepare the conference bags for the participants.
Thanks for all of your heroic contributions! Gary
You have inspired so many of us with your ground-breaking (sky-breaking?) work in astrophysics, and with your fascinating presentations about the current state of knowledge of the exotica in the universe...but as impactful as those events have been for me, I have to admit that nothing affected me quite so much as when you arrived a little early for the 2004 Sigma Pi Sigma Congress to be inducted as one of its few Honorary Members, and sought us out (those of us on the SPS staff) to volunteer to help prepare the conference bags for the participants.
Thanks for all of your heroic contributions! Gary
Jocelyn Bell Burnell
Hi Ruth, Charles and Gary - good to hear from you! Thank you for your interest.
I got interested in astronomy in my teens, largely through reading Fred Hoyle\'s book \'Frontiers of Astronomy\'. I was already doing a lot of physics at school and it was thrilling that the physics we were learning could be applied to such vast things as stars and galaxies. I\'m glad that astronomy still attracts students (not to mention other age groups).
Gary - that was a great Sigma-Pi-Sigma congress, with its emphasis on ethical issues. I particularly remember Lydia Sohn telling us about \'busting Schon\' - what a courageous young woman! I\'m looking forward to coming to Sigma-Pi-Sigma again in Fall 2012 - see you then!
Best regards,
Jocelyn
I got interested in astronomy in my teens, largely through reading Fred Hoyle\'s book \'Frontiers of Astronomy\'. I was already doing a lot of physics at school and it was thrilling that the physics we were learning could be applied to such vast things as stars and galaxies. I\'m glad that astronomy still attracts students (not to mention other age groups).
Gary - that was a great Sigma-Pi-Sigma congress, with its emphasis on ethical issues. I particularly remember Lydia Sohn telling us about \'busting Schon\' - what a courageous young woman! I\'m looking forward to coming to Sigma-Pi-Sigma again in Fall 2012 - see you then!
Best regards,
Jocelyn
Chris Kirkland
The discovery of pulsars was one of the big events I remember when growing up. The idea that a field of poles and wire could be used to help make scientific discoveries fascinated me and inspired me to find out more about radio waves and astronomy. I think that the exclusion of women was and still is an absurdity and the difficulty for men to take more of a direct role in bringing up their children is also crazy and something that damages our society. I am glad the Jocelyn's career has been a successful one and it is becoming less unusual.
Amanda Bauer
Hello Jocelyn!
What do you predict might be the most interesting discoveries in astronomy and physics over the next several decades? Also, I am interested in the vast array of new technologies and new media available for scientists to do science and communicate science with a wider community. What do you think are the most exciting new technologies that might be introduced over the next few years? and how might these tools help in achieving the goal of diversifying the scientific workforce?
Thanks for your time!
amanda
--
http://www.amandabauer.blogspot.com/
What do you predict might be the most interesting discoveries in astronomy and physics over the next several decades? Also, I am interested in the vast array of new technologies and new media available for scientists to do science and communicate science with a wider community. What do you think are the most exciting new technologies that might be introduced over the next few years? and how might these tools help in achieving the goal of diversifying the scientific workforce?
Thanks for your time!
amanda
--
http://www.amandabauer.blogspot.com/
Dr Larry Brownstein
I would like to, if I might, ignore the issue surrounding whether Pluto is a "real" planet or not and ask you what your views might be regarding the possible nonexistence or not of dark matter and how this relates to our present calculations of the expansion of the universe and the consequences this might have for our understanding of gravity. (I am thinking of Moffatt here.) I hope this isn't too technical a question.
Re your work on pulsars, your position was not unlike that of Rosalind Franklin's when her boss decided that her contribution to the discovery of DNA was not as important as that of his and his male colleagues. Due to supporters of Franklin's contribution, her rightful place in history is assured, and had she lived, she might have received the Nobel.
I am glad that you did not let what happened to you diminish your enthusiasm for your subject. I wish you continuing success.
Re your work on pulsars, your position was not unlike that of Rosalind Franklin's when her boss decided that her contribution to the discovery of DNA was not as important as that of his and his male colleagues. Due to supporters of Franklin's contribution, her rightful place in history is assured, and had she lived, she might have received the Nobel.
I am glad that you did not let what happened to you diminish your enthusiasm for your subject. I wish you continuing success.
Jocelyn Bell Burnell
Dear Chris, dear Amanda, dear Larry,
Thank you for your messages! Given how close Christmas is looming I'm surprised that people have time to blog!
Technology has come a long way in our lifetimes, and one of the interesting developments at the moment is the decline in interest in web sites that provide information and the growth of social networking sites - Facebook, Utube, blogs, tweets etc. I have trouble coping with the number of emails I get (after a double spam filter!), so I'm not sure how we are all meant to manage even more networking! Apart from noting that computers/chips are becoming more ubiquitous and that soon we'll have smart everything, I can't guess where it all goes next.
Amanda - I suspect a number of the problems with diversifying the workforce are in our heads and in the institutional structures we set up, and I doubt that new technology will help much with that. Or am I misunderstanding your question - did you have something in mind?
I'm very interested in gravitational radiation and am excited by the results now beginning to come in from the gravitational wave detectors like LIGO, GEO, VIRGO. There aren't any direct detections (yet) but the upper limits they have begun to place are scientifically useful and intriguing. The detectors are being upgraded over the next few years and I expect some exciting results soon.
tLarry - the evidence for dark matter is pretty convincing - galaxies would spin apart, clusters of galxies would fly apart, and they wouldn't lens light from beyond them in the way they do unless there was a lot more material providing gravity that we expect from looking at these objects. Just what it is, and how dark matter fits into the scheme of things is another question (or two), but now that the CERN collider near Geneva is up and running, we should get some more information.
Regards,
Jocelyn
Thank you for your messages! Given how close Christmas is looming I'm surprised that people have time to blog!
Technology has come a long way in our lifetimes, and one of the interesting developments at the moment is the decline in interest in web sites that provide information and the growth of social networking sites - Facebook, Utube, blogs, tweets etc. I have trouble coping with the number of emails I get (after a double spam filter!), so I'm not sure how we are all meant to manage even more networking! Apart from noting that computers/chips are becoming more ubiquitous and that soon we'll have smart everything, I can't guess where it all goes next.
Amanda - I suspect a number of the problems with diversifying the workforce are in our heads and in the institutional structures we set up, and I doubt that new technology will help much with that. Or am I misunderstanding your question - did you have something in mind?
I'm very interested in gravitational radiation and am excited by the results now beginning to come in from the gravitational wave detectors like LIGO, GEO, VIRGO. There aren't any direct detections (yet) but the upper limits they have begun to place are scientifically useful and intriguing. The detectors are being upgraded over the next few years and I expect some exciting results soon.
tLarry - the evidence for dark matter is pretty convincing - galaxies would spin apart, clusters of galxies would fly apart, and they wouldn't lens light from beyond them in the way they do unless there was a lot more material providing gravity that we expect from looking at these objects. Just what it is, and how dark matter fits into the scheme of things is another question (or two), but now that the CERN collider near Geneva is up and running, we should get some more information.
Regards,
Jocelyn
Helen Collier
Hi Jocelyn
I am not a Physisist or an Astronomer but I have found the blogs extremeley interesting. They have certainly broadened my perspective and raised my awareness of the universe so I now tend to pay more attention when I see articles, TV programmes, newspaper reports and photographs.
I am not a Physisist or an Astronomer but I have found the blogs extremeley interesting. They have certainly broadened my perspective and raised my awareness of the universe so I now tend to pay more attention when I see articles, TV programmes, newspaper reports and photographs.
Jocelyn Bell Burnell
Hi Helen,
Thank you for your feedback - astronomers always hope that their efforts to introduce people to the universe around us are of interest, and pehaps make science more accessible, but it\'s really good to hear that the blog has raised awareness. It\'s certainly a slightly different way of reaching diferent people.
Regards,
Jocelyn
Thank you for your feedback - astronomers always hope that their efforts to introduce people to the universe around us are of interest, and pehaps make science more accessible, but it\'s really good to hear that the blog has raised awareness. It\'s certainly a slightly different way of reaching diferent people.
Regards,
Jocelyn
Malcolm Davies
Hi Jocelyn - I was useless in science at school but have always found astronomy brilliant. However, the limits of my knowledge can be descibed as 3 trips to Jodrell Bank, reading \'A Brief History of Time\' but \'understanding\' perhaps only 1 page in 5 and absolutely loving the brilliant photos that seem to get published each month.(hubble?). I look forward to seeing the results of the infra red technology that was launched this week and can\'t wait to see what emerges from the Alps in due course. And, like most other people I enjoy drinking beer and talking about how big it all is, where it all came from and where it will all end. Oh, and of course, discussing how totally insignificant we all are etc.
Please could you recommend something to take my interest to the next level - a book, a documentary, a film or perhaps buying a telescope - I\'ve always thought that I would love one. Maybe, however, an understanding of what I would be looking at would be a good first step!!!!!!! You decide.
Take care and have a fantastic Christmas.
Malc
Please could you recommend something to take my interest to the next level - a book, a documentary, a film or perhaps buying a telescope - I\'ve always thought that I would love one. Maybe, however, an understanding of what I would be looking at would be a good first step!!!!!!! You decide.
Take care and have a fantastic Christmas.
Malc
Jocelyn Bell Burnell
Hello Malcolm!
Rather than buying a telescope straight off I'd recommend you try with binoculars first - maybe you can even borrow a pair intially. They are easier to use and give fantastic views of the night sky. You'll also need some way of holding the binocs steady - one good way is to use a sun lounger (plus a sleeping bag or two to keep you warm!). Lying back like that you can hold the binoculars steady quite well. Another method is to use a long-handled brush, turned upside down: plant the top of the handle on the ground and rest your elbows or wrists on the bristle end of the brush - but you have to be just the right height for that to work.
And then to learn a bit about what you are looking at I'd recommend one of the many web sites that describe the night sky in December, January,... whatever. Google 'Night Sky' and you'll get lots of links; bookmark the ones that you like the best. They'll both show you where the planets are tonight and should also tell you where to look for interesting objects such as double stars, nebulae etc. There may be an amateur astronomical society in your area that you could go along to if you really get the bug!
Jupiter (the bright thing low down in the West) is a fine sight - it has several moons. And there's lots to see around the constellation of Orion and it'll be very well placed in the evening sky for the next few months. Try to find a spot where you are not in the direct glare of the nearest street light or security light, and give your eyes 15 minutes to adapt to the dark - you'll see more and more as that 15 minutes progresses.
Clear skies and good viewing - oh, and a good Christmas!
Jocelyn
Rather than buying a telescope straight off I'd recommend you try with binoculars first - maybe you can even borrow a pair intially. They are easier to use and give fantastic views of the night sky. You'll also need some way of holding the binocs steady - one good way is to use a sun lounger (plus a sleeping bag or two to keep you warm!). Lying back like that you can hold the binoculars steady quite well. Another method is to use a long-handled brush, turned upside down: plant the top of the handle on the ground and rest your elbows or wrists on the bristle end of the brush - but you have to be just the right height for that to work.
And then to learn a bit about what you are looking at I'd recommend one of the many web sites that describe the night sky in December, January,... whatever. Google 'Night Sky' and you'll get lots of links; bookmark the ones that you like the best. They'll both show you where the planets are tonight and should also tell you where to look for interesting objects such as double stars, nebulae etc. There may be an amateur astronomical society in your area that you could go along to if you really get the bug!
Jupiter (the bright thing low down in the West) is a fine sight - it has several moons. And there's lots to see around the constellation of Orion and it'll be very well placed in the evening sky for the next few months. Try to find a spot where you are not in the direct glare of the nearest street light or security light, and give your eyes 15 minutes to adapt to the dark - you'll see more and more as that 15 minutes progresses.
Clear skies and good viewing - oh, and a good Christmas!
Jocelyn
Malcolm Davies
Hi Jocelyn - great advice - thanks ever so much. I think that I saw Jupiter last night through some old, but quite good, binoculars that I found in the garage. However I attracted some curious looks and comments from the neighbours and William (my dog) finally assumed that I had 'lost it'. It was snowing and -5 C and I was on a sun lounger in the garden!!!!!!!!!!!! However - it was very much worth it - Jupiter was wonderful - and I think that I might have just got the bug!
Take care and once again - have a great Christmas.
Malc
Take care and once again - have a great Christmas.
Malc
Jocelyn Bell Burnell
Yes, these cold, crisp nights may be perishing, but they do give us some wonderful sights of the night sky. And there\'s a lovely crescent moon close to Jupiter at the moment. Another thing you can look at is the moon, especially along the boundary where the light merges into the dark (the upper, leftwards boundary as the moon is at the moment). You\'ll see that it\'s a slightly ragged boundary, because the higher ground on the moon catches the light even when the base of those hills is in the dark.
Maybe you can show the neighbours sometime what you are looking at - they\'ll still label you as eccentric, but they\'ll understand a bit better, and may therefore be more willing to switch off that outside light occasionally!
With all best wishes for the holiday,
Jocelyn
Maybe you can show the neighbours sometime what you are looking at - they\'ll still label you as eccentric, but they\'ll understand a bit better, and may therefore be more willing to switch off that outside light occasionally!
With all best wishes for the holiday,
Jocelyn
Pam Farmer
Jocelyn, I am sure you are near exhausted with all these replies, so I will be short:
fascinating blog. I am non scientific but ended up working in a technology company and hugely enjoying life on the frontier. I encouraged my son (no daughters) into science because I believe all the important thinking is going on there... It would be great if you could continue to blog or update on Facebook/Twitter - great way to stay in touch. I notice that someone has created a site on Facebook for you!!! Regards and Happy New Year P.
fascinating blog. I am non scientific but ended up working in a technology company and hugely enjoying life on the frontier. I encouraged my son (no daughters) into science because I believe all the important thinking is going on there... It would be great if you could continue to blog or update on Facebook/Twitter - great way to stay in touch. I notice that someone has created a site on Facebook for you!!! Regards and Happy New Year P.
Jocelyn Bell Burnell
Dear Pam,
Thanks for your comments - I'm particularly glad that you enjoyed the blog - thanks for the feedback!
I was interested to hear that you, describing yourself as a non-scientist, now enjoy working for a technology company - good for you! Even if you were right in describing yourself as a non-scientist in the first place, I'm sure we change as we go through life, and it's always a good idea to give things a try rather than write them off saying, 'Oh I'm not a scientist/writer/painter/performer, I couldn't do that.'
I've enjoyed doing the blog (something I've tried for the first time!), but I doubt if I could keep it up all year - although one month was great. The snag is I don't get enough time in front of my computer to keep up with all the emails as it is, which is why I've avoided Facebook, Twitter etc. Thanks for telling me that someone has created a Facebook page for me!!
There's post modernism, post impressionsim,... what's the equivalent for email?
With all good wishes for 2010,
Jocelyn
Thanks for your comments - I'm particularly glad that you enjoyed the blog - thanks for the feedback!
I was interested to hear that you, describing yourself as a non-scientist, now enjoy working for a technology company - good for you! Even if you were right in describing yourself as a non-scientist in the first place, I'm sure we change as we go through life, and it's always a good idea to give things a try rather than write them off saying, 'Oh I'm not a scientist/writer/painter/performer, I couldn't do that.'
I've enjoyed doing the blog (something I've tried for the first time!), but I doubt if I could keep it up all year - although one month was great. The snag is I don't get enough time in front of my computer to keep up with all the emails as it is, which is why I've avoided Facebook, Twitter etc. Thanks for telling me that someone has created a Facebook page for me!!
There's post modernism, post impressionsim,... what's the equivalent for email?
With all good wishes for 2010,
Jocelyn
Ruth Wilson (UKRC moderator)
Happy new year to all blog readers and star gazers!
And thank you to Jocelyn, and to all the women who have been our guest astronomy bloggers for the International Year. Its been fascinating to read about the wide variety of interests and roles women have, from student to President, from amateur to professional, from Scotland to the Isle of Wight and more.
Its been great as well to read the comments and questions - some general some technical - that have come in to the blog. So our thanks as well to everyone who has visited our astronomy blog.
If you want to keep following things, at UKRC we have a general blog (not just women in astronomy) www.ukrc4setwomen.org/html/women-and-girls/getsetwomen-blog/ and we have a list of women-in-astronomy blogs: www.ukrc4setwomen.org/html/projects-and-campaigns/women-and-astronomy-resources/ Let us know if there\'s a blog we should include. And this blog is going to be archived on the UKRC website. You will be able to find it at: www.ukrc4setwomen.org/html/projects-and-campaigns/astronomy-blog/
A number of women astronomers are active on Twitter: visit our page and check who we are following to get some of the names (we are \'UKRC\' on Twitter).
Jocelyn, thank you again for being our final blogger of the year. I\'m glad you\'ve found the experience interesting. do you have a parting thought? the international year has been wonderful getting people to look upwards. I took my son to a \'star party\' in north yorkshire, and we had a great time looking through telescopes.
Astronomy seems to be something that anyone can take part in, and therefore has to be a route for any woman to engage with science. I hope the percentage of women in astronomy continues to grow - there are clearly some inspiring and very committed female role models out there willing to help other women get on board.
And thank you to Jocelyn, and to all the women who have been our guest astronomy bloggers for the International Year. Its been fascinating to read about the wide variety of interests and roles women have, from student to President, from amateur to professional, from Scotland to the Isle of Wight and more.
Its been great as well to read the comments and questions - some general some technical - that have come in to the blog. So our thanks as well to everyone who has visited our astronomy blog.
If you want to keep following things, at UKRC we have a general blog (not just women in astronomy) www.ukrc4setwomen.org/html/women-and-girls/getsetwomen-blog/ and we have a list of women-in-astronomy blogs: www.ukrc4setwomen.org/html/projects-and-campaigns/women-and-astronomy-resources/ Let us know if there\'s a blog we should include. And this blog is going to be archived on the UKRC website. You will be able to find it at: www.ukrc4setwomen.org/html/projects-and-campaigns/astronomy-blog/
A number of women astronomers are active on Twitter: visit our page and check who we are following to get some of the names (we are \'UKRC\' on Twitter).
Jocelyn, thank you again for being our final blogger of the year. I\'m glad you\'ve found the experience interesting. do you have a parting thought? the international year has been wonderful getting people to look upwards. I took my son to a \'star party\' in north yorkshire, and we had a great time looking through telescopes.
Astronomy seems to be something that anyone can take part in, and therefore has to be a route for any woman to engage with science. I hope the percentage of women in astronomy continues to grow - there are clearly some inspiring and very committed female role models out there willing to help other women get on board.
Have your say:
Please fill out all fields.
Web Design and Development by NetConstruct Ltd 2010 ©