Emily Levesque: Will Today’s Astronomers Be The Last Stargazers? (#083)

When I Heard the Learn’d Astronomer BY WALT WHITMAN When I heard
the learn’d astronomer, When the proofs, the figures, were ranged
in columns before me, When I was shown the charts and diagrams, to
add, divide, and measure them, When I sitting heard the astronomer
where he lectured with much applause in the lecture-room, How soon
unaccountable I became tired and sick, Till rising and gliding out
I wander’d off by myself, In the mystical moist night-air, and from
time to time, Look’d up in perfect silence at the stars. Watch
Emily’s TEDx https://youtu.be/DGfBzkCay5M To be an astronomer is to
journey to some of the most inaccessible parts of the globe,
braving mountain passes, sub-zero temperatures, and hostile flora
and fauna. Not to mention the stress of handling equipment worth
millions. It is a life of unique delights and absurdities … and one
that may be drawing to a close. Since Galileo first pointed his
telescope at the heavens, astronomy has stood as a fount of human
creativity and discovery, but soon it will be the robots gazing at
the sky while we are left to sift through the data. In The Last
Stargazers, Emily Levesque reveals the hidden world of the
professional astronomer. She celebrates an era of ingenuity and
curiosity, and asks us to think twice before we cast aside our
sense of wonder at the universe. Emily Levesque is an astronomy
professor at the University of Washington. She has won the American
Astronomical Society’s Annie Jump Cannon Prize and been named an
Alfred P. Sloan Research Fellow in Physics. She is the author of
two academic works on astrophysics and has written for Physics
Today. She lives in Seattle. Follow her on Twitter
https://twitter.com/emsque REVIEWS of the Last Stargazers ‘The Last
Stargazers is perfect for anyone who has ever wondered what it’s
like to actually be an astronomer, or who has dreamt of staring up
at the stars. Amidst the stories of mishaps and mistakes is a
surprisingly romantic view of the glory of exploration, taken one
dark night at a time.’ – Dr Chris Lintott, BBC Sky At Night
‘Through captivating stories, Levesque gives us both a vivid and
accessible inside look at the enigmatic mountain-top astronomers. A
unique and engaging read.’ – Dr. Sara Seager, professor of
astronomy at MIT ‘Emily’s book is a compulsive read. It
demonstrates what being an observational astronomer is really
like—the highs, the lows, and the unscheduled things that can
happen at telescopes around the world! Give this book to every
young person (especially the girls!) that you know who likes math
and science.’ – Jocelyn Bell Burnell, astrophysicist at Oxford
University ‘Astronomy is dangerous. Wild (sometimes venomous)
animals, thin air, heavy equipment, hazardous chemicals . . . Dr.
Levesque captures all this with amusement and personal experience,
making this a delightful read for everyone.’ – Phil Plait,
astronomer and author of Bad Astronomy ‘This will particularly
appeal to young women interested in science, but any stargazer
would enjoy this joyous adventure through modern astronomy.’ –
Publishers Weekly ‘It’s like catching a glimpse of the magic behind
the curtain galaxies away, and leaves you hanging on every
spectacular word. A must read for anyone who has looked up at the
sky and felt a sense of wonder, as well as those considering the
world of astrophysics and astronomy.’ – Tamara Robertson, host of
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