Feb 10, 2010 -
IYA and Beyond - Dr. Jim Hesser, Director of the DAO
The International Year of Astronomy 2009 was the largest education and public
outreach effort ever mounted. Now officially over, it's fun to see what the
world's, and Canada's, astronomers achieved, and to look towards legacies in
education and public understanding of science.
i2eye with James Hesser- on InnovationCanada.ca
Bio: A Victoria Centre and Life Member since Comet Halley's last
return, Jim is Director of NRC-HIA's Dominion Astrophysical Observatory. Since
2002 he's been one of four North American Board of Director members for the
Atacama Large Millimeter Array, the largest ground-based astronomy project ever
undertaken. In late November, 2009, the first three 12-m diameter antennas were
in place at 5,000 m altitude and, for the first time, ALMA was operated as an
astronomical interferometer. This critical milestone was achieved using
receivers supplied by NRC-HIA. ALMA will start scientific observations at
millimeter and submillimeter wavelengths in 2011, eventually comprising 66
12-meter and 7-meter diameter antennas, all of which will be equipped with
receivers built at the Observatory. Since early 2007 Jim been the national chair
for IYA in Canada. In 2009 he was honoured by selection as Honorary President of
the RASC.
