- What does an astronomer actually do?<\/em><\/strong><\/a><\/li><\/ul>
Abigail Frost outside the Paranal Observatory, which sits above a Martian-like, rusty-red desert landscape in northern Chile.<\/figcaption><\/figure> Fast forward eight years since I first set foot at Paranal, and living and working at the observatory is now a core part of my job.<\/p>
For 105 nights of the year, I\u2019m out in the desert, taking observations from the observatory control room for astrophysicists all over the globe.<\/p>
Working in such a remote place, and a desert to boot, takes some adjustment \u2013 if you didn\u2019t have a skincare regime before arriving, you make one!<\/p>
That being said, the \u2018residencia\u2019 where the engineers, caterers, administrative staff, astronomers and more all live and work is a welcoming and special community.<\/p>
![\"A](\"https:\/\/c02.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/48\/2020\/07\/vlt-31d44ba.jpg\")
ESO\u2019s Very Large Telescope (VLT) at Paranal Observatory. Credit: ESO<\/figcaption><\/figure> Movie nights, sports facilities, the pool, sauna and music room mean there\u2019s always something you can do to relax after or before your daily work, and many of us make use of the stunningly dark skies to get into astrophotography<\/a>.<\/p>
Visitors are common too, with politicians, actors and musicians passing through.<\/p>
Since my interest in astronomy was sparked during my childhood in the UK, I loved welcoming The Sky at Night TV show onsite during filming for the September 2023 episode.<\/p>
Being able to talk to Dr Maggie Aderin-Pocock<\/a> about my work as a career astronomer felt like a wonderfully full-circle moment.<\/p>
![\"Abigail](\"https:\/\/c02.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/48\/2023\/10\/Screenshot-2023-10-17-at-09.31.16-1024x572.png?fit=800,447\")
Abigail Frost talks to Maggie Aderin-Pocock during the filimg for the September 2023 episode of The Sky at Night.<\/figcaption><\/figure> The work of a telescope operator<\/strong><\/strong><\/h2>
During and since my PhD, I have worked with data taken at Paranal Observatory, using a technique called \u2018interferometry\u2019.<\/p>
This combines the light from different telescopes simultaneously to get a detailed, unique view of massive stars, which will form supernovae<\/a> and black holes<\/a>, and the natal, dusty, nebulous cradles where stars are forming.<\/p>
I started working at the observatory in February 2023 as an operations staff astronomer, which means I split my time between doing my own research and supporting the operation of the observatory. <\/p>
Collaborating with engineers, telescope operators and more has given me a whole new view of the data and the telescopes I work with.<\/p>
Being a telescope operator prompts me to think about my research in new ways and inspires me to expand my methods.\u00a0<\/p>
Preparing for the ELT<\/strong><\/h2>
![\"Telescope](\"https:\/\/c02.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/48\/2023\/10\/extremely-large-telescope-construction-1024x766.jpg?fit=800,598\")
Abigail Frost at the nearby construction site for the Extremely Large Telescope.<\/figcaption><\/figure> ESO is planning expansion too, with its next project, the Extremely Large Telescope (ELT), half-completed and literally<\/em> on the horizon from Paranal Observatory.<\/p>
The dome structure is now clearly visible on the top of Cerro Armazones, just a short drive from the VLT. <\/p>
This new telescope will be the largest ever built, eclipsing all current telescopes in size, including the recently launched JWST.<\/p>
With a primary mirror 40 metres in diameter, five times bigger than what has previously been available, the view we will get of the Universe will be revolutionised.<\/p>
When visiting the ELT construction site shortly after I returned to Chile to start my staff position, I couldn\u2019t help but get the same feeling of excitement as the first time I arrived at Paranal.<\/p>
The future of astronomy is bright.<\/p>
In another 8 years, I\u2019m looking forward to stepping into a completely new observatory in the form of
Watch Abigail discuss how humans are made of stardust<\/strong><\/h2>