Astronomer Tania tells of her Chile trip

AN education officer at the Royal Observatory Edinburgh who won backing to visit Chile in a research project has told of her “fascinating” experience.

Tania Johnston was awarded a six-week Winston Churchill Travelling Fellowship to share best practice with fellow astronomers.

This summer, equipment from the UK Astronomy Technology Centre, which is based at the observatory, was shipped out to Chile to be fitted to 
the international Very Large Telescope.

Tania said: “It was fascinating and a real privilege to be able to see and hear from the scientists and engineers involved in this huge project.”

She will now be giving talks to various audiences around the UK, and working with education professionals to develop resources for the Scottish science curriculum, based on her findings.