DATE: Tue, 26 Jan 2010 08:25:01 +1100
SUBJECT: =?ISO-8859-1?Q?=8COut_of_this_World=B9_Honour_for_Australian_Ast?= =?ISO-8859-1?Q?ronomer_-_Press_Release?=


Congratulations to Fred Watson......



AAO Press release:

‘Out of this World’ Honour for Australian Astronomer


Professor Fred Watson, Astronomer-in-Charge of the Anglo-Australian  
Observatory,
and one of Australia’s best-known science communicators, has been  
honoured for
his services to astronomy. On Australia Day, January 26, Fred was  
appointed a
Member in the General Division of the Order of Australia.

‘It’s truly an out-of-this-world experience to find yourself in the  
Australia Day honours
list,’ said Fred. ‘We live in an era when astronomy and space science  
are exploding
with new discoveries, so it’s quite easy to spread the excitement  
around. This honour
reflects the generous support I’ve had over the years from friends and  
colleagues in
Australia and worldwide.’

Fred has been Astronomer-in-Charge at the AAO since 1995, having  
previously
worked at the Royal Greenwich Observatory and the Royal Observatory,  
Edinburgh.
Acknowledged in professional circles as one of the pioneers of fibre  
optics in
astronomy, Fred is currently Project Manager for the international  
RAVE survey of a
million stars. He holds adjunct professorships in the University of  
Southern
Queensland, Queensland University of Technology and James Cook  
University.

It is for Fred’s popular science that he is best known. His frequent  
appearances on
ABC radio and TV, together with his books, public lectures and  
astronomy tourism
expeditions, have resulted in several awards. They include the David  
Allen Prize for
Communicating Astronomy to the Public, the Australian Government  
Eureka Prize for
Promoting Understanding of Science and the Queensland Premier’s  
Literary Award
for Science Writing for his book Why is Uranus Upside Down? In 2004,  
asteroid 5691
was named ‘Fredwatson’ in his honour (though he is always at pains to  
point out that
if it hits the Earth, it won’t be his fault).

Fred’s enthusiasm for linking science and the arts also led to a solo  
CD, An Alien
Like You, featuring some of his quirky science songs. At the other end  
of the musical
spectrum, Fred was librettist for Star Chant, the choral Fourth  
Symphony of
Australian composer Ross Edwards. Following its release on an ABC CD,  
Star Chant
won the APRA Award for Best Choral or Vocal Work of 2008.

Fred was born in Yorkshire, but is proud of his Australian  
citizenship. ‘Australia still
has wonderful opportunities not available elsewhere’, he says. He was  
educated in
Scotland at the universities of St Andrews and Edinburgh, and is a  
Fellow of the
Royal Astronomical Society, a member of the Astronomical Society of  
Australia, and
a member of the International Astronomical Union. Fred serves on a  
number of
astronomy-related committees, but he is also a keen advocate for  
publicly-funded
education, and is a Board Member of the Public Education Foundation of  
NSW.