Science communication

I am the editor of the ESO blog, where we tell behind-the-scenes stories about our people, science and technology, and the ESO Pictures of the Week. I also contribute to designing and implementing ESO's social media strategy, assist with press releases, and liaise with our creative team to produce engaging visual content.

Research

My field of expertise is galaxy formation and evolution: by mapping the distribution of stars, gas and dust in present-day galaxies I reconstruct how these galaxies came to be. To do so I use multi-wavelength data from space- and ground-based telescopes for large samples of galaxies. Check out my scientific publications.

Observatory support

I've spent well over 600 days (and nights!) at various observatories worldwide, most of them at ESO's Paranal Observatory in Chile, home to the Very Large Telescope. There I supported observations with 8 instruments on topics ranging from Solar System bodies to exoplanets and distant galaxies. I also led 3 Instrument Operation Teams, coordinated training activities, and managed daily operations as Shift Coordinator.

Astrophotography

Besides studying the cosmos with huge telescopes, I also use more modest gear to capture the beauty of the night sky and instill in others my passion for astronomy. You can follow me on Mastodon, Instagram, Twitter, Facebook or Flickr, where I regularly use my astrophotography to explain the science and technology behind modern astronomical research.

A cosmic marble

The Milky Way seen through a crystal ball from Paranal Observatory.

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Taming the atmosphere

Four lasers used by the UT4 telescope to correct atmospheric turbulence.

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My god, it's full of stars!

Old stars, stellar nurseries and dust clouds in the central regions of the Milky Way.

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One ring to rule them all

A lunar halo caused by cirrus above Paranal Observatory.

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An invisible monster

Observing the supermassive black hole at the center of our galaxy.

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Our friendly neighbourhood galaxies

The Magellanic Clouds behind the Auxiliary Telescopes of the VLT Interferometer.

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Employment history

When What Where
2021-present ESO Media Officer Garching, Germany
2020-2021 Coordinator at the IAU's Office of Astronomy for Education Heidelberg, Germany
2015-2020 ESO faculty/operations staff astronomer Santiago, Chile
2013-2015 ESO fellow Santiago, Chile
2010-2013 Postdoc at the National Radio Astronomy Observatory Charlottesville, USA
2005-2010 Astrophysics PhD student at Complutense University Madrid, Spain