An inspiring interview with Prof. Andrzej Niedzielski, Vice-Dean of the College of Astronomy and Natural Sciences at the Nicolaus Copernicus Superior School, appeared on the pages of the obserwatorfinansowy.pl portal. 

In an interview with obserwatorfinansowy.pl, Prof. Andrzej Niedzielski encourages people to study astronomy and introduces his achievements in the field of astronomy: 

The level of astronomy studies in Poland is very high, and after graduation, young PhD students are eagerly accepted worldwide. And the College of Astronomy and Natural Sciences at the Nicolaus Copernicus Superior School in Toruń is currently recruiting candidates for the Doctoral School,” encourages Vice-Dean Andrzej Niedzielski, to whom Poles owe, among other things, the opportunity to name their own stars and planets. 

Financial Observer: It’s not easy, but it’s worth it! For the few who become professional astronomers, the door to participation in the world’s most ambitious science endeavors stands open, including programs of NASA, ESA, as well as at projects related to the James Webb Space Telescope. Others have significant opportunities in the growing number of companies and start-ups related to monetizing space technologies. In this profession, however, it is not easy to make a career without a PhD. How does it feel to be able through your work to give all Poles the opportunity to choose a name for a new star and planet? 

Andrzej Niedzielski: Very often astronomy is treated as a discipline detached from everyday life. When I tell new acquaintances that I am an astronomer, most often the question that immediately comes up is about… the weather. This is because we remember that astronomers deal with problems not from this Earth; but what are they? Clouds? UFOS? 

Nowadays, we rarely look at the night sky (in cities you can’t actually see it anyway) and the subject of astronomers’ research escapes us. Few people remember that the simplest things such as the measure of the passage of time or the calendar are based on astronomical phenomena. In the common view of the world, colorful pictures from the Hubble telescope or JWST are ubiquitous, but they do not explain, in fact, what we see on them. 

But we all seem to know what the planets are? 

It’s funny because astronomers themselves aren’t quite sure what is and what isn’t a planet. I have been fortunate that for years I have been involved in the search for planets orbiting stars other than the Sun, that is, in other planetary systems more or less similar to our solar system. Together with my team, I have already discovered nearly thirty of them. The fact that one of them got its official Polish name is indeed huge fun! Solaris (star) and Pirx (planet) are now names as official as the Sun and Jupiter. 

What was it like? Please tell us more about this. 

In the entire night sky we can see, on a moonless, dark night, about four thousand stars. Only a few hundred of them, usually the brightest ones, have their own names. That brightest star in the northern sky is Sirius, we can also easily find Vega, Arcturus or Capella. These names come from historical registers (astronomical catalogs, literary texts) and originate from the ancient Greeks or Arabs. The vast majority of the stars we see, however, have no names of their own, only numbers derived from the catalogs in which they are placed. These are usually very technical, completely unromantic names that are difficult to remember. As an example, I’ll give a few, such as BD+14 4559 or TYC 1117-615-1 or 2MASS J21133598+1441218. Who can remember these? 

R2-D2, C3-PO… maybe CEPIK, and man has to name them all, not just label them. 

Name them in human terms, not in machine terms. The only institution with the right to name astronomical objects is the International Astronomical Union (MUA), an organization of professional astronomers from around the world. In order to bring the secrets of the sky to ordinary population, it decided for its centennial in 2019 to allow others to give their own names to new stars. Residents of MUA-affiliated countries were able to choose, in the form of an online poll, a name for the star and its associated planet. The condition was that the star should be visible from the capital of the country in question, and the planet discovered by astronomers there. For Poland, the MUA chose a star with the catalog name BD+14 4559. 

Can we learn more about this star? 

It is located in the constellation Pegasus, unfortunately it is only visible through solid binoculars and is slightly smaller and cooler than our Sun. A team including Dr. Grzegorz Nowak, Dr. Monika Adamow and Prof. Aleksander Wolszczan discovered the planet in 2009. It is similar to our Jupiter, but orbits much closer to its star (Solaris), roughly the distance at which Venus orbits the Sun. It is this pair that was named Solaris (for the star) and Pirx (for the planet) as a result of an online poll conducted in Poland. Of course, the names come from the works of Stanislaw Lem. Thus, we have our Polish star and planet in the sky. 

Does the world need astronomers today? 

Astronomical observations, the results of astronomers’ research, were used in the creation of many techniques that today are not even associated with astronomy anymore. Let’s start with time- reckoning and calendaring, which are directly based on simple observations of elementary astronomical phenomena (day, month, year). Another such technique that comes to mind is navigation. It used to be based on observation of the stars, which allowed to determine the position of a ship on the ocean. Today, this function is performed by satellites of GPS or GLONASS systems. Wearing a watch with GPS function, we do not associate this invention with astronomy. We plan to build nuclear reactors in Poland, but do we still remember that such reactors use the same physical phenomena that occur inside stars to produce energy? It was the search for the energy source of the stars that laid the foundation for nuclear power. Today it is a branch of technology, not astronomy. 

Digital image analysis and interferometric techniques are another example. Today we all use CCD cameras in our phone, computer or watch. It used to be a novelty in observational astronomy. Reproducing images with interferometric techniques, the domain of observational astronomy or radio astronomy has found applications in medicine, non-invasive imaging of internal organs. And of course, astronomers today are not engaged in preparing horoscopes, leaving this (very profitable) activity to fortune tellers. 

Astrology is not a science, at most a “secret knowledge.” However, astronomy is a beautiful science. The only commonality is that astronomy also keeps turning over new cards, or rather, scientists and researchers are uncovering them; perhaps someday the explorers will get to it as well…. 

Astronomy is one of the basic sciences. Practical applications of astronomical discoveries come with time. Today astronomers search for other worlds, study such phenomena as gravitational waves and accretion. They seek explanations for mysterious dark matter and dark energy. We are not sure today when they will find practical applications, but did Copernicus imagine that people would fly to the moon and heat their homes with energy generated the way stars do? 

And do we need astronomers in today’s world? 

Of course we need astronomers! 

An interesting point… I asked an artificial intelligence (AI) if being an astronomer was a good career for life. The AI said that being an astronomer can be an extremely rewarding and intellectually stimulating career choice. It has its advantages and disadvantages. On the plus side is taking part in groundbreaking discoveries – not really surprising, since we still know virtually nothing or very little about the cosmos. Also on the plus side is international cooperation, as astronomers often engage in global activities with experts from different countries. Weaknesses include: “Highly competitive field, limited job market. Well, and perhaps most importantly here, the AI itself indicates that it is impossible to be an astronomer without a doctorate, and even then, rates the employment outlook as quite uncertain… What is the truth? Is it worthwhile to be educated in this field nowadays? 

The astronomer’s profession is not easy. The studies are mainly mathematics and physics, which makes the drop-out rate quite high; those interested mainly in looking at the sky quickly give up. Not all graduates will find jobs in the profession. The number of jobs for an astronomer at universities, research institutes or planetariums is very limited. However, astronomy graduates, educated young people who are able to search for sources of information and learn new skills on their own and are skillful with computers, are excellent candidates for jobs in completely different places. Astronomers by training include Brian May (Queen) and Mieczyslaw Pruszynski (publisher). Some graduates will undertake doctoral studies in preparation for a scientific career. These will often seek temporary placements abroad, which means it’s not easy, but it’s worth it! The few who become professional astronomers have an open door to participate in the most ambitious undertakings of world science, such as the James Webb Space Telescope. The level of astronomy studies in Poland is very high, and after graduation, young PhD students are eagerly accepted to work all over the world. The rewards are participation in interesting research and discoveries, but also travel and contacts on all continents. Young astronomers lead a nomadic life, repeatedly changing their place of work and country of residence…. 

Then who is this profession for? 

For people curious about the world, or rather the universe, who are not afraid of mathematics, physics, computers, foreign languages and travel. 

The College of Astronomy and Natural Sciences in Toruń of the Nicolaus Copernicus Superior School is recruiting candidates for the Doctoral School. Applications were accepted until February 24, 2024. Why did someone considering such a career path choose this university, this place and this direction? 

Polish astronomy stands on a very high world level. We have a number of strong academic centers in the country, where studies in astronomy are conducted at all three levels, based on advanced research. One such center is Toruń, which we associate, of course, with Nicolaus Copernicus, an outstanding astronomer and Renaissance man. The choice of this city for the location of the College of Astronomy of the Nicolaus Copernicus Superior School is therefore obvious. The newly established college will still have to build its brand, its position in the community, but it has every chance of success. 

“The level of astronomy studies in Poland is very high, and after graduation, young doctoral students are eagerly accepted worldwide.” 

First of all, we offer studies in a slightly different formula from the accepted one: we only conduct doctoral studies. A PhD candidate can therefore count on a very individualized mode of teaching. Second, starting from scratch, so to speak, we have the ambition to build a team of scientists and doctoral students working in modern and “undeveloped” research areas at the interface of astronomy, space research, big-data, new technologies, astrobiology. The college is also open to cooperation with other scientists and research centers at home and abroad. 

And in this career path, what does a PhD give you? Is it a big effort and what benefits does it translate into? 

A PhD is the first step towards a scientific career. This is because it turns an astronomy student into a professional astronomer. It should embody the scientific interests and skills of a young astronomer. It will be a kind of ticket to the world of science, the first major career achievement to present to a future employer. In astronomy, a doctorate is based on a peer-reviewed scientific publication in international journals, presenting the results of research under the guidance of a supervisor. This is, of course, a considerable effort and sacrifice. Scholarships bursaries are not high. The preparation of a doctoral dissertation takes several years of intensive research work by the candidate-supervisor team. But without this degree one will not start a career. So, if someone has such ambitions it is obviously worth it. 

The school cooperates with ambitious students, to help them set up new start-ups. Such a “window of opportunity” is certainly another unique advantage of the college, especially when we can already see that Poles are very successful both in cutting-edge technologies, such as ChatGPT, and in NASA. There is both money and prospects in Space. The PhD is the key to greater opportunities for ambitious and profitable market challenges. Why is it worth going specifically to Toruń for a PhD? 

Astronomical research is fundamental. Graduates of astronomy or PhDs in astronomy usually find employment in academic institutions or research centers. Not only in Poland, but all over the world. From astronomers emerge a number of high-tech companies, responding to the sophisticated needs of the modern market. Noteworthy, to put it modestly, is the company Sybilla Technologies, which has strong ties to astronomy. 

Interviewed by Maksymilian Wysocki 

Professor Andrzej Niedzielski, PhD, is a prominent astronomer, a graduate of the Nicolaus Copernicus University in Toruń. He specializes in observational astronomy. He has been searching for extrasolar planetary systems since 2007 and, together with his team, has already discovered almost thirty of them.