Saturday, July 16, 2011

"All Good Things . . ."

As the saying goes "All good things must come to an end" and so it is that my time here at Palomar Observatory has finally come to an end.

For the last eight years I have had the honor of serving as Palomar's Public Affairs Coordinator. During that time I have immersed myself in the observatory's history and current operations. I have worked to help spread the message of the observatory in a variety of ways. The Palomar Skies blog, which I began in late 2007, has been a forum for me to share news, photos and interesting stories from the observatory. I hope that this project has been informative and enjoyable. I have certainly enjoyed blogging about the observatory.


Starting in August I will be working as the Director of Public Affairs for the International Dark-Sky Association. Preserving dark skies is important not just for professional observatories, but for wildlife and much more. A star-filled night sky has been a tremendous source of inspiration for most of human history and now it is vanishing for almost everybody. In my new role I will work hard to raise awareness for this cause and hopefully bring the Milky Way back for many.

I will likely be blogging there about dark skies. If you are interested, please look me up sometime in August. As for Palomar Skies, it shall remain here, but I will be stepping aside from it. At some point someone will hopefully pick up the keyboard and resume posting here. After all there are many great stories still to share and more discoveries about the universe yet to come.

So long.
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12 comments:

  1. AnonymousJuly 16, 2011 at 7:29 AM

    Your blog has been a key source of information about Palomar Observatory's history and its continuing relevance. I hope that the message stays alive.

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  2. WeisenheimerJuly 16, 2011 at 10:13 AM

    Congratulations on the new gig, Scott!

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  3. UnknownJuly 16, 2011 at 10:51 AM

    I'm sad to hear you are leaving Palomar - but happy for you moving on to IDA. They need somebody - bad! Best of luck.

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  4. BobJuly 16, 2011 at 12:45 PM

    I'm delighted to hear of your new mission, while sad that our relable link to observatory events and history will cease. Thanks for all of your posts over the past years, and you have my very best wishes for great success in the future.

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  5. philnjillJuly 16, 2011 at 3:55 PM

    Agreed with what everyone said!

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  6. AnonymousJuly 17, 2011 at 9:24 PM

    Wait - you haven't planned for your succesor? Come on please! Get someone at least as capable as you before you go. This is an important role you did for Palomar. There must be someone out there who can fill in! I would but I am on the wrong side of the continent.

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  7. SeldenJuly 18, 2011 at 6:53 AM

    Scott,

    Your blogs have been both informative and enjoyable. Please encourage your successor to continue them.

    Best of luck in your new job!

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  8. AnonymousJuly 25, 2011 at 1:37 PM

    Hi Scott... We in Canyon Lake have enjoyed and benefited from reading your posts in our widget collection at
    http://gate88.com/sun/hotlinks/local.htm
    You've done a wonderful job. Sad to see your star disappear from our little constellation of Twitters! Very best wishes for your future. Tom Suttle, site administrator

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  9. AnonymousJuly 31, 2011 at 7:09 AM

    Please don't tell me an institution like Palomar cannot find someone to run this blog. I am surprised they didn't plan ahead for your retirement. Clearly the modern astronomer is too focused on his work and not about educating the public.

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  10. AnonymousAugust 20, 2011 at 1:51 PM

    Thanks so much for your years of herd work. I only met you once, on a tour you gave for the NAGT; you're going to be missed- please keep the blog up for historical purposes I love all your posts. Best of Luck

    Robert "Stump" Davies

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  11. NiteSkyGirlSeptember 21, 2011 at 9:52 PM

    I will miss your blog updates! Good luck on your new life venture!

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  12. JustinJanuary 27, 2012 at 12:56 PM

    Like my hero Buckminster Fuller once said, "How often I found where I should be going only by setting out for somewhere else.” I wish you the best in your future. Thanks for all the information you provided for people such as myself. This blog has been a great local resource for me to keep in touch with the observatory. I'll leave you with another quote to ponder on your new journey into understanding the skies, "Love is metaphysical gravity.” - Keep doing what your doing. Thanks again.

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