There is no industry in the world that doesn’t take advantage of data and analytics. However, if asked, off the top of your head, you’d probably say;
“Retail uses data!”
“Healthcare must use data!”
And so on.
But have you ever looked up into the night sky, gloried at the far-off stars and wondered…
What about the data in the stars?
It’s easy to forget about what’s right under our noses – or above our noses in this case. Now that you’ve been reminded, your mind is abuzz with questions!
So, how do astronomers use data to research the universe beyond what we can and can’t see from our kitchen window?
Meet Simon O’Toole
Simon’s Role as a Data Science Leader at Australian Astronomical Optics
Simon O’Toole is the Head of Data & IT at Australian Astronomical Optics – Macquarie. The Australian Astronomical Observatory (AAO) provides world-class optical and infrared observing facilities that enable Australian astronomers to carry out excellent science. AAO is a world leader in astronomical research and in the development of innovative telescope instrumentation. Macquarie University partners with the AAO Department within the Faculty of Science and Engineering.
Simon’s Other Work in the Data Industry
Previously, at AAO, Simon has also taken on the roles of Senior Specialist Research Systems Engineer, Web, eResearch & Information Administrator, Project Scientist for Data Central, Deputy Gemini Scientist, and a Research Fellow. Here, he has contributed a variety of work, including carrying out media interviews, researching planets, conducting school presentations, driving technical innovation, and developing systems.
In addition to his work at AAO, Simon has over 200 published research papers, with many having a focus on astronomy. Some of his earliest written work includes research on old hot stars using data from space telescopes such as the Hubble Space Telescope and the Far Ultraviolet Spectroscopic Explorer, while his most recent at the time of writing is on the detectability of eclipsing binary star companions from eclipse timing variations.
Data Science, Astronomy Data, and Telescopes
In this exclusive analytics podcast episode, Simon shares:
- His role as the Head of Data & IT at Australian Astronomical Optics
- Data Central as an eResearch platform
- How Astronomy Data is classic Big Data
- The two branches of Astrophysics
- Use cases of the merger of black holes/neutron stars and supernova explosions
- Why data processing is important in these cases
- Types of Astronomical Data formats
- How data acquisition works in Astronomy Data
- The challenges faced in Astronomy Data work and how they are overcome
- Future challenges that will be faced in the industry
If you are already a data scientist or an aspiring one interested in the astronomy industry and the challenges they face, this is the episode you do not want to miss out on.
More Links:
Find out more about Simon
LinkedIn:
Twitter:
Company Website:
- https://astralis.org.au/
- https://www.mq.edu.au/faculty-of-science-and-engineering/departments-and-schools/australian-astronomical-optics-macquarie
Publications:
- https://wordsinscience.tumblr.com/
- https://scholar.google.com.au/citations?user=wOoGI-EAAAAJ&hl=en
- https://theconversation.com/profiles/simon-otoole-4566/articles
- https://www.mq.edu.au/faculty-of-science-and-engineering/departments-and-schools/australian-astronomical-optics-macquarie/news/news/super-earths-discovered-orbiting-nearby-red-dwarf-star
- https://www.spiedigitallibrary.org/conference-proceedings-of-spie/11203/112031D/Building-a-re-deployable-astronomy-archive-challenges-and-solutions/10.1117/12.2541390.short
Speaking Events:
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6CoSLTQKAmw
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eIDWL-TTALs
- https://mavis-ao.org/workshop_mq2019/participants.html
In the News:
- https://realscientists.wordpress.com/category/2013-08-11-dr-simon-otoole-astronomer-and-science-communicator-drsimmo/
- http://realscientists.org/2013/08/18/a-stellar-effort-thanks-and-farewell-to-dr-simon-otoole-of-the-aao/
- https://phys.org/news/2017-07-scientists-unveil-d-view-galaxies.html
- https://www.astro.ljmu.ac.uk/~ikb/press/sunlikestar.html
- https://angelrls.wordpress.com/2017/05/
Learn more with related episodes in our analytics podcast:
- E83 – Steven Tye – The Data in Your Water – Smart Water Metering
- E80 – Albert Ishak – Harmonising the Legacy Systems in Aviation Industry through Finance Automation
- E73 – Katja Hanewald – From the Frontier of Population Ageing Research
- E13 – Richard Sanchez – Increasing the Odds of Students’ Success in Higher Education Using Data Science
Now a word from our sponsor…
This episode is sponsored by a new program at Data Driven Analytics. It’s an analytics leader mentorship program for senior managers and executives in the business team who want to develop a data-driven business to drive customer experience excellence. For a small one-off annual fee, you get to book an Unlimited Strategy Session for a Full Year. For more information about this program, please reach out to our host, Jason Tan.
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