Rafael Bachiller, astronomer: ‘This is how I imagine extraterrestrials: as tiny microbes’

Rafael Bachiller seems far more interested in revealing all the treasures housed in the Royal Observatory of Madrid, which he directs, than in starting the interview. He enthusiastically shows off the replica of Herschel’s gigantic telescope destroyed by Napoleon’s troops, the library, and the precision clocks, acting as the best guide to this gem located in the Spanish capital’s Retiro Park. An astronomer born in Madrid in 1957, and recently awarded the Spanish Geographical Society Prize, he also heads the Eclipse Commission, which will study the eclipse that will be visible in Spain on August 12.

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