1 The astronomy in Mexico, South Africa, Chile, Canada and Spain, in comparison with Romania Ovidiu Vaduvescu Conferinta Diasporei - Workshop Astronomie Sep 2010 Bucharest, Romania

2 Why these countries?  Because I worked there during the last 13 years, so I know them;  Because Mexico, South Africa and Chile have social standards similar to Romania (similar average salaries, national gross products, etc);  Because I know better Canada and Spain (my adoptive countries), which have higher standards;  As a comparison with Romania, because my natal Romania country deserves to increase in astronomy!

3 Education in Astronomy Mexico Schools: no dedicated astronomy classes; Universities (MSc, PhD): At least 3 programs: Mexico City, Ensenada, Guanajuato. S. Africa Schools: probably no dedicated astronomy classes; Universities (MSc, PhD): At least 2: Cape Town + Durban Chile Schools: mostly included under sciences; some astronomy classes only in private colleges; Universities (MSc, PhD): At least 5: Santiago, Concepcion, Valparaiso, La Serena, Antofagasta. Canada Schools: mostly under “sciences” (including colleges). Universities (MSc, PhD): at least 10: Toronto, Vancouver, Montreal, York, Hamilton, Calgary, Halifax, London, etc; some online. Spain Schools: no dedicated astronomy class. Universities (MSc, PhD): at least 5 depts: Madrid, IAC Tenerife, Granada, Barcelona, Alicante, etc; some online. Romania Schools: absent, only at “math-physics” in the past. Universities (MSc, PhD): none! (under Math in the past). New program at University of Timisoara (under Physics)??

4 Astronomical Observatories Mexico About 5-11! (including education) and 1 share overseas! National: San Pedro Martir (SPM, 2800m alt, very dark national park), founded historic in 1878 (modern 1929). South Africa About 6 (including international and SKA radio project). National: South African Astronomical Observatory (SAAO 1800m alt, very dark site), founded 1820 (modern 1972). Chile About 10 (international and public outreach). National: Cerro Calan (Univ de Chile), founded 1850 (modern 1927). Very good (dry and high m alt) sites! Canada About 10 (including education) and 3 shares overseas. National: Dominion Astrophysical Observatory (DDO), founded Poor weather sites (mostly clouded) in Canada. Spain About 10 (including international and space - ESA/NASA). National (IAC): Roque de los Muchachos (ORM), 2400m alt. Romania Only 3 very small (Bucharest, Cluj, Timisoara) located in/very near to very big cities, very light polluted (limiting visual mag 3-5)! National: Not available! Bucharest (founded 1910), 80m alt…

5 Major Telescopes Mexico OAN: 2.1, 1.5, 0.8m; Cananea: 2.1, 0.4m; Tonantzintla (1m), LMT (50m radio at 4600m alt! with US); 7 sites educ (0.5m); Overseas: 5% share GTC 10.4m (Canary). Collabs with US. South Africa SAAO: 1.9, 1.5, 1.0, 0.75, 0.5m, 5 robotic telescopes, national share (60%) on SALT 10.3m and SKA radio project; Boyden: 1.5m Many collaborations with UK, Germany, Japan, Poland, etc. Chile 10% share (host country) on most international telescopes! Atacama: ALMA radio array (5000m alt); Paranal (ESO 4x8.2m, 4m, 2.5m); Armazones (Bochum 1.5m, 0.85m, 3 remote, E-ELT 42m project); La Silla (ESO 3.6m, 3.5m, 2.2m); Campanas (Magellan 2x6.5m, 2.5m, 1m, LMT 7x8.4m project); Tololo (NOAO 4.1m, 1.5m, 1.3m, 1.0m, 6x0.4m remote); Pachon (Gemini 8.1m, SOAR 4m, LSST 8m project). Canada Mostly historic: DDO/UofT 1.9m; DAO 1.9m; Rothney 1.8m; Megantic 1.6m, etc. Overseas shares (Hawaii, Chile): CFHT 3.6m, Gemini 2x8.1m, JCMT 15m radio, ALMA radio, TMT 30m project. Spain ORM (ENO): GTC 10.4m, WHT 4.2m, NOT 2.5m, INT 2.5m, MAGIC 2x17m gamma, 1m solar; Teide: 1.5m, 1m, 0.8m, incl solar, remote and ESA; Calar Alto: 3.5, 2.2, 1.5, 1.2, 0.8m; Sierra Nevada: 1.5, 0.8m, robotic; IRAM (radio 30m Germany) Romania Bucharest: 0.5, 0.4m… (no obs); Cluj Napoca: 0.5, 0.4m… (very few obs); Timisoara: 0.3m… (no observations)!

6 Astronomers per capita Mexico 1 astronomer per 550,000 habitants South Africa cca 1 astronomer per 500,000 hanitants Chile cca 1 astronomer per 300,000 hanitants Canada cca 1 astronomer per 60,000 habitants Spain 1 astronomer per 80,000 habitants Romania 1 astronomer per 1,000,000 habitants… (decreasing during the last decade, due to immigration, lack of telescopes, little budget and very low salaries)…

7 Publications Mexico 88% in referred journals, very good record! Revista Mexicana de Astronomía y Astrofísica (referred, bi-annual); Mexican Astronomical Yearbook (annual, old). S. Africa mnassa (monthly notes of the Astro Soc of South Africa) Annual Handbook and Sky Guide. Chile No professional journal. A few amateur journals and bulletins. Institution and author are paid for publications of ISI papers! (author: Euros/Paper, university/institute: 5x more)! Canada JRASC (Journal of Royal Astronomical Society of Canada) Annual RASC Handbook (adopted by the US, too)! Many amateur publications (RASC, other societies). Spain No professional journal. Some amateur publications (Tribuna de Astronomia, AstronomiA, Astronomia Digital, etc). Romania RoAJ (Romanian Astronomical Journal, bi-annual) founded 1990, not indexed, not online, include only abstracts in ADS; A few amateur electronic publications (Vega, Bolidul, etc). Not clear if ISI papers are paid or not to authors??

8 Jobs & Salaries Mexico In academic, research, observatories, some public outreach. Astronomy salary range: 1500 – cca 2500 Euros (monthly net). Astronomer / average national salary = 1500 / 300 = 5 South Africa Mostly in academic, research and observatories. Astronomy salary range: 1000 – cca 2500 Euros. Astronomer / average national salary = 1500 / 300 = 5 Chile Mostly in academic, some public outreach. Astronomy salary range: 1500 – cca 3000 Euros. Astronomer / average national salary = 2000 / 300 = 7 Canada Mostly in academic and research. Astronomy salary range: 1500 – cca 4000 Euros. Astronomer / average national salary = 2500 / 1300 = 2 Spain Mostly in academic and research. Astronomy salary range: 1500 – cca 4000 Euros. Astronomer / average national salary = 2500 / 1100 = 2.3 Romania Mostly in research, extremely few in academics, some in outreach. Astronomy salary range: 200 – cca 500 Euros… Astronomer / average national salary = 350 / 300 = 1.2 … No concept of “postdoc”/contract (at least in astronomy)

9 Conclusions Mexico  Similar country in social standards to Romania.  Quite reach and ambitious in astronomy, due to its ancient culture and neighboring USA. South Africa  Similar country in average social standards with Romania, but facing major problems (huge poorness, 40% unemployment, very high criminality rate and AIDS, etc);  Very ambitious in astronomy (including the recent SALT 10.3m), partially due to UK, Dutch, Germany, USA heritage and collabs. Chile  Similar country in average social standards with Romania.  The best observational astronomy country worldwide, although facing major earthquake risks.  Although “latin” in style, very open to collabs and most rewarding in observations (best place for an observational astronomer)! Canada  Probably the best country for an immigrant;  Good place for postgraduate astronomy education but…  Unable to keep its astronomers and brains (1/4 leave Canada);  Difficult place for observations but good in overseas facilities. Spain  A good place for observational astronomy (thanks to its climate and the Canary Islands);  Growing in astronomy during the last two decades: hosting new international facilities, ESO membership, E-ELT competition (300ME), the GTC 10.4m (the largest telescope worldwide), etc.

10 Conclusions Romania  Quite good in undergrad astronomy (schools) and public outreach (planetaria, astronomy clubs, public activities, etc);  But unfortunately…  Almost null in university postgraduate astronomy (no MSc program, no full time PhD program, no dedicated schools);  Very small in professional astronomy (nr of ISI papers & citations, nr of astronomers per capita, young astronomers and students leaving the country, very poor salaries, etc);  Quasi null in observational astronomy (no national observatory, no decent telescopes, very little collaboration outside, etc)  Very poor astronomy in comparison with Mexico, South Africa and Chile, countries comparable in standards with Romania…

11 A few references Mexico My two observing runs there (SPM, 2002 & 2004) and job hunting El estado de la astronomia en Mexico - I. Aretsaga S. Africa My 6 months work experience there (Univ of Durban), although unfortunately I did not reach Cape Town and SAAO yet. Chile My 2 years work experience there (Institute of Astronomy, Univ. of Antofagasta: postdoc and univ professor) and past job search Canada My 8 years experience, incl 5y as a PhD student (York U, Toronto) and some part-time astronomy teacher (Humber College) The Teaching of Astronomy in Canadian Schools - J. Percy Spain My actual almost 2 years work experience (astronomer with Isaac Newton Group – a UK, NL, SP observatory) and past job search Romania My 6 years astronomer experience in Romania ( ) and the close contact that I had with Romania and astronomers during the last 13 years away. GOOGLE and