Serge Brunier
Encyclopedia
Serge Brunier is a French photographer, reporter, and writer
who has specialized in popular depictions of astronomical subjects.
and is a columnist of the radio station France Info
. He has written a bigger number of illustrated works regarding astronomy.
He campaigns for an exploration of the Solar System
through unmanned spacecraft
s, but fights against crewed spaceflight
.
In his illustrated book Solar System Voyage, he describes the situations on the planet
s, how a hypothetical voyager would experience them.
Brunier has made a panoramic photograph of the Milky Way
in the Atacama desert over two years, which has been shown at his first exposition in the Monte Carlo Casino, in 2006, and, with its one hundred million pixels, on 144 square meters in the Palais de la Découverte in Paris in 2007.
The International Astronomical Union has named the asteroid 10943
after Brunier in recognition of his services in the advancement of science.
s, and galaxies
by large photographs and transparent overlays, in particular of the most important constellations. It informs about location, luminosity
, and dimensions as well as about when a specific object of the night sky can best be observed.
Writer
A writer is a person who produces literature, such as novels, short stories, plays, screenplays, poetry, or other literary art. Skilled writers are able to use language to portray ideas and images....
who has specialized in popular depictions of astronomical subjects.
Work and Target
Brunier works together with the magazine Science et VieScience & Vie
Science & Vie is a monthly science magazine issued in France since 1913 when its name was La Science et la Vie. In 1982, a spinoff computer magazine, Science & Vie Micro was launched. Another spinoff for teenagers, Science & Vie Junior was started in 1986...
and is a columnist of the radio station France Info
France Info
France Info is a major French public news radio station, part of the Radio France group. The station is available across the country broadcasting world news 24 hours...
. He has written a bigger number of illustrated works regarding astronomy.
He campaigns for an exploration of the Solar System
Solar System
The Solar System consists of the Sun and the astronomical objects gravitationally bound in orbit around it, all of which formed from the collapse of a giant molecular cloud approximately 4.6 billion years ago. The vast majority of the system's mass is in the Sun...
through unmanned spacecraft
Spacecraft
A spacecraft or spaceship is a craft or machine designed for spaceflight. Spacecraft are used for a variety of purposes, including communications, earth observation, meteorology, navigation, planetary exploration and transportation of humans and cargo....
s, but fights against crewed spaceflight
Human spaceflight
Human spaceflight is spaceflight with humans on the spacecraft. When a spacecraft is manned, it can be piloted directly, as opposed to machine or robotic space probes and remotely-controlled satellites....
.
In his illustrated book Solar System Voyage, he describes the situations on the planet
Planet
A planet is a celestial body orbiting a star or stellar remnant that is massive enough to be rounded by its own gravity, is not massive enough to cause thermonuclear fusion, and has cleared its neighbouring region of planetesimals.The term planet is ancient, with ties to history, science,...
s, how a hypothetical voyager would experience them.
Brunier has made a panoramic photograph of the Milky Way
Milky Way
The Milky Way is the galaxy that contains the Solar System. This name derives from its appearance as a dim un-resolved "milky" glowing band arching across the night sky...
in the Atacama desert over two years, which has been shown at his first exposition in the Monte Carlo Casino, in 2006, and, with its one hundred million pixels, on 144 square meters in the Palais de la Découverte in Paris in 2007.
The International Astronomical Union has named the asteroid 10943
10943 Brunier
10943 Brunier is a main-belt asteroid discovered on March 20, 1999 by the OCA-DLR Asteroid Survey at Caussols. It was named for Serge Brunier, a writer and photographer who focuses on astronomy and observatories.- References :...
after Brunier in recognition of his services in the advancement of science.
The Concise Atlas of the Stars
Published in 2005 at Firefly Books Ltd., Brunier's Concise Atlas of the Stars helps to identify specific stars, nebulaNebula
A nebula is an interstellar cloud of dust, hydrogen gas, helium gas and other ionized gases...
s, and galaxies
Galaxy
A galaxy is a massive, gravitationally bound system that consists of stars and stellar remnants, an interstellar medium of gas and dust, and an important but poorly understood component tentatively dubbed dark matter. The word galaxy is derived from the Greek galaxias , literally "milky", a...
by large photographs and transparent overlays, in particular of the most important constellations. It informs about location, luminosity
Luminosity
Luminosity is a measurement of brightness.-In photometry and color imaging:In photometry, luminosity is sometimes incorrectly used to refer to luminance, which is the density of luminous intensity in a given direction. The SI unit for luminance is candela per square metre.The luminosity function...
, and dimensions as well as about when a specific object of the night sky can best be observed.
Decorations
- 1986 Prix Montyon (for Architecture de l'Univers)
- 1994 Henri Rey Prize (through the Societé Astronomique de FranceSociété Astronomique de FranceThe Société Astronomique de France is a French astronomical society that was founded by the astronomer Camille Flammarion....
) - 1997 French prize for the best astronomical book of the year
- 2007 French prize for the best astronomical book of the year
Works
- Nébuleuses et galaxies, atlas du ciel profond. Dunod, 1981
- Les Planètes. Bordas, Paris 1982 (with André de Clayeux)
- Architecture de l'Univers. Bordas, Paris 1985
- Astronomie du ciel profond. Dunod, 1988
- Éclipses – Les rendez-vous célestes. Bordas, Paris 1999 (with Jean-Pierre LuminetJean-Pierre LuminetJean-Pierre Luminet is a French astrophysicist, specialized in black holes and cosmology. He works as research director for the CNRS , and is a member of the Laboratoire Univers et Théories of the observatory of Paris-Meudon.The asteroid 5523 Luminet, was named after him .-Timeline:* 2003 - An...
) - Voyage dans le système solaire. Bordas, Paris 2000
- Le grand atlas des étoiles. Bordas, Paris 2001
- Les grands observatoires du monde. Bordas, Paris 2002 (with Anne-Marie Lagrange)
- Le grand atlas de la Lune. Éditions LarousseÉditions LarousseÉditions Larousse is a French publishing house specialising in reference works such as dictionaries. It was founded by Pierre Larousse and its best-known work is the Petit Larousse.It was acquired by Vivendi Universal in 1998...
, Paris 2004 (with Thierry Legault) - Atacama – Désert d'altitude. Nathan, Paris 2004
- Observer Mars, Éditions Larousse, Paris 2005
- Impasse de l'espace – À quoi servent les astronautes. Éditions du SeuilÉditions du SeuilÉditions du Seuil is a French publishing house created in 1935, currently owned by La Martinière Groupe. It owes its name to this goal "The seuil is the whole excitement of parting and arriving...
, 2006 - Voyage dans l'infini du ciel étoilé . Nathan, Paris 2006
In English
- Solar System Voyage. Cambridge University Press
- The Great Atlas of the Stars (2001)
- The Concise Atlas of the Stars (2005)
- New Atlas of the Moon (with Thierry Legault)
- Great Observatories of the World (with Anne-Marie Lagrange)
- Glorious Eclipses: Their Past, Present, and Future. Cambridge University Press (with Jean-Pierre Luminet, Storm Dunlop)
- Space Odyssey. The First Forty Years of Space Exploration
- Majestic Universe. Views from Here to Infinity. Cambridge University Press