Juan does like to take his telescopes out to explore the sky. “When the Pampero (a cold, dry
wind) blows and cleans out the Buenos Aires
skies, I go out,” he said. “Finding galaxies or
faint clusters is something I enjoy doing.”
Juan also has been trying to find a very special object, but so far has not had much luck.
“I have not succeeded in observing the asteroid that bears my name (8780 Forte), but I will
keep trying.”
Juan Carlos Forte is a man with the stars on
his mind. His colleagues call him a consummate researcher, and point out that his passion also lies in educating the next generation of astronomers. These days, he is taking
his interest in education in a unique direction.
“Currently I am on a leave of absence from the
Facultad and working at the Galileo Galilei
planetarium in Buenos Aires,” he said. I continue my research work, but am also involved
in a collaborative program aimed at integrating astronomy in all the different educational
levels. I think that the distinctive features of
astronomy must be preserved and taught to
the new generations of astronomers.”
But, there is more to Juan Carlos’s passion for
the stars than sharing. Deep inside, he has always carried with him a unique definition of
astronomy, one that he is happy to share with
others if it helps get them to appreciate the
cosmos we live in. “A young lady at the Asociacion used to say that ‘Astronomy enters
through the eyes and then flows through the
veins’,” he recalled. “I’ve always found that to
be a delightful and powerful definition.”
No wonder. It’s how Juan Carlos grew into astronomy as a child. And it’s how he extends
his own vision today — not only out to the
distant stars and galaxies but also to the students he continues to inspire.
GeminiFocus associate editor Carolyn Collins Petersen is a science writer, producer, and vice-president of Loch Ness Production. She can be reached
at: [email protected]
From his first visits to the observatory in his
childhood, to joining the Asociacion Argentina Amigos de la Astronomia where he became a “proud telescope maker,” Juan Carlos
Forte has walked a path to the stars and wants
others to come along. “I follow the ideas of
the late Dr. Jose L. Sersic, who influenced me
to become an amateur astronomer who earns
his living as a professional one,” he said.
47
GeminiFocus
June2012