Rafael Rebolo López facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Rafael Rebolo López
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| Rafael Rebolo | |
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| Born |
Cartagena, Spain
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| Citizenship | Spanish |
| Education | PhD, astrophysics |
| Alma mater | University of Grenada, University La Laguna |
| Awards |
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| Scientific career | |
| Institutions | Institute of Astrophysics of the Canary Islands, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, |
Rafael Rebolo López, born on September 12, 1961, in Cartagena, Spain, is a Spanish astrophysicist. An astrophysicist is a scientist who studies space, stars, and planets. Since October 2013, he has been the director of the Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias (Institute of Astrophysics of the Canary Islands; IAC). He is also a professor at the Spanish National Research Council. In 2002, he became a professor at the Max Planck Institute for Astronomy and joined the Max Planck Society.
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What Did Rafael Rebolo Study?
Rafael Rebolo studied physics at the University of Granada. He earned his degree in 1984. Later, in 1987, he received his doctorate in astrophysics from the University of La Laguna. A doctorate is the highest degree you can get in a field of study.
Rafael Rebolo's Career in Space Science
Rafael Rebolo started his career in 1984. He began as a researcher at the Institute of Astrophysics of the Canary Islands (IAC).
From 1997 to 1999, he led the IAC Research Division. In 1998, he became a Professor of Research in Physical Science for the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC).
In 2002, Rebolo joined the Max Planck Society. He also became an External Professor at the Max Planck Institute for Astronomy in Heidelberg, Germany.
What Does Rafael Rebolo Research?
Rebolo has worked on many important research projects. These projects include:
- Cosmology: The study of the universe's origin and future. He studies the cosmic microwave background, which is leftover radiation from the Big Bang.
- Stellar Physics: The study of stars. He looks at objects called sub-stellar objects and black holes.
- Exoplanets: The search for planets outside our solar system. He looks for planets that might be similar to Earth.
Key Discoveries and Contributions
Rafael Rebolo and his team have made several big discoveries:
- Brown Dwarfs: In 1995, they found the first brown dwarfs. These are objects that are bigger than planets but smaller than stars.
- Exoplanets: In 2000, he helped discover several giant extrasolar planets.
- Black Holes: In 1999, Rebolo found proof that supernovae (exploding stars) are connected to black holes.
- Cosmic Microwave Background: He was a leader in Spain for studying the cosmic microwave background. He worked with the Universities of Manchester and Cambridge on experiments at the Observatorio del Teide.
Major Astronomy Projects
Rebolo leads the QUIJOTE consortium. This group measures the polarization of the cosmic microwave background using telescopes in Tenerife.
He also helps direct the ESPRESSO project. This is a very precise tool used to find Earth-like exoplanets. It works with the 8-meter Very Large Telescope (VLT) in Chile.
Another project he works on is AOLI. This project takes high-resolution images using the 4.2-meter William Herschel Telescope. This telescope is at the Roque de los Muchachos Observatory in La Palma, Canary Islands.
Rebolo is also involved in space missions. He is a co-investigator for the European Space Agency’s Planck and Euclid missions. He is a member of the board for the 10.4-meter Gran Telescopio Canarias (GTC) and the Cherenkov Telescope Array.
Since 2011, he has been the Scientific Director of the "IAC: Severo Ochoa Centre of Excellence" program.
Awards and Honors
Rafael Rebolo has received many awards for his work. He is a member of several important academies, including the Royal Academy of Exact, Physical and Natural Sciences of Spain. He is also an Honorary Academician of the Academy of Sciences of the Region of Murcia. The Polytechnic University of Cartagena gave him an honorary doctorate.
Some of his awards include:
- Iberdrola Prize of Science and Technology (2000)
- Jaime I Research Prize (2001)
- Canary Islands Prize for Research (2002)
- Medal of Honor for the Promotion of Invention (2004)
- Jules Janssen Prize of the French Astronomical Society (2015)
- Premio Nacional de Investigación Blas Cabrera (2018)
See also
In Spanish: Rafael Rebolo López para niños
