Europlanet awards prize to Jean Lilensten

Jean Lilensten, first winner of the prize given by Europlanet tasked with awarding prizes to those who work to increase awareness of planetology amongst the general public in Europe.
Credit: Europlanet

Europlanet, tasked with co-ordinating European research in planetology (the study of planets), is a structure financed by the European Union. It was created following the successful landing of the Huygens probe on Titan 5 years ago (see this portfolio). Europlanet therefore awards funds to help with scientific programmes and, this year, has inaugurated its prize for excellence in public engagement. The winner of this first prize is Jean Lilensten from the Planetology Laboratory in Grenoble. He has created an astonishing experiment dubbed Planeterrella which reconstitutes the phenomenon of polar lights. On Earth, said phenomenon is the result of the interaction of charged particles from the Sun with our planet’s magnetic field.

With its two metal spheres in a vacuum, Planeterrella can simulate numerous aurora configurations. In addition to its educational aspect, the aesthetics of the experiment when it is in operation are quite amazing.
Credit: Mathieu Senet

Jean Lilensten has even designed Planeterrella such that the entire device is mobile, which has enabled him to demonstrate this “polar light simulator” throughout Europe, reaching the general public and school children, and making them aware of a major astronomical phenomenon (auroras involve numerous planets as well as highly magnetised stars). This original, community approach has therefore earned its inventor Europlanet’s first prize for public engagement. The scientist will receive 4,000 euros during the European Planetary Science Congress organised by Europlanet which is to take place in Rome from 19 to 24 September 2010.

Press release from Europlanet

Official website for the Planeterrella experiment

Published on 23 July 2010

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