Jude Insley - solar guides

What interests you about the Sun?

I now work for a web development company, but I used to work at Imperial College in London. There, I was studying coronal holes. These are the darkest regions (in the X-rays and ultraviolet) on the Sun. It wasn't exactly easy searching for them, but I like a challenge and using the SOHO spacecraft was a lot of fun. I still keep my eye on the Sun (well, not so much in Britain!). Amazing pictures are still coming from SOHO and TRACE.

What do you like to do outside of work?

I love going to the movies, especially sci-fi and action films. I remember reading books by George Orwell when I was younger. He invented the 'Big Brother' concept a long, long time before it was famous as a TV programme. I also enjoy music and dancing and have been known to dance the night away. I used to compete in ballroom and rock 'n' roll dancing competitions. I remember staying up all night watching Band Aid and seeing Bob Dylan playing some of his songs. My favourite, of course, was 'Blowing in the (solar) wind'!

Coronal hole (dark region) seen in the UV by SOHO-EIT

Have you travelled a lot?

Yes, I've been to quite a few places in the world: Germany, Holland and Switzerland in Europe and New England in the USA.

Here's an ice sculpture in New England - it gets really cold there.

Who would I most like to meet, living or dead?

I would like to have met Arthur C. Clarke. He has such a vision of the future I'd like to know where he sees us going in the next 50 years. Things have changed so fast.

He thought of communications satellites before we even ventured into space, so if anyone can predict the future, it has to be him! Above is a picture of his first flight in 1927 with his mother taken from the web site: http://www.acclarke.co.uk/index.html. Here's something he designed.

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