Babak Tafreshi, Director of The World at Night (TWAN), and planetary scientist Carolyn Porco have been named winners of the 2009 Lennart Nilsson Award, the world’s most prestigious distinction in scientific photography. The official announcement states that the two are being recognized for "their photographic work which -- each from its own perspective -- recalls humankind's place in the universe." The announcement compares the recipients of the annual award with its namesake, legendary Swedish photographer Lennart Nilsson, in saying that "this year's recipients have captured worlds that are otherwise hidden from human sight."
The award citation says that "Babak A. Tafreshi's photographs reclaim a night sky that most modern people have lost. He takes us to remote places where the stars still look like they did at the dawn of mankind. His work calls to mind the beauty of the universe and human life on our planet."
Tafreshi founded TWAN in 2007 under the Astronomers Without Borders banner. He continues to be the driving force behind the project's worldwide success. TWAN has been declared a Special Project of the International Year of Astronomy 2009, helping the UN-declared year to reach a broad audience.
Tafreshi is also an independent photographer, science journalist, and amateur astronomer. His photographs have appeared in international journals, on TV, in international exhibitions, and have been featured on the very popular NASA Astronomy Picture of the Day website. He is a frequent guest on television and radio programs about astronomy in his home country of Iran. From 1997 to 2007 he was editor, and later editor-in-chief, of Nojum (Astronomy) magazine in Iran. He also serves on Astronomers Without Borders' Board of Trustees.
The award will be presented to Tafreshi in a ceremony in Stockholm on 28 October, with Lennart Nilsson in attendance. This is the second Lennart Nilsson Award for The World at Night team. David Malin, world-renowned astrophotographer and TWAN photographer, received the award in 2000.
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For further information: Babak Tafreshi's photography in the TWAN gallery New Scientist news note and slide show |
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Click to enlarge photos |
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