AG's astronomer wins Aus Day award

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Fred Watson has been appointed to the Order of Australia for his services to astronomy.

Our resident space expert, Fred Watson, was recognised for his contributions to astronomy on Australia Day this week.

Fred was appointed a Member in the General Division of the Order of Australia, our nation's highest recognition for outstanding achievement and service.

The Order of Australia honours a number of Aussies each year in the divisions of military and general (for more info, visit this page).

Fred's Space column has appeared in Australian Geographic since 2003. Fred is also Astronomer-in-Charge at the Anglo-Australian Observatory — a post he has kept since 1995.

As well as being close to infallible in his field, Fred is a bit of a crowd-pleaser. So it's hardly surprising that nominations for this award come from within the community.

Got a question for Fred? Email us and we'll pass it on!

In the meantime, here are some of Fred's gems from the AG archive:

Why is the sky blue?
(and other things you should know about the universe)

Meanwhile, back on Earth
Astronomy’s lessons about the home planet.

Tourism's final frontier
The sky’s no longer the limit for adventure seekers.

And, for more space, check out:

GALLERY: Through the Hubble
Some of the best photos from the Hubble Space Telescope.