Tribute Video to HUAN TRAN
I just made this video for my friend and colleague that parished HUAN TRAN.
Read MorePolarbear Telescope assembly is COMPLETED!
HUAN TRAN Indicates on his blog that the telescope was finished. I’m so glad he lived to see that day. That was his true passion right there!
Polarbear Telescope Assembly is FINISHED
Although it took about twice as long as I originally thought it would, the structure is basically where is should be. We have some major outstanding issues, like the servo and the enclosures, but those will hopefully get done in next few months. Expect to come back here in about a month.
I took this picture above just as the sun was setting. You can see that the pad is a bit more tidy. Brian was busy trying to pack up, so I couldn’t get him to pose next to the telescope.
Thanks to the GD guys for sticking with it until the job was done. I am VERY excited that Polarbear finally has a telescope- it has been 6 years in the making for me. I was just told that we are celebrating 400 years of the telescope. Here’s to hoping that Polarbear has as much impact as Galileo!
Death of Scientist in Big Pine Under Investigation
I found this article concerning HUAN TRAN. Here’s the original link but printed below for your convenience.
A 39-year-old Princeton graduate and post doctoral student from Berkeley died Saturday night, apparently when a wall furnace malfunctioned in his apartment in Big Pine, asphyxiating him, according to the Inyo County Coroner.
Huan Tran was working towards his professorship with a major project at the Caltech Observatory at Big Pine. Dave Woody, Assistant Director at the observatory said that Tran was a staff member and post doctoral student.
He had achieved his PHD in astro-physics from Princeton and was the project manager of a test telescope destined for Chile. Woody said Mr. Tran had worked to design the telescope which was going up on Caltech’s Cedar Flat location.
The Inyo County Coroner, Leon Brune, said that it appears Tran died in his sleep. Brune said a fire marshall from San Bernardino was expected to come to Big Pine and investigate. Brune said Caltech had called to say Tran failed to come to work and they requested a welfare check. On Sunday, the Big Pine Fire Department and Inyo Sheriff’s deputies responded.
Tran was a resident of Oakland. His family lives in Minnesota where his remains will go.
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