José Maza Sancho

José María Maza Sancho (born 1948) is a Chilean astronomer and astrophysicist. His work has focused on the study of supernovas, the execution of a search for objects with emission lines, dark energy, and quasars with an objective prism, which led him to be awarded the National Prize for Exact Sciences in 1999.[1] Since 2017 he gained popular following with books aimed to the general public and podcasts.

José Maza Sancho
Maza in FILSA 2017
Born
José María Maza Sancho

1948 (age 74–75)
Valparaíso, Chile
Alma materUniversity of Chile, University of Toronto
Occupation(s)Astronomer, professor
Notable workSomos polvo de estrellas
AwardsNational Prize for Exact Sciences (1999)

Biography

After studying at the Internado Nacional Barros Arana, he entered the University of Chile as an astronomy student. He did his doctoral studies in astronomy at the University of Toronto.[1]

Since 1968 he has been an academic of the Faculty of Physical and Mathematical Sciences of the University of Chile, and since 1987 he has been a full professor of that house of studies. He was director of the University of Chile's Department of Astronomy from 1997 to 2000.[1]

Between 1979 and 1984 he headed the Scientific Project of Search for Supernovas at Cerro El Roble and was part of Project Calán Tololo, a Chilean-American initiative that featured the joint work of the University of Chile with the Cerro Tololo Interamerican Observatory, in the search for supernovas.[2]

The Calán Tololo project gave contemporary astrophysics tools for measuring the universe more precisely, calculations that years later would be key for a group of American astronomers to follow these supernova studies,[2] being part of the theory of accelerating expansion of the universe by dark energy. He has not been recognized as such since all his mathematical calculations were provided to Harvard University on the condition that they would only perform a mathematical modeling,[3] which allowed that group of American scientists to win the Nobel Prize in 2011.[2][4][5]

Apart from being a professor and being a member of the Center for Astrophysics and Related Technologies (CATA), he has given astronomical talks to young people to get them interested in science,[6] one of which he did at the boarding school in which he studied.

The astronomer Rafael Ferrando baptized the asteroid 108113 as "Maza", in honor of José Maza Sancho.[7]

Awards
  • Presidential Chair in Sciences, 1995
  • Rector's Medal, University of Chile, 1996
  • National Prize for Exact Sciences, 1999[1]
  • Rector's Medal, University of Chile, 1999
  • Active Member of the Academy of Sciences since 2002

Published books
  • Supernovas, Ediciones B, 2008. Coauthored with Mario Hamuy Wackenhut. ISBN 9563040414
  • Astronomía contemporánea, Ediciones B, 2009. ISBN 9563040708
  • Somos polvo de estrellas, Editorial Planeta, 2017. ISBN 9789563602449
  • Marte: la próxima frontera, Editorial Planeta, Santiago, 2018. ISBN 9789563604771

References
Wikimedia Commons has media related to José Maza.
  1. "José María Maza Sancho" (in Spanish). University of Chile. Retrieved 16 December 2017.
  2. "Dando el ejemplo: Bautizan colegio de Antofagasta con el nombre del astrónomo José Maza" [Setting an Example: School of Antofagasta Given the Name of Astronomer José Maza]. El Mostrador (in Spanish). 8 April 2016. Retrieved 16 December 2017.
  3. Rodríguez I., Francisco (25 July 2011). "La historia desconocida del hallazgo científico que enfrentó a astrónomos chilenos y de EE.UU" [The Unknown History of the Scientific Discovery That Confronted Chilean and US Astronomers]. La Tercera (in Spanish). Retrieved 16 December 2017.
  4. "Ganadores del Premio Nobel de Física reconocen aporte investigadores CATA en la astronomía" [Winners of the Nobel Prize for Physics Recognize the Contribution of CATA Researchers in Astronomy] (in Spanish). Center for Astrophysics and Related Technologies. Archived from the original on 10 July 2017. Retrieved 16 December 2017.
  5. Guzmán, Juan Andrés (5 October 2011). "Chileno que puso su huella en Nóbel de Física: 'Nos tienen convenientemente bien idiotizados'" [Chilean Who Put His Footprint on the Nobel for Physics: 'They Have Us Conveniently Well Idiotized'] (in Spanish). CIPER. Retrieved 16 December 2017.
  6. "Visita Premio Nacional de Ciencias" [National Prize for Sciences Visit] (in Spanish). Daem Alto del Carmen. 31 May 2013. Archived from the original on 24 December 2013. Retrieved 16 December 2017.
  7. "Astrónomo de la FCFM inscribe su nombre en el Universo" [Astronomer of the FCFM Inscribes His Name on the Universe] (in Spanish). University of Chile. 29 January 2014. Retrieved 16 December 2017.
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