With pictures! A week ago, I spent a day with a reporter from the German Playboy. He took the photos and interviewed me. And he came all the way from Italy for that, but luckily we could do the interview in English…
I met him on a quiet Monday morning in a cafe in Heerlen, after we had spoken over the phone and exchanged some e-mails. We stayed there until lunchtime and it became the longest interview I did so far. And it was nice. He had warned me he wanted to know lots of details about me, Galaxy Zoo and how I found Hanny’s Voorwerp and he wrote all of it down. In German, to keep it simple.
After that, we travelled to Explorion to do the photo shoot (for which I kept my clothes on of course). The people of that science centre are very hospitable, as they open the door especially for me and photographers. This one made me do fun stuff like throwing a fluffy Earth ball in the air and swing back and forth with a (much heavier!) ball on a thread, looking like the moon.
I still had to work that day, as a Mad Scientist at a school, for which the reporter joined me as well. The kids loved today’s subject, ‘Chem in a flash’, and the fact a reporter from abroad came to their class! He again took some pictures there, but obviously he can’t use the ones with children in them for the magazine without their parents approval.
Anyway, it was a fun day and it’s nice to know people in Germany are hearing about the project too. I have to admit that I was a little surprised that Playboy wanted to do this story and when I told Edd, his reaction was: “Oh I bet that’ll make Chris laugh!” So, when I told Chris about the request I added: “Edd thought it would make you laugh…” His answer: “It did! That’s very funny… and a good story.”
For people wondering when they’ll have an excuse to buy it, it will probably be the March issue of the new year, which appears in February. I already have a preview of the photo shoot, but since the magazine isn’t out yet, I have to wait before publishing them on the website till then. So, here’s a nice picture of “The Playboy Galaxy” found by Annie instead…
Credit: SDSS.
10 Comments
looking forward to seeing it
I subscribed to the German Playboy, so I won’t miss the edition with you in it.
I’m looking forward to it!
By the way, excellent photo of that Playboy galaxy. Whicj galaxy is that?
Hey Arie, nice to “see” you here. I’m not sure, but I think I would’ve classified it as an elliptical (Galaxy Zoo part 1) and the ‘ears’ are probably making it an overlap. Here’s its number: 587739303687028864, for you and all zoo members wondering.
As you have said, this was a long and detailed interview, so I look forward to reading more about you and your amazing discovery. Playboy is a very popular magazine the world over and this will, I believe, be a powerful medium for spreading the Voorwerp story to the masses, or maybe some of the non-scientific community who willl take interest in this mysterious object and how it was found. Great stuff, Hanny.
Just to let everyone know that it won’t be the March issue after all. I don’t know when exactly it will appear, but I’ll keep you updated on this site.
Mmmm, here in Dordrecht they only sell the dutch version.
Hanny, do you know how I can get a German version? Just for the articles of course, you know that. 
Hey, if all goes well, I heard this will be in the June (2009) edition, which is for sale from May 15th!
Yes, it’s out now!
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[...] Back in December I wrote about the interview (and the looong shoot) I did for the German Playboy, and it finally appeared in the magazine this month! [...]