Adler Staff Star: Meet Pedro!

Editor’s Note: Updated in May 2023 to reflect more current and updated information.

Pedro R.

Former Curator

What do you enjoy most about working at the Adler?

Working with a world-class historical collection. A normal work day for me might involve preparing the oldest telescope located in America for an exhibit, browsing a book by Johannes Kepler signed by Kepler himself, or talking about astrolabes using a 12th-century astrolabe.

What’s your favorite exhibition or sky show at the Adler?

That’s difficult to tell. What I really like about the Adler’s offerings is their diversity. On a single day at the Adler, guests can attend one great sky show or more, talk to an astronomer or a curator, tackle an engineering challenge, take a close look at beautiful and rare historic artifacts, and much more. The Adler is a great place to learn about the past, the present and the future of astronomy and space science, and there is always something particularly engaging for everyone. Though if push comes to shove: I especially love the Atwood Sphere, the Medieval Classroom in Astronomy in Culture, and Planet Nine.

What’s your fondest Adler memory?

Looking at 17th-century Moon maps in the company of Captain Jim Lovell. Studying the history of lunar cartography cannot get any better than that.

What goal do you have for the Adler in 2016?

Make the Adler’s collection ever more visible and accessible while making sure that our wonderful instruments, books, and other artifacts are properly preserved so that the future generations will also have the chance to appreciate them.

What do you like do to outside the Adler?

Indulge in my musical passions–collect LPs, look for that great obscure band or record, play the guitar, and go to concerts.