Michal Sobotka
Senior scientist
Astronomical Institute of the Czech Academy of Sciences
Fričova 298, 251 65 Ondřejov, Czech Republic
Birth Place, Country:
Prague, Czech Republic
Academic Details:
• 1978 – Master’s Degree in physics, Charles University, Prague.
• 1985 – PhD in astrophysics, Leningrad State University.
• 2007 – DSc. in astrophysics, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic.
Career overview:
• 1981-1985 external PhD student at the Leningrad State University and Crimean Astrophysical Observatory.
• 1990 – 1992 – Postdoctoral Fellowship at the Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias.
• Since 1979 in the Astronomical Institute of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Solar Department,
• 1995 – 2019 Head of the Working Group Structure and Dynamics of Solar Atmosphere.
• 2004 – 2012 Deputy Head of the Solar Department,
• 2012 – 2019 Head of the Solar Department.
• 2002 – 2008 Vice-President of JOSO.
• Since 2006 national representative in the European Association for Solar Telescopes EAST. Participation in the projects of the 1.5-m solar telescope GREGOR and of the 4-m class European Solar Telescope EST.
Current research/ job focus:
Sunspots, active regions, solar photosphere and chromosphere.
Area of expertise:
Sunspots, fine structure in solar photosphere, high spatial resolution photometry and spectroscopy.
Area of interests:
Interpretation of spectra, image processing, time-series analysis, instrumentation, solar synoptic observations.
Role in SOLARNET/PRE-EST:
SOLARNET contact person (CoPI) for the Czech Republic, participant in PRE-EST.
What do you like to do when not doing science?
Photography, aviation, music, family.
A dose of motivation:
Physics and astrophysics are nice tools to understand a big part of the nature and natural processes around you.
What motivated you to choose your field of study/ your professional field?
Achievements of space research in 60-s and a beauty of cognition.