Niall Deacon

About Me

Picture of Niall Deacon sitting down
I'm an astronomer, writer and data scientist who has worked on multiple large astronomy datasets over the last decade and a half. My research focusses on studying failed stars known as brown dwarfs, exoplanets and low-mass stars using survey data.

A quick bio

  • Born: 1982, Falkirk, Scotland, UK
  • Education:
    • Master of Physics in Astrophysics, University of Edinburgh, 2003
    • PhD in Astrophysics, University of Edinburgh, 2007
  • Jobs
    • 2021-: Education and Public Outreach Coordinator, Sloan Digital Sky Survey V
    • 2020-: Coordinator, Office for Astronomy Education, Haus der Astronomie, MPIA, Heidlberg
    • 2017-2019: DFG-funded Postdoctoral Researcher, Max Planck Institute for Astronomy, Heidelberg
    • 2014-2017: Centre for Astrophysics Research Fellow, University of Hertfordshire
    • 2011-2014: Planet and Star Formation Departmental Fellow, Max Planck Institute for Astronomy, Heidelberg
    • 2009-2011: Postdoctoral Researcher, University of Hawai`i
    • 2006-2009: Postdoctoral Researcher, Radboud University, Nijmegen
  • Publications: Find my list of publications on NASA ADS
  • Programming languages I use:
    • Python
    • C
    • IDL
  • Languages I speak
    • English (native speaker)
    • German (intermediate)
    • Dutch (basic)

Frequently asked questions

  • How do you pronounce Niall? To rhyme with "heel", it's a pronounciation that's reasonably common in Scotland as opposed to the Irish pronounciation that rhymes with "dial"