LESIA

Observatoire de Paris (http://www.obspm.fr/obsparis.en.shtml) is a national research centre in astronomy and astrophysics. The Observatory employs approximately 1000 people (750 on permanent positions), comprising one third of researchers and two thirds of engineers, technicians and administrative personnel.

Observatoire de Paris is the largest astronomy centre in France and one of the most important ones in the world. It represents alone one third of astronomy in France. It depends on the Ministry of Higher Education and Research, belongs to the category of ‘Great Establishments’, and has the status of an independent university. The Observatory is structured in 5 laboratories (GEPI, LESIA, LUTH, LERMA and SYRTE), one scientific unit (Nançay radio astronomy station), and one institute (IMCCE) covering all fields of astronomy and astrophysics.

LESIA, Laboratoire d’Etudes Spatiales et d’Instrumentations en Astrophysique is one of five science laboratories of Observatoire de Paris. It is also a CNRS Laboratory (UMR 8109). LESIA is associated with the University Pierre et Marie Curie - Paris 6 (UFR de Physique 925 & Institut de la Vision) and with the University Paris Diderot - Paris 7 (UFR de Physique & UFR Sciences de la Terre, de l’Environnement et des Planètes - STEP). The laboratory counts around 250 staff members, with 140 permanent members including 65 engineers and technicians. More than 30 PhD theses are currently undertaken. LESIA’s primary role is: design and implementation of scientific instrumentation in space and on the ground, analysis and interpretation of scientific observations made by use of the built instruments and development of innovative advanced techniques to fulfill the new requirements of its scientific programs.