From meteorites to the Naturmusée: Eric Buttini’s passion for the cosmos
Physicist and curator at the MNHNL, Eric Buttini shares his enduring fascination with meteorites, his dedication to science communication, and his aspiration to one day discover the first meteorite ever officially identified on Luxembourgish soil.
Eric Buttini, a physicist by training, has served as curator of the geophysics and astrophysics section at the MNHNL since 1998. His work unfolds at the crossroads of scientific stewardship, cultural mediation, and the thoughtful transmission of astronomy to a broad audience.
Eric, if you could ask a meteorite one question, what would it be?
Some meteorites formed at the same time as the solar system, about 4.5 billion years ago. If I could ask them one question, it would be to tell us the complete story of the formation of the solar system from its very beginnings.
Another fundamental question would be: did asteroids and meteorites bring to Earth the elements necessary for the emergence of life, such as water and perhaps even amino acids? We know that water partly came from space, but the exact role of meteorites in the emergence of life remains an open and fascinating question.
What is your role at the MNHNL today?
I am the curator of the museum’s geophysics and astrophysics section. I oversee the geophysics team from an administrative standpoint – staff management, budgeting, and financial supervision – while playing a more direct role in astrophysics, particularly in science communication and public engagement.
I am also responsible for the museum’s meteorite collection, which comprises around 300 specimens representing the principal known types. As meteorites are particularly sensitive objects, I ensure their careful preservation, both in exhibition cases and in storage.
Much of my work focuses on science communication. I have designed and coordinated several exhibitions, including one on asteroids. Those projects span about three years from conception to dismantling. I also co-organize workshops for schools and the public and respond to media inquiries during major astronomical events.
We are occasionally approached by visitors who believe they have discovered a meteorite and seek an expert evaluation – sometimes two or three times a month. To date, none of those objects has been confirmed as a meteorite.
Is there a specimen in the collection that has particularly impressed you?
Yes, without hesitation: a very small nine-gram Martian meteorite. It is tiny, but it still fascinates me. Having a “piece of Mars” in a display case, even a tiny one, remains something quite extraordinary.
Can you describe your background?
I studied physics in Germany, with a generalist training that included astronomy and celestial mechanics. After three years working in the private sector as an engineer, I joined the MNHNL in 1998, initially out of curiosity. Looking back, it was a decisive turning point in my life.
Can you tell us about the museum’s planetarium?
The MNHNL now has a mobile planetarium, consisting of a seven-meter inflatable dome equipped with the same software used in professional planetariums. Since the start of the school year, institutions can book the planetarium: we go directly to the schools.
Part of my work involves developing educational content. Currently, we offer a general introduction to astronomy (observing the sky with the naked eye), and we are working on new formats, for example about exoplanets, asteroids, and meteorites.
Unlike older mechanical systems, projection today relies on professional software designed specifically for planetariums. A laptop is connected to a projector equipped with a fisheye lens, allowing 360° projection onto the dome.
The software offers enormous possibilities: displaying the starry sky, drawing constellations, showing the phases of the Moon, explaining celestial mechanics, travelling through the solar system, or visualizing astronomical phenomena from external viewpoints.
One of our goals in the coming years is to make fuller use of these possibilities.
How do you perceive public interest in astronomy today?
Astronomy has always fascinated people. It is naturally inspiring and addresses universal questions.
During the recent exhibition dedicated to asteroids, meteorites, and space mining, feedback was extremely positive. Addressing a topic that is both scientific and highly relevant in Luxembourg – particularly in connection with government initiatives around space resource exploitation – allowed us to reach a very broad audience.
Overall, engaging the public in astronomy is easy, provided topics are properly contextualized.
Is space mining a truly concrete prospect?
It is still a highly prospective field, but one that is being seriously studied. The idea is not necessarily to bring resources back to Earth, but rather to use those available on the Moon to enable deeper space exploration.
The Moon could become a relay base: infrastructure could be built using local resources, particularly water in the form of ice, which can be transformed into fuel. Launching from the Moon requires far less energy than from Earth.
In the long term, this would facilitate missions to Mars or asteroids. We are still at an early stage, but this is no longer science fiction: these are concrete, step-by-step research pathways.
If you had one wish to fulfil in your professional field, what would it be?
To discover the very first meteorite officially identified on Luxembourg territory. That would be extraordinary.
It is very likely that meteorites have already fallen in Luxembourg. But finding one is extremely difficult. The country is highly vegetated: a meteorite that falls in a forest has very little chance of being found.
Metallic meteorites might potentially be detected with a metal detector, but that has never succeeded here. A more favourable scenario would be an observed fall. There are camera networks – often installed by amateurs – that continuously monitor the night sky.
When an object is detected by several stations, its trajectory can be reconstructed and the fall zone estimated with some precision.
Was there a defining event that sparked your passion for astronomy and science communication?
Yes, very clearly: the total solar eclipse of August 11, 1999. I had been at the MNHNL for only six months, and the eclipse immediately became a major institutional project.
That was when I truly realized what I loved most about my job: contact with the public, mediation, and science outreach.
Being able to guide people in understanding such a spectacular phenomenon was a real turning point for me.
Are you also involved in research activities?
Yes, mainly in astronomy, in the form of citizen science. I collaborate with a highly experienced Anglo-Luxembourgish amateur astronomer who built his own telescope. It is now installed in southern Italy, in Calabria, to benefit from better observing conditions. We collaborate with the Minor Planet Center, an American institute that coordinates observations of solar system objects, as well as with the British Astronomical Association.
Large professional telescopes detect new objects (asteroids, interstellar objects) but do not always have the capacity for long-term follow-up. That is where well-equipped amateur astronomers come in.
For example, we participated in observing the interstellar asteroid 3I/ATLAS .
When a new asteroid is detected, initial observations allow calculation of a still very uncertain orbit. Amateur astronomers worldwide are then mobilized to multiply observations. The more data accumulate, the more precise the orbit becomes. So far, in all the cases to which we have contributed, the risk of collision with Earth has ultimately been ruled out.
This type of collaboration between professionals and amateurs is an excellent example of citizen science.
Can you summarize in a few words the geophysics research conducted at the museum?
There are currently four scientists working in this field, divided into two complementary areas. One is employed by the museum, the others by the foundation “European Center for Geodynamics and Seismology (ECGS).”
Two of them work in seismology. They established the Luxembourg seismic network. Even though Luxembourg is not a region of high seismic activity, there are many micro-earthquakes, often imperceptible but scientifically important. These stations also help distinguish natural earthquakes from human-induced events, such as quarry explosions. They also participate in international projects, for example in Italy, studying ground vibrations related to floods to improve early warning systems.
The second group works on ground deformation, mainly using satellite imagery. This makes it possible to detect very slow movements, such as landslides. They conduct projects in the Himalayas, in Nepal, for example, to monitor long-term landslides.
What are the biggest challenges in your work today?
The first challenge is staying scientifically up to date in order to respond quickly to public and media inquiries.
The second concerns the planetarium: deepening mastery of the software to develop new thematic sessions.
Finally, in the longer term, I would like to design a new major exhibition.
Interview : Diane Bertel
Editors : Monique Kirsch (MNHNL), Selma Weber (MNHNL)
