The sun, the stars and beyond with Dr. Becca Robinson

"I enjoy guiding guests through new environments and being able to interpret what they’re seeing in real time."

There are few people who can make solar physics feel as alive as Dr. Becca Robinson. A researcher, explorer, and gifted science communicator, she travels the world turning the mysteries of the cosmos into stories we can all understand. From drilling ice cores in Iceland to decoding solar flares with NASA’s MUSE mission, Becca’s journey has been one of curiosity, clarity, and connection. Her time spent lecturing on Arctic expeditions reflects her belief that exploration and education go hand in hand. Read on to discover Becca’s path into astrophysics, what the northern lights can teach us about the Sun, and why she carries Norwegian heather on every trip.

Hi Becca! What first sparked your fascination with the Sun?

Becca: I like the idea that everything is connected – that our relationship with the Sun matters, even when we don’t think to acknowledge it. I’m fascinated by how plasma and magnetic fields interact to drive solar explosions, and how Earth’s magnetic field responds by shielding us, then filtering plasma into the atmosphere to create spectacular aurora. That connection feels both sacred and poetic, yet staunchly physical and mathematical. I enjoy exploring how everything can be many things at once and still remain connected – a deeply human and universal truth that shapes both my life and work.

How does your work at the SETI Institute connect with your love of exploration?

Becca: The SETI Institute was founded by folks who exemplify a passion for exploration and curiosity, and I’m proud to follow in their footsteps today. My job at SETI is to make tough science concepts accessible to as many people as possible, and the most effective way to do that is by identifying and encouraging the natural curiosity inside all of us. If I can awaken someone’s curiosity, they become open to exploring and learning together.

What makes the MUSE mission so exciting?

Becca: NASA’s Multi-slit Solar Explorer (MUSE) is a new spacecraft that will collect what’s called a “spectrum” from sunlight – essentially the fingerprint of a light source. For the Sun, it reveals details about the temperature, speed, composition, and turbulence of its bright plasma. Typically, spectra are measured using a single thin slit that scans the Sun for events like solar flares – but one slit can’t capture the full evolution of a flare, no matter how fast it moves. MUSE will use 35 slits to observe the complete space- and time-evolution of solar explosions. This gives us a much clearer physical picture of how these events unfold – and with enough data, we may even be able to predict them before they happen, improving our ability to forecast space weather here on Earth.

You’ve traveled a lot for science – was there a trip that changed you?

Becca: Right before finishing my PhD, I attended an International Astronomical Union meeting in Yerevan, Armenia. Besides enjoying the opportunity to visit a beautiful country, I learned so much about Armenia’s rich astronomical history and connected with colleagues I wouldn’t have otherwise had the chance to meet. It reminded me that science can transcend boundaries and borders – if we allow it to – and that it moves forward most efficiently when we collaborate effectively.

How do your Arctic research experiences influence your solar science work?

Becca: Believe it or not, these activities go hand in hand! The ice cores we drilled in Iceland served as input for computer simulations of how glaciers move, and that motion provides a baseline for understanding how the energized gas on the Sun moves. It’s all about fluid movement – just different assumptions and different boundaries for ice and plasma.

How has living in Norway and working in remote places like Svalbard influenced your perspective as a scientist?

Becca: The pace of life in the Nordics is different from other places. There’s a strong emphasis on self-care, which supports a culture of community care, as well as working, playing, consuming, and existing at a sustainable rate. Living there taught me to prioritize my time more carefully and flexibly, and through that, I built a stronger foundation to meet my basic needs. With those needs met, I could invest in my scientific work from a more grounded place – mentally and physically. The work matters, but it doesn’t get done without tending to my fundamental needs. And to be a reliable member of any group – like my research teams – I have to take care of myself first. Simply put: if I’m okay, we can all be okay.

What drew you to lecture with Swan Hellenic voyages?

Becca: Having worked with Arctic expedition ships before, I knew that I’d be well suited to this assignment. I enjoy guiding passengers through new environments and being able to explain and interpret what they’re seeing in real time. It’s a great opportunity for them to really dig deep into what it means to exist in the Arctic and better understand the natural systems around them, and that understanding usually leads to a more profound respect for Arctic nature.

How do you make astrophysics exciting for cruise guests?

Becca: Good visuals are my most important tool! I don’t like to use too much text, just enough to label or explain what the visuals are showing. I like to shoot for a happy medium with my content – not so simple that it’s boring or incorrect, and not so complicated that I lose folks completely. Luckily for me, astrophysics has lots of pretty pictures!

What’s been your most challenging outreach experience – and what did you learn from it?

Becca: I found it especially challenging to engage fully in virtual outreach experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic. I enjoyed making YouTube and TikTok videos, and I appreciated the opportunity to connect virtually with audiences around the world – but for me, the energy just isn’t the same. I was very glad when we were able to return to delivering live lectures!

Is there a story about the Sun that always fascinates your audience?

Becca: Everyone seems to enjoy the story of the 1859 Carrington Event – it’s often the one story someone in the audience already knows! That year, the Sun released an enormous burst of energized gas during a powerful plasma explosion. What made it unusual was the sheer volume of plasma and the fact that it was aimed directly at Earth. When it hit, it caused telegraphs across the U.S. to operate without power, as the plasma induced electric currents in Earth’s crust! It also produced northern lights as far south as Colombia and southern lights as far north as Queensland. If that happened today, it could completely wipe out our electricity grids. That’s why it’s so important to keep studying the Sun – to better predict whether another event like this might occur.

How can guests on polar cruises increase their chances of seeing aurora?

Becca: Number one: visit the poles during the right season! During polar summer, the sky is too bright to spot the aurora – even if they’re strong. In polar winter, the sky stays dark for most of the day which, while somewhat depressing for some, provides a wonderful opportunity for aurora chasing at (almost) all hours. When it’s dark enough to see the aurora, be patient. Northern lights often begin as a white-green haze to the north, then take shape as defined arches and swirls. If you think you see a weak aurora but aren’t sure, take a long-exposure photo. If the haze comes out green, then it’s the aurora!

Do you have a favorite solar phenomenon you wish more people knew about?

Becca: I wish more people understood that the northern and southern lights are a direct result of the Sun’s magnetic activity. When I teach about the northern lights in the Arctic, I always start with a lesson about the Sun. Folks might not grasp the Sun’s relevance right away, but I hope they do after learning about our delicate Sun–Earth connection!

As a self-described rock collector and stargazer, what draws you in when you travel?

Becca: When I explore new places, I like to check out the surrounding nature and the local cuisine. Land management and food are two of the most important cultural elements that I like to explore while traveling.

You served as the resident astrophysicist at Badlands National Park – what did you enjoy most?

Becca: I loved the combination of being outdoors and still being able to teach. Who doesn’t love learning about the night sky under the night sky? There’s no better classroom than the universe!

What’s one question you wish people would ask more often?

Becca: I care a lot about young folks just starting to build their skills and careers, so I’d like to answer the question: “What are some survival skills you’ve learned?” To that, I’d say – be intentional about developing your skills, and learn how to leverage them into better situations. You’ll face unexpected obstacles, and you’ll need to be creative and flexible to solve problems in new ways. For that, you’ll rely on both your skills and your network. Build trust in yourself and others – that can carry you through almost anything!

What surprises people most when they start learning about the Sun?

Becca: We can start with the basics here: the Sun is a star! This isn’t always intuitive to everyone because it doesn’t look like the stars that shine in the night sky. But the Sun is a star around which the Earth and other planets orbit. It’s much closer to us than the other stars, which is why it lights up the sky during the daytime when our part of the Earth is facing it.

If you could invite one historical scientist on a Swan Hellenic voyage, who would it be?

Becca: She’s still living, but I’d invite Professor Dame Jocelyn Bell Burnell. She discovered rapidly pulsating stars (called pulsars) during her doctoral work and, instead of being properly recognized, her supervisor infamously won the 1974 Nobel Prize in Physics for her discovery. I met her once while I was an undergraduate, full of doubt and anxiety about my own career, and she shared some encouraging and wise words with me. It would be nice to invite her along—to show her what we’re working on in solar physics, who I’ve become as a person and scientist, and to let her know that she was, of course, right: everything was going to be just fine.

What’s the oddest thing in your expedition bag?

Becca: I like to carry a satchel of dried herbs with me while on expeditions. Most importantly, it contains some Norwegian heather flowers (“lyngblomst”) that I foraged in the forest. They’re not only great for tea when I’m feeling ill, but also a small piece of my second home that I always like to have with me.

Where have the night skies taken your breath away?

Becca: I’m a northern hemisphere gal, but I’ll be the first to admit that the southern hemisphere has way better night skies. That’s because of the angle at which we see our own galactic system – the center of the Milky Way is most glorious around equatorial latitudes, and southern latitudes let us see two small dwarf galaxies (called the Magellanic Clouds) that orbit the Milky Way. I saw them for the first time from New South Wales, Australia.

What are you most looking forward to on your upcoming Swan Hellenic journey?

Becca: I’m looking forward to returning to the Arctic – I feel very at home in the north! I can’t wait to meet the passengers and help them learn about the incredible environment we’re exploring. Rain, shine, ice, or snow, the Arctic is such a special place and deserves to be fully appreciated.