My favorite part of the “If the Moon Were Only 1 Pixel” project was working with the translators from around the world who so generously volunteered their time and expertise to make the map accessible to non-English speakers.

With all the concerns of how technology disconnects us from the world, we sometimes forget about the pretty astounding fact that the same technology that causes us to ignore each other and stare into screens, also enables us to engage in an instant, meaningful discussion with someone from a vastly different country and culture.

To create a quick tour of our “global village,” (what ever happened to that term?) I asked the translators to share a little info about themselves, along with a photo of the view from their window.

Lorenzo Matellán
Lorenzo MatellánSpanish
A musician and sound engineer who owns a recording studio in Madrid. He’s interested in space and astronomy on an amateur level. Big fan of Carl Sagan and Neil deGrasse Tyson. 
Pierre Houzé
Pierre HouzéFrench
A freshly graduated 22-year-old Frenchman with a master’s degree in English translation. Lover of Science, Biology, and the English language. Translator of indie games and apps.
Michel Hommel / Fransje Pansters
Michel Hommel / Fransje PanstersDutch
Michel is Head of Department of Public Affairs at The Teylers Museum. His personal interest in astronomy made him eager to do the translations, as well as his background as a translator and editor at a publishing company. Fransje is interested in museums, their collections, new media, communication and digital storytelling. 
José Roberto de Vasconcelos Costa
José Roberto de Vasconcelos CostaPortuguese
A Planetarium Astronomer, National Coordinator of The Planetary Society in Brazil and founding partner of the Brazilian Aerospace Association. He is also a manager and creator of the Portuguese website Astronomia no Zenite and belongs to the board of directors of the Association of Brazilian Planetariums (ABP). 
Ayur Sandanov
Ayur SandanovRussian
A 30-year-old writer from Moscow
and a Buryat by blood. Translator and scriptwriter for web entertainment shows and videogames, and occasional journalist. He worked in movie distribution and recently got a PhD in fine arts with a thesis about postapocalyptic movies. 
Avi Saig
Avi SaigHebrew
He works on a public science website for teenagers called Davidson Online. In charge of the section called “Science at Home.” He has a PhD in Science, which lead to a love of science education.  
Emir Tuncyurek
Emir TuncyurekTurkish
A 22-year-old guy born and raised in Istanbul. He recently finished his undergrad studies in business. He likes exercising, going out with friends, going to festivals, traveling, trying new things, and making friends from new cultures. 
Dima Antonov
Dima AntonovUkrainian
Born near Chernigiv (one of the ancient Ukrainian cities), Dima speaks Ukrainian, English, German and Russian and studied to be an English/German teacher. He’s a cinematographer and a dolly grip by trade. and is a fan of good music, good films, and good books. He’s traveled across Europe as a volunteer and a berry picker and likes bicycling the whole day discovering new landscapes and settlements. 
Diana Mantese
Diana ManteseItalian
A high school student from the North of Italy, near Venice who dreams of becoming a director. She enjoys films, books, loud music, photography, and astronomy. “Godetevi il cielo! (Enjoy the sky!)” 
Christoffer Söderström
Christoffer SöderströmSwedish
A 23-year-old student, working on a bachelor’s degree in computer science at Uppsala University. He likes reading, writing, consuming mind-altering substances, and playing video games.
(Shout out to Johan Liljedahl, Josefine Esp and Elisabeth Nelin for their proof-reading help.)