Kostas Valeckas
Hi!
Welcome to my landing page.
I am an astronomer and a scientific software engineer specialising in developing code for telescope and instrument operations, including data processing pipelines. On a perfect day, I find myself solving complex coding problems when the Sun is up, and in a telescope control room by sundown. I am currently stationed in Chile, working at the ESO Vitacura campus to develop a robust astrometric image alignment pipeline for MUSE data. I am also involved in several projects and publications through the Niels Bohr Institute, University of Copenhagen and the Nordic Optical Telescope.
I have made this page to collect general information about my academic career and a bit about me as a person. Use the menu in the upper right corner to navigate - and always feel free to get in touch!
A bit about me…
I was born in a small town in northern Lithuania called Pasvalys. I moved to Denmark when I was 13 years old and lived there until 2025, when my astronomy work began taking me around the world.
After finishing public school, I spent time working as a musician and teaching music at an evening school in the town of Elsinore, where I also worked as an event coordinator and section coordinator for the music department. Later, after completing my studies in Capital Chain Management, I worked for several companies (including Salling Group) before deciding to change fields in my mid-twenties and pursue a career in astronomy.
During my physics studies at the University of Copenhagen, I quickly discovered that I had both the interest and flair for programming, leading me to pursue a mixed graduate degree in physics and computer science, which I completed in the summer of 2026. Since my BSc project, I have taken a particular interest in astronomical instrumentation and data processing, which has led to my involvement in several projects at the Niels Bohr Institute.
While studying, I worked as a student programming assistant at the Cosmic Dawn Center, where I was involved in software development for astronomical data processing. Furthermore, I opened and managed my own company for tutoring physics and mathematics, which I ran for several years.
I spent the last one and a half years of my graduate studies working as a student support astronomer at the Nordic Optical Telescope, where I was involved in several software development projects in addition to my nightly observing duties.
These experiences have led me to my current affiliation with ESO, where I will be working until the start of 2027.
I would describe myself as a driven type-A personality - I prefer swimming in deep waters rather than doing routine work.
Contact and Links
WhatsApp: +45 31914450
Email:
- Personal: kostas.valeckas@yahoo.com
- By institution:
- University of Copenhagen: kostas.valeckas@nbi.ku.dk
- Nordic Optical Telescope: kostas@not.iac.es