Pierre Léna, born in 1937, is an astrophysicist of Burgundian family origin. After studying at the École Normale Supérieure (Paris), he chose an academic career as a professor: Sorbonne in Orsay, then Paris VII [now Université Paris-Cité], and the Paris Observatory (Meudon). His research explored infrared astronomy and astronomical imaging (adaptive optics and interferometry). From 1995, and after retiring in 2004, he became involved in science education with La main à la pâte and later with the Office for Climate Education. He is a member of the French Academy of Sciences (1991), the Pontifical Academy of Sciences (2001), and several other academies worldwide.
