Planetary astronomers have already been making observations of the object and will continue to do so until mid-August.

FORBES: Move up http://i.forbesimg.com t Move down

Cryosat will add significantly to the information scientists already possess, making observations that are beyond the current generation of spacecraft.

BBC: Esa's Cryosat ice mission given launch date

Currently, only one spacecraft inhabits L2: the US space agency's WMAP probe (which is making observations on which Planck hopes to build).

BBC: World's most daunting parking job

Dr Chapman said letters to Harriot from Sir William Lower in Carmarthenshire prove that astronomers there were also making observations on the Moon.

BBC: 'English Galileo' maps on display

Former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney has provided comedians with their pick of punch lines since he began making observations about the flora in his home state.

FORBES: Mitt Romney Needs to Show His Roots

America's Government Accountability Office has just issued a report making similar observations, especially with regard to the way the plan is being implemented on the ground.

ECONOMIST: AIDS

Never politically correct, but at the same time never having to resort to profanities to punctuate his punchlines and prose, Phinn managed to entertain and delight throughout while at the same time making poignant observations on life and learning.

BBC: Review: Gervase Phinn at Ipswich Corn Exchange

Crisp making his own observations, but letting Eric take the lead mostly.

CNN: Life in the Wild

It is probably worthwhile making a few observations about the modern hedge fund and private equity fund industries before going into too much more detail about how these funds are structured and operated.

FORBES: Looking Inside Private Equity and Hedge Funds

And nor is he against everything Western: he is a fan of Sherlock Holmes (a character created by another former doctor, Arthur Conan Doyle) and his talent for making deductions from small observations.

ECONOMIST: The exotic doctor calls it a day