Astro Biography: Dr. Eugene N. Parker

Matthew Lawlor

Dacey

Hon. Astro

25 May 2014

Biography: Dr. Eugene N. Parker

Life outside science:

            Born June 10, 1927 to an average American family, Eugene Parker grew up in Michigan. Eugene received his B.S. degree in physics from Michigan State University in 1948 and Ph.D. from Caltech in 1951. Parker was elected to the National Academy of Sciences in 1967. As of early 2005, he was still engaged in active research at the University of Chicago. At the University of Chicago he has held positions in the physics department, the astronomy and astrophysics department and the Enrico Fermi Institute. He is the leading authority on the solar wind and the effects of magnetic fields in the heliosphere.

Contribution to science:

           In the mid-1950s Parker developed the theory on the supersonic solar wind and predicted the Parker spiral shape of the solar magnetic field in the outer solar system. In 1987, Parker proposed that the solar corona might be heated by myriad tiny "nanoflares", miniature brightenings resembling solar flares that would occur all over the surface of the Sun.

Legacy:

Eugene Parker’s work has greatly increased understanding of the solar corona, the solar wind, the magnetic fields of both the Earth and the Sun, and their complex electromagnetic interactions. The theoretical models which he developed in part by looking at comet tails have in recent years been confirmed by spacecraft. His books, especially Cosmical Magnetic Fields, have educated generations of investigators. His most recent book includes the effects of magnetic fields of planets, stars, and galaxies on X-ray emissions.

Virtual View of a Black Hole

 In the center of a swirling whirlpool of hot gas is likely a beast that has never been seen directly: a black hole. Studies of the bright light emitted by the swirling  gas rotating frequently indicate not only that a black hole is present but another dence object either a neutron star or another black hole is there too. The gas is seen to be rotating at about 450 times a second.

Got Milky Way?

This photograph was taken at Panama's Vary Large Telescope. In order to get this crazy shot, a semisphereical lens was used to capture 180° of the telescope and also to get a unfiltered shot at the center of our galaxy.

The Biography of Dorothea Klumpke Roberts - Matthew Lawlor

Early Life: Dorothea Klumpke Roberts was born August 9, 1861 in San Francisco, California. Her father came to San Francisco during the Gold Rush and was also a successful realtor. She was one of four daughters and two sons. Dorothea studied at the University of Paris and received a PhD of Astronomy. In 1887 she began work for the Paris Observatory where she worked with other leading astronomers of her time. Here she began observing minor planets (asteroids), along with the measuring of star positions, processing astrophotographs, studying stellar spectra. Contribution to Astronomy: Dorothea Klumpke Roberts is best known for her work with astrophotography and he measurements of asteroid positions and movements. Dorothea’s work led to the Carte du Ciel project which required photographing the entire sky. Dorothea was able to contribute and her photography tables were able to show stars and stellar objects as faint as the 14th magnitude. Her work and her ferocious reputation secured the post of Director of the Bureau of Measurements at the Paris Observatory despite being a woman in the face of fierce competition from fifty men. Through this position she was able to take photographs of many, if not all of the fifty two m objects at the time. She later wrote many papers which included her m objects with Isaac Newton’s notes. For this she was awarded the Hèléne-Paul Helbronner prize in 1932 from the French Academy of Sciences for this publication. Legacy She was the first recipient of the "Prix de Dames" from the Sociétié des Astronomique de France in 1889, and in 1893 was made an Officer d'Académe of the French Academy of Sciences - up to that time, these honors had not been awarded to a woman. Her main subjects of influence were mathematics and mathematical astronomy; her work influenced many later astronomers. There are two asteroids named in her honor.

Observations: Deerfield Beach Observations

Time: Two Hours
Location: Deerfield Beach
Conditions: Moderate Light Pollution, still able to see all first, second, and a few third magnitude stars.
Instruments: Two nice pairs of Binoculars

Info.
I was visiting Deerfield Beach with my girlfriend and her parents. We were out on the back porch with two binoculars which we all shared. I wasn't able to bring a star chart and the light pollution was blocking most of the interesting details. This observation time was not very formal nor was meant to cover everything. It was more of the parents relaxing as I showed them the heavens.

Planet: Jupiter (Gemini)
Bright Stars:Procyon, Aldebaren, Betelgeuse, Rigel, Sirius, Archenar, Capella, Algol, Castor, Pollux.
Constellations noted: Taurus, Orion, Leo, Canis Major+Minor, Perseus, Auriga, Hydra, Cassiopeia, Eridanus, Ursa Major+Minor

The Milky Way, a Comet, and a Shooting Star walk into a bar.

This is a picture of our galaxy over an entire night. What is interesting about this shot is that there is a comet and a shooting star that was recorded.

Polar Ring Galaxy

NGC 2685 is a confirmed polar ring galaxy - a rare type of galaxy with stars, gas and dust orbiting in rings perpendicular to the plane of a flat galactic disk. This is strange because most observed orbiting bodies orbit along the galactic plane. What is even more strange is that the structure seems to be old and stable. This structure is thought to be caused by a galactic merger and the daughter galaxy's stars ended up in this position.