2002 Feature of the Month Archive
Reflections of a Supergiant Wind
The December release from the Hubble Heritage Project features images and science by Illinois astronomers You-Hua Chu, Rosie Chen, Bryan Dunne, and Robert Gruendl, Illinois alumnus Sean Points, and collaborators Sally Oey, Charles Danforth, and Yaël Nazé. The Hubble Space Telescope images reveal a bow-shock-like halo around the HII region N30B toward the B[e] supergiant Henize S22 in the Large Magellanic Cloud. B[e] stars are a peculiar class of stars; in addition to their normal starlight, they also show emission from warm, dense gas that surrounds the star in a disk. This reflection nebula offers a convenient and unique mirror to probe the properties of the star-disk system in a B[e] star from different viewpoints. The full paper has been accepted for publication in the April 2003 issue of the Astronomical Journal.
Spectacular Sun Pillar
A photograph of a dawn sun pillar by Professor James Kaler was featured as the Earth Science Picture of the Day for December 11th, 2002. See the full image and read more about it here.
The "Smoking Gun" of the Nearest Known Supernova
Illinois researchers Peter McCullough, Brian Fields, and Vasiliki Pavlidou have discovered evidence for a very nearby supernova explosion in the relatively recent past. The remnant of the supernova spans 20 degrees across, looming so large that is has been overlooked in more narrowly focused sky surveys. The large angular size of the remnant also implies that it is very close to us, and thus presents us with a unique supernova laboratory. This is the closest known supernova remnant, which our ancestors would have seen shining nearly as bright as the full moon about 2 million years ago. This discovery was featured in the August 24th, 2002 issue of New Scientist magazine.
Explore the Universe with Professor James Kaler
Astronomy Professor James B. Kaler is the subject of a new planetarium show playing at Parkland College's William M. Staerkel Planetarium and across the country. The program, entitled "The StarGazer", was written and produced by the Great Lakes Planetarium Association and the Minneapolis Planetarium. The presentation gives a personal look into one man's love for astronomy.
Professor William J. Welch Delivers Fifth Icko Iben Jr. Distinguished Lecture
On Monday, October 28th, Professor William J. Welch of the University of California-Berkeley delivered the fifth Icko Iben Jr. Distinguished Lecture, entitled "The Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence". Professor Welch is a pioneering astronomer in the field of star formation and is currently involved in the development of a new radio telescope, the One-Hectare Telescope.
The Iben Lecture Series was founded in 1997 and named in honor of Distinguished Professor Emeritus Icko Iben Jr.
South Pole Telescope to Probe "Dark Energy"
A team of astronomers, including the University of Illinois' own Joe Mohr, have recently received a grant from the National Science Foundation to construct a telescope at the South Pole to explore the recent discovery that the expansion of the Universe may be accelerating due to a phenomenon called "dark energy". The telescope will be 8 meters in diameter and will be used to make the most precise, high resolution map of the cosmic microwave background to date.
Honors for Astronomy Department Members
The Astronomy Department would like salute our professors and
teaching assistants who have recently received honors and awards.
Profs. Charles Gammie and Paul Ricker have each received the
Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers, the
nation's highest award for young research professionals. Prof. Joe
Mohr was recently awarded the Bok Prize by his PhD alma mater, Harvard
University, for outstanding contributions to astrophysics. We also
salute Prof. James Kaler, Prof. Joe Mohr, Prof. Telemachos
Mouschovias, and TA Michelle Griffin for their recognition on the Spring 2002
Incomplete List of Teachers Ranked as Excellent.
"Smoking Gun" Barium Star Found
University of Illinois Astronomy Professor Ronald F. Webbink and collaborators H.E. Bond and D.L. Pollacco have discovered the first example of a newly-formed barium star. A two-color image of the nebula, WeBo 1 (Webbink-Bond 1), obtained by H.E. Bond at KPNO, is shown at right; the barium star is the bright star at its center.
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