Public Affairs and Educational Outreach

EDUCATIONALOUTREACH PUBLIC AFFAIRS AND EDUCATIONAL OUTREACH

AAS Meeting Exhibit and News Activity Draws Strong Interest

Douglas Isbell

he 207th annual meeting of the American Astronomical The first press briefing of the meeting on Monday morning focused Society (AAS), held in Washington, DC, from on the latest news about black holes from two speakers, including 8-12 January 2006, was very likely the largest astronomy- results from a team led by Kambiz Fathi (Rochester Institute Trelated meeting in history, with more than 3,130 registrants. NOAO of Technology) based on data from the Gemini Multi-Object contributed a lively exhibit booth and a very active media presence Spectrograph (GMOS) on the Gemini South 8-meter telescope. at the meeting. Fathi presented analysis of two- dimensional spectral data from the The NOAO exhibit booth was center of active galaxy NGC1097, dominated by colorful new obtained with the GMOS integral panoramic images of the Large field unit, which showed it takes and Small Magellanic Clouds from approximately 200,000 years for the Magellanic Cloud Emission the material feeding the black hole Line Survey (MCELS), led by to complete the final part of its one- Chris Smith and Sean Points of way trip from the inner region of Cerro Tololo Inter-American the galaxy to oblivion. Observatory (CTIO); see the cover of this Newsletter and the story The observations from Gemini, on page 6 in Science Highlights. combined with images from the Frank Winkler (Middlebury Advanced Camera for Surveys College) of the MCELS team on the Hubble Space Telescope, contributed the image files of the enabled the team to zoom 10 times Small Magellanic Cloud. closer to the black hole than any previous measurements, reaching Released publicly on the first day clouds of spiraling material within of the meeting via the NOAO Web 10 light-years of the galactic core. site, the images of the galaxies “It is the first time anyone has been were cited almost immediately in able to follow gas this close to the the online blogs of several press supermassive black hole in the room attendees, such as the Bad center of another galaxy,” Fathi said. Astronomer. The image of the “The work of our team confirms the Large Magellanic Cloud (www. main theories that have never been noao.edu/image_gallery/html/ observationally confirmed at this im0994.html) has since appeared level.” An artist’s rendition shows a planet orbiting a very young, on the “Astronomy Picture of the active star pocked with dark star spots and speckled with Day,” the Space.com “Image of “This is a major leap forward in our flares and other surface activity. A team led by University the Day,” and the back cover of of Florida astronomer Jian Ge announced the discovery of the understanding” of how to fuel a the March/April 2006 “StarDate” planet using the Exoplanet Tracker instrument at Kitt Peak supermassive black hole, said press magazine. Chris Smith and Chris during the January 2006 AAS meeting. (Credit: P. Marenfeld briefing commentator Kimberly Miller of the NOAO scientific staff and NOAO/AURA/NSF.) Weaver (NASA Goddard Space spent a lot of time at the booth Flight Center). “It is a monumental presenting live demonstrations of the new portal to the National observation,” she added, that provides “a clear way for the black hole Virtual Observatory developed by the NOAO Data Products to obtain the mass that it needs.” This result was covered by Reuters Program (see story on page 11). wire service (widely reprinted around the world), ScienceNOW, SpaceDaily.com, Space.com, PhysOrg.com, and many others. By happenstance, Washington DC Mayor Anthony Williams stopped by the NOAO booth for an extensive discussion about The second press briefing of the meeting included two Kitt Peak’s role in astronomy, following his well-received opening topics with NOAO connections. Armin Rest and Nicholas remarks to the AAS. continued

46 March 2006 Public Affairs

AAS Meeting Exhibit and News continued

Suntzeff of CTIO expanded on a result reported in Steve Howell (NOAO and WIYN) was co-presenter of the December 22 issue of Nature, which described the another finding at this press briefing, which used Hubble discovery of light echoes from ancient supernovae that Space Telescope data to identify a binary system that is a exploded 400-860 years ago in the Large Magellanic likely precursor to a Type-Ia supernova. Cloud, using a differential imaging technique. (See the Science Highlight on page 3 of this Newsletter.) Jian Ge (University of Florida) was part of a lively Wednesday AAS press briefing panel on exoplanets. Ge announced the At the AAS meeting, they announced their ability to obtain first planet to be discovered by “ET” – the Exoplanet Tracker a spectrum of one of the light echoes using Gemini South, instrument in use by his team at the 2.1-meter telescope which can in theory be analyzed to diagnose the precise and Coudé feed at Kitt Peak National Observatory. This type of supernova that occurred. “We were jumping up result was covered by a wide variety of more than 100 news and down we saw this truly amazing spectrum,” Rest said. outlets around the world. The exoplanets press briefing also “We find a clear association with a Type-Ia supernova.” included results on planets in double and triple star systems from the SMARTS telescopes at CTIO, presented by Deepak “We can scale these results and search for echoes of Raghavan (Georgia State University). historical supernovae in the Northern Hemisphere,” such as the landmark stellar explosion recorded by Tycho Brahe An NOAO press release issued at the meeting about new in 1572, Suntzeff said. “We should be able to find these data on the cool dark equator of the star Vega, by a team things inside wide-area surveys.” led by NOAO postdoc Jason Aufdenberg with data from the CHARA array on Mount Wilson, was covered by Space.com “It’s an incredible trick, and getting the spectrum is and SkyandTelescope.com. absolute evidence,” said briefing commentator Robert Kirshner (Harvard University and AAS president). “This Please contact the NOAO office of public affairs result is a fantastic example…of the way that detectors ([email protected]) if you have results that you would like and computers have improved.” This story was covered to publicize at future AAS meetings. See you in Calgary. by Astronomy.com and SkyandTelescope.com, among other astronomy news sites, and it was the subject of a “SlackerAstronomy” podcast.

NASA-NOAO Spitzer Teachers Continue to Exhibit Infrared Excess

Stephen Pompea

t the January meeting of the American Astronomical Leaders in Research Based Science Education [TLRBSE]), Society (AAS) in Washington DC, six newly in which they received extensive training on astronomical selected teachers met to plan infrared observations research, including several nights of observing at Kitt Peak withA the Spitzer Space Telescope, joining 12 teachers who National Observatory. Many of the teachers had also taken are currently doing scientiﬁc research with NOAO and a 15-week distance learning course on astronomical research NASA scientists. Seven Spitzer-based research projects that is part of TLRBSE. are underway at this time. Several of the science teams also NOAO-NSO 85 Newsletter presented posters and talks at the AAS meeting on science Each applicant wrote a multi-page application describing their results and related educational activities. scientiﬁc aptitude for the program, as well as the outreach and professional development activities they would lead at The teachers from last year’s cadre and this year’s new class a regional, state, or national level, if chosen. Each selected were selected through a highly competitive process. Each teacher then received additional training in a workshop on teacher was required to be a graduate of one of NOAO’s the Spitzer Space Telescope instrument capabilities, and on NSF-funded research programs for teachers (either infrared astronomy in general. Each project team, consisting Research Based Science Education [RBSE] or Teacher of teachers and science mentors, then wrote a standard

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March 2006 47 NOAO-NSO Newsletter 85 48 Original Teacher Participants Teacher Participants Original Connie myself, and (SSC), (NOAO). Garmany Katy Walker, and Thaller Michelle and Doris Daou by Desai provided was Vandana coordination and Program Collage) (Caltech). Ram-Chary (Sienna Ranga Finn and Rose (SSC), Gorjian, at Varoujan Lacy, now Hoard, Don Mark NOAO, Rebull, Luisa (formerly University), State Youngtown Feldmeier John Howell (NOAO), Steve and Rudnick Greg include mentors Project time. discretionary director’s (SSC) Center Science Spitzer the of use make to intended proposal observation Spitzer Lauren K. Chapple, Chapple, K. Lauren NASA-NOAO Spitzer Teachers continued Luther Burbank High School, San Antonio, TX Antonio, San School, High Burbank Luther Weehler, Cynthia MT Falls, Great School, Public Falls Great Thomas, Beth PA City, Oil Sr. Area School, City High Oil NJ Allentown, School, High Allentown Stefaniak, Linda CA Stockton, School, High Lincoln Sepulveda, Babs CT Bridgeport, School, High Bassick VA Abingdon, School, Governor’s Holton Linwood Rapp, Steve ,NH Exeter Academy, Exeter Phillips Maranto, R. Anthony NC Fayetteville, School, High Fear Cape V. Harlan Devore, Traverse MI City, School, High Junior Traverse East City RI Cranston, East, School High Cranston T.Howard Chun, CA Antioch, School, Valley High Deer Jeﬀ Adkins, Adkins, Jeﬀ Theresa Roelofsen, Roelofsen, Theresa Timothy S. Spuck, Spuck, S. Timothy Public Affairs of the Spitzer Research Program for for Program AAS. the at Research team Teachers Spitzer the of meetings during infrared thermal the in Two Spitzer teachers calibrate themselves March 2006 :

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