At the University of Washington Peter Ferguson is a DiRAC postdoctoral fellow as well as a fellow in the eScience institute. Previously, he was a postdoc at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, where he was part of the observational cosmology group, and he completed his PhD at Texas A&M University.
Peter Ferguson is interested in learning about the nature of dark matter and galaxy formation using wide-field astronomical surveys such as the Legacy Survey of Space and Time (LSST) at the Vera C. Rubin Observatory.
In particular, he works on finding and characterizing stellar streams and dwarf galaxies in the local universe and enabling this science by making infrastructure level contributions to cosmological surveys. These contributions range from instrumentation and calibration to science validation and software development.
In a new paper published in The Astrophysical Journal, the team, which used a machine-learning algorithm to analyze millions of galaxies, reports that galaxies found in denser regions of the universe are as much as 25% larger than isolated galaxies. The findings resolve a long-standing debate among astrophysicists over the relationship between a galaxy’s size and its environment, but also raise new questions about how galaxies form and evolve over billions of years.
Dr. Aritra Ghosh
Dr. Aritra Ghosh, a UW postdoctoral researcher in astronomy and an LSST-DA Catalyst Fellow with the UW’s DiRAC Institute, led the team behind this discovery, which includes researchers at Yale, the Leibniz Institute and Waseda University. Dr. Andrew Connolly, a UW professor of astronomy, is co-author on the study.
Here is a link to the full story written by James Urton for the UW News.
Left to Right: Sophia Watts, Maggie Vickers, Giovanni Gollotti, and Felix Knowlton
At the end of August, we were treated to wrap-up presentations by the four Summer Research Prize recipients. Now in its third year, the Summer Research Prize is awarded to support new and ongoing undergraduate research projects, and help students work closely with their mentors at the University of Washington. This prize is made possible through the generous support of our community, faculty, and friends, and has been featured in the UW College of Arts and Sciences’ Newsletter.
Our 2024 prize winners included:
Sophia Watts (Advisors Yakov Faerman, Matt McQuinn) Investigating intergalactic filaments and sheets
Maggie Vickers (Advisor: Bruce Balick) Examining Density Tracers in Low-Ionization structures in Planetary Nebula
Giovanni Gollotti (Advisors: Andy Tzanidakis, Tobin Wainer) A New Candidate Triplet Binary System in the Beta-Pic Moving Group: HIP 23309
Felix Knowlton (Advisors: Jake Kurlander, Mario Jurić) High-Fidelity HelioLinC Stress-Testing for LSST Preparedness
I find it especially exciting how these projects span almost the entire range of astronomy and astrophysics work happening at UW, from simulations of baby galaxies from Sophia, to the remnants dying stars from Maggie – from current mysteries of an unusual binary star system from Giovanni, to developing the code to rapidly find the most unusual asteroids in future surveys from Felix. UW Astronomy and DiRAC are host to a wide range of discovery and innovation, and each year the Summer Research Prize shows just a tiny piece of this great work.
Thank you to the generous community that enables truly stellar student research at the University of Washington, especially our principal donor again this year, DiRAC Advisory Board member David Brooks. You are helping the next generation of scholars to build the most advanced datasets, algorithms, and tools to explore and understand the universe!
I invite you all to join us again next year for more student-driven discovery!
Last Wednesday, the UW planetarium became the epicenter of excitement and discovery, hosting an event that left attendees starry-eyed and inspired. The evening was filled with captivating presentations about current and anticipated discoveries with the Vera C. Rubin Observatory which is currently in the last phase of the construction in Chile.
As guests arrived, they were greeted by the DiRAC team. The lobby buzzed with conversations about the evening’s program. The event kicked off with a warm welcome from Prof. Mario Juric, DiRAC director, who highlighted the importance of community engagement in the pursuit of scientific knowledge. Followed by the latest updates from Prof. Zeljko Ivezic, Rubin Observatory Construction Project Director. Prof. Ivezic took to the stage to introduce this cutting-edge observatory, which promises to revolutionize our understanding of the universe. Equipped with the latest in telescope technology, this observatory will allow scientists to look deeper into space than ever before.
UW Planetarium
DiRAC Reception
Prof. Juric Presentation
LSST Camera | Vera C. Rubin
Andy Tzanidakis Graduate Student UW Planetarium Coordinator
LSST Camera Transportation from USA to Chile
Prof. Željko Ivezic
The Planetarium Experience
The highlight of the night was the planetarium experience led by Prof. Andy Connolly. The presentation detailed how the observatory’s advanced camera would enable the discovery, the study of distant galaxies, and the exploration of cosmic phenomena that have long puzzled astronomers. The audience was treated to stunning visuals of the observatory’s capabilities, and the excitement in the room was wonderful to experience.
Engaging Presentations
Following the planetarium show, a series of presentations captivated the audience. Each talk was a quick dive into one segment that Rubin will help us understand. Near-Earth Objects (NEOs) were the topic of this session. It was designed to educate and inspire. The audience was left in awe, with many expressing a newfound appreciation for the unknown of our universe.
Interactive Q&A Sessions
The event also featured interactive Q&A sessions, where attendees had the opportunity to ask questions and engage with the experts. These sessions sparked lively discussions and provided deeper insights into the topics covered. It was clear that the audience was eager to learn, with questions ranging from the technical aspects of the new observatory to the implications of recent discoveries.
We’d like to take this opportunity to thank again everyone for their participation and to emphasize the importance of public support for scientific endeavors and encouraged everyone to stay curious and engaged.
The planetarium event was more than just a series of presentations; it was a celebration of human curiosity and the relentless pursuit of knowledge. As guests departed, they carried with them not only a deeper understanding of the universe but also a sense of wonder and inspiration. The night was a testament to the power of education and the limitless possibilities that lie ahead as we continue to explore the cosmos.
Left to Right: Sophia Watts, Maggie Vickers, Giovanni Gollotti, and Felix Knowlton
I am so excited to announce our 2024 cohort of Summer Research Prize winners, whose work spans a wide range of astrophysics! Now in its third year, the Summer Research Prize is awarded to support new and ongoing undergraduate research projects, and help students work closely with their mentors at the University of Washington. This prize is made possible through the generous support of our community, faculty, and friends, and has been featured in the UW College of Arts and Sciences’ Newsletter.
Now, on to our 2024 winners!
Felix Knowlton (Advisors: Jake Kurlander, Mario Jurić) High-Fidelity HelioLinC Stress-Testing for LSST Preparedness
Maggie Vickers (Advisor: Bruce Balick) Examining Density Tracers in Low-Ionization structures in Planetary Nebula
Sophia Watts (Advisors Yakov Faerman, Matt McQuinn) Investigating intergalactic filaments and sheets
Thank you to the generous community that supports truly stellar student research at the University of Washington, especially our principle donor again this year, DiRAC Advisory Board member David Brooks. You are helping the next generation of scholars to build the most advanced datasets, algorithms, and tools to explore and understand the universe!
We are excited to share the latest updates and achievements from our incredible team. Your support makes our work and educational efforts possible, and we are deeply grateful for it.
Mark your calendars for June 12th! Join us for the DiRAC Planetarium Experience, where UW astronomers will reveal their latest discoveries and provide a sneak peek at the possibilities from the Rubin Observatory. After the presentation, enjoy a rare, behind-the-scenes tour of our labs, where the secrets of comet dust are uncovered.
This season has been filled with remarkable discoveries and positive media coverage. We invite you to explore the articles linked here for more details. We hope you find them as inspiring as we do and look forward to seeing you in person at our upcoming DiRAC event.
Thank you,
Mario Juric Director, DiRAC Institute Professor, Department of Astronomy
Refreshments and light appetizers will be available during the event in the auditorium foyer.
Physics/Astronomy Auditorium (PAA), 3910 15th Ave NE, Seattle, WA 98105
LSST Camera Arrives at Rubin Observatory in Chile
Colin Orion Chandler’s “Active Asteroids” Citizen Science project
Prof. Mario Juric, DiRAC Director, in conversation with Planetarium Experience attendees Nov 2023.
Rubin Observatory Visit Nov 2023
We’re at the brink of a new age of survey-driven discovery in astronomy. Where before we could only study a handful of objects at a time, new detectors, algorithms, and telescopes will soon allow us – and the entire world – to monitor billions.
The flagship of this era will be the Rubin Observatory, set to open in Chile in 2025. Rubin will continuously gather data for over 20Bn stars, 20Bn galaxies, with billions of asteroid observations. In importance, it is a ground-based peer of the Webb space telescope.
We hope you can join us for this enriching experience!
This is the last major component of the Rubin Observatory, and it will soon be integrated into the Simonyi Survey Telescope to begin calibration and testing. We at DiRAC, UW Astronomy, and the whole Rubin/LSST community are thrilled to see the hardware finally on site!
Image credit: Olivier Bonin/SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory
This is the last major component of the Rubin Observatory, and it will soon be integrated into the Simonyi Survey Telescope to begin calibration and testing. We at DiRAC, UW Astronomy, and the whole Rubin/LSST community are thrilled to see the hardware finally on site!
As you know, this is the largest digital camera of its kind ever created, and will be in near-constant use for a decade as we search the sky for asteroids, supernovae, and the unknown unknowns! As the first test data starts to arrive, and with Survey operations starting next year, I am so excited to see the discoveries that will rewrite our textbooks.
Beyond software and science development, we’re busy recruiting and continuing to build the team that will make these groundbreaking discoveries possible at UW. We are in the midst of grant writing andfundraisingto allow us to bring a new cohort of diverse and energetic scientists to Seattle, and I invite you all to continue to be involved in this journey with us.
Finally, thank you for your support and enthusiasm over the past 6 years. I am always so heartened to see how many people share our vision to understand the Universe through data.
The Solar System group at the DiRAC Institute at the University of Washington has dedicated efforts to advancing asteroid and comet discovery algorithms for large datasets and next generation surveys. Our enduring partnership with the Asteroid Institute has yielded significant progress, resulting in the development of a novel algorithm known as Tracklet-less Heliocentric Orbit Recovery (THOR).
Asteroid Institute, a program of B612 Foundation, and Google today announced the most significant results of this partnership to date: identifying 27,500 new, high-confidence asteroid discovery candidates.
Credit: B612 Asteroid Institute / University of Washington DiRAC Institute / OpenSpace Project
Discoveries visualized in the inner Solar System. Main belt asteroid discoveries, shown in green, reside between the orbits of Mars (red) and Jupiter (brownish-gray). The Jupiter Trojans, shown in orange, lead and follow Jupiter at 2 and 10 o’clock. In light blue are Near Earth Objects (NEOs) discoveries.
Image credit: Olivier Bonin/SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory
Hello friends,
I hope your spring has been positive, and that you got a chance to experience the Solar Eclipse in April and the historic Northern Lights showing a couple weeks ago!
I’m excited to share that the LSST Camera has arrived at the Rubin summit in Chile! The official word came late yesterday that the camera made the flight from California, and was driven up the observatory a few days ago. This is the last major component of the Rubin Observatory, and it will soon be integrated into the Simonyi Survey Telescope to begin calibration and testing. We at DiRAC, UW Astronomy, and the whole Rubin/LSST community are thrilled to see the hardware finally on site!
As you know, this is the largest digital camera of its kind ever created, and will be in near-constant use for a decade as we search the sky for asteroids, supernovae, and the unknown unknowns! As the first test data starts to arrive, and with Survey operations starting next year, I am SO EXCITED to see the discoveries that will rewrite our textbooks.
Beyond software and science development, we’re busy recruiting and continuing to build the team that will make these groundbreaking discoveries possible at UW. We are in the midst of grant writing andfundraisingto allow us to bring a new cohort of diverse and energetic scientists to Seattle, and I invite you all to continue to be involved in this journey with us.
Finally, thank you for your support and enthusiasm over the past 6 years. I am always so heartened to see how many people share our vision to understand the Universe through data.
