Astronomy and Astrophysics

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Purplish orb against dark starry background

Remnants of a shattered star discovered in Milky Way

3/15/13

Remnants of an exploded star have been discovered in our Milky Way galaxy by a team of scientists including astronomers at Penn State. The "supernova remnant" was discovered during an extensive X-ray survey of our galaxy's central regions with NASA's Swift satellite, for which science and flight operations are controlled by Penn State from the Mission Operations Center on the University Park campus.

Blair Porterfield

Undergraduate astronomer helps people see star clusters

1/30/13

When Blair Porterfield outgrew her local summer-camp options at age 14, her father suggested an astronomy camp at the University of Arizona. "I'm not sure why he wanted me to go," Porterfield mused. "I hadn't been interested in science at all up until that point."

In a case of "father knows best," astronomy camp couldn't have been a more perfect choice. "After the first camp, I was absolutely hooked," Porterfield, now a Penn State student, said. "As soon as I got back home, I knew I wanted to be an astronomer. I knew what I wanted to do with my life." She returned to the camp three more times, and each time her love for astronomy grew stronger.

By the time she turned 16 -- the age at which she was expected to find a part-time job -- Porterfield knew that only an astronomy-related job would suit her. She contacted family friend and Penn State professor of astronomy and astrophysics Mercedes Richards. Richards told her about an opportunity with NASA's Swift satellite, whose science and flight operations are controlled by Penn State from the Mission Operations Center in State College, Pa.

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Garmire, Evan Pugh professor emeritus, retires

10/8/10

Gordon P. Garmire, Evan Pugh professor emeritus of astronomy and astrophysics, has retired after 30 years of service to Penn State. He is the co-discoverer of high-energy gamma rays and is responsible for developing many of the data-analysis algorithms used today in high-energy astrophysics. He also is credited with the discovery of the first nonpulsating neutron star in a supernova remnant and the construction of the first X-ray telescope to use diamond-turned mirrors -- high-quality, nested X-ray mirrors with precise shapes.

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Mercedes Richards Receives Fulbright Award

9/29/10

Mercedes Richards, a Penn State professor of astronomy and astrophysics, has received a Fulbright Distinguished Chairs Research Scholar award to conduct research at the Astronomical Institute in Slovakia during the 2010-11 academic year. According to the United States Department of State and the J. William Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board, Richards is one of approximately 1,100 U.S. faculty and professionals who will travel abroad through the Fulbright U.S. Scholar Program in 2010-2011.

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Tyce DeYoung Receives National Science Foundation CAREER Award

3/10/10

Tyce DeYoung, assistant professor of physics at Penn State, has received a Faculty Early Career Development (CAREER) award from the National Science Foundation (NSF). The CAREER award is the most prestigious NSF award in support of junior faculty members who exemplify the role of teacher-scholars through outstanding research, excellent teaching, and the integration of education and research. The award provides five years of financial support.Explorer and the Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope, will give a more complete picture of the nature of these astrophysical objects.

Purplish orb against dark starry background

Remnants of a shattered star discovered in Milky Way

3/15/13

Remnants of an exploded star have been discovered in our Milky Way galaxy by a team of scientists including astronomers at Penn State. The "supernova remnant" was discovered during an extensive X-ray survey of our galaxy's central regions with NASA's Swift satellite, for which science and flight operations are controlled by Penn State from the Mission Operations Center on the University Park campus.

Blair Porterfield

Undergraduate astronomer helps people see star clusters

1/30/13

When Blair Porterfield outgrew her local summer-camp options at age 14, her father suggested an astronomy camp at the University of Arizona. "I'm not sure why he wanted me to go," Porterfield mused. "I hadn't been interested in science at all up until that point."

In a case of "father knows best," astronomy camp couldn't have been a more perfect choice. "After the first camp, I was absolutely hooked," Porterfield, now a Penn State student, said. "As soon as I got back home, I knew I wanted to be an astronomer. I knew what I wanted to do with my life." She returned to the camp three more times, and each time her love for astronomy grew stronger.

By the time she turned 16 -- the age at which she was expected to find a part-time job -- Porterfield knew that only an astronomy-related job would suit her. She contacted family friend and Penn State professor of astronomy and astrophysics Mercedes Richards. Richards told her about an opportunity with NASA's Swift satellite, whose science and flight operations are controlled by Penn State from the Mission Operations Center in State College, Pa.

Untitled

Garmire, Evan Pugh professor emeritus, retires

10/8/10

Gordon P. Garmire, Evan Pugh professor emeritus of astronomy and astrophysics, has retired after 30 years of service to Penn State. He is the co-discoverer of high-energy gamma rays and is responsible for developing many of the data-analysis algorithms used today in high-energy astrophysics. He also is credited with the discovery of the first nonpulsating neutron star in a supernova remnant and the construction of the first X-ray telescope to use diamond-turned mirrors -- high-quality, nested X-ray mirrors with precise shapes.

Untitled

Mercedes Richards Receives Fulbright Award

9/29/10

Mercedes Richards, a Penn State professor of astronomy and astrophysics, has received a Fulbright Distinguished Chairs Research Scholar award to conduct research at the Astronomical Institute in Slovakia during the 2010-11 academic year. According to the United States Department of State and the J. William Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board, Richards is one of approximately 1,100 U.S. faculty and professionals who will travel abroad through the Fulbright U.S. Scholar Program in 2010-2011.

Untitled

Tyce DeYoung Receives National Science Foundation CAREER Award

3/10/10

Tyce DeYoung, assistant professor of physics at Penn State, has received a Faculty Early Career Development (CAREER) award from the National Science Foundation (NSF). The CAREER award is the most prestigious NSF award in support of junior faculty members who exemplify the role of teacher-scholars through outstanding research, excellent teaching, and the integration of education and research. The award provides five years of financial support.Explorer and the Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope, will give a more complete picture of the nature of these astrophysical objects.