Ray Garner

Ray Garner

CWRU Astronomy PhD Candidate

Case Western Reserve University

Biography

Hello! My name is Ray Garner and I am a PhD candidate working towards my PhD in Astronomy at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio. I previously attended Furman University in Greenville, South Carolina where I graduated with a B.S. in Physics.

While I was at Furman, I completed research in general relativity with Dr. Bill Baker and fellow student Zachary Carter. During the summer of 2017, I attended a Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) at Indiana University in Bloomington, Indiana. There, I worked on ionized gas kinematics of nearby, low-mass galaxies with Dr. Liese van Zee.

Currently, I am working with Dr. Chris Mihos on a detailed analysis of the spiral galaxy Messier 101 (NGC 5457) and its small satellite group using the deep, wide-field, narrowband imaging capabilities of the Burrell Schmidt 24/36-inch telescope.

Interests
  • Galaxy evolution
  • Star formation
  • Nebular diagnostics
Education

  • BS in Physics, 2018

    Furman University

Recent Posts

Calculating Uncertainties on Strong-Line Abundances
Using new data for M101, I show how to use the method outlined in Moustakas et al. (2010) to calculate uncertainties on strong-line abundances in a statistically reasonable way.
Ray Garner
Last updated on Nov 3, 2021 19 min read
An Astronomer's Perspective
When I look up at the night sky, and I know that, yes, we are part of this Universe, we are in this Universe, but perhaps more important than both of those facts is that the Universe is in us. When I reflect on that fact, I look up—many people feel small, ‘cause they’re small and the Universe is big, but I feel big, because my atoms came from those stars. –Neil deGrasse Tyson
Ray Garner
Last updated on Oct 18, 2021 25 min read
Life on Venus?
Recently, a new paper came out about the detection of phosphine on Venus. What does this mean? Is there life on Venus?
Ray Garner
Last updated on Oct 18, 2021 11 min read
What was the Star of Bethlehem?
The Star of Bethlehem is a celebrated sight in the history of Christianity, but what was it exactly? Was it a star, a meteor, a comet? A new theory proposed it was multiple events!
Ray Garner
Last updated on Oct 18, 2021 16 min read
What was the Star of Bethlehem?

Recent & Upcoming Talks

What Was the Star of Bethlehem?
A public talk answering the question, “What was the Star of Bethlehem?”
Dec 13, 2021 6:00 PM — 7:30 PM Andover Public Library
Ray Garner
What Was the Star of Bethlehem?
International Observe the Moon Night 2021
A public talk celebrating International Observe the Moon Night 2021!
Oct 16, 2021 6:00 PM — 7:30 PM Andover Public Library
International Observe the Moon Night 2021

Recent Publications

Ray Garner, J. Christopher Mihos, Paul Harding, Aaron E. Watkins (2021). Searching for Extragalactic Star Formation in the M101 Group. In RNAAS.

PDF Cite DOI

Ray Garner, Liese van Zee, Kristen McQuinn, Evan Skillman (2018). Ionized Gas Kinematics of Nearby Low-Mass Galaxies. Presented at AAS231.

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