Becoming Galactic Detectives!

Abstract

How do galaxies evolved? This is both a simple question and a fundamental question, and it’s one of the first questions you might pose when you begin to study galaxies. But this is a very difficult question to answer! We cannot turn our telescopes on a galaxy and watch it grow and change. Instead, we can view one galaxy at one instance and become galactic detectives, putting pieces of the puzzle back together. This is exactly what the soon-to-be Dr. Ray Garner did when he was handed data on the enigmatic Pinwheel Galaxy (M101). Come hear not only about how he put the pieces back together, but also about some of the science that astronomers do every day!

Ray Garner

TAMU Astronomy Postdoctoral Researcher

I’m a scientist, Star Wars fan, and amateur photographer raised in Georgia. My research interests include galaxy evolution, star formation, satellite galaxies, and nebular diagnostics.