Astronomy

CATHERINE ZUCKER PORTRAIT: STU ROSNER, COURTESY OF THE HARVARD GRADUATE SCHOOL OF ARTS AND SCIENCES. ICON: ALEKSEY VANIN/DREAMSTIME GALACTIC HISTORIAN AS AN UNDERGRADUATE at the University of Virginia in Charlottesville, Catherine Zucker wanted to be a historian of science. She even planned to pursue a Ph.D. in history. Her senior thesis focused on why private donors were willing to foot the bills for some of the first major astronomy This artist’s concept research observatories in the U.S. (It turns out, shows the Local largely because their donations earned them Bubble inside which personalized access to use the telescopes!) the Sun sits. The bubble’s expanding But then, Zucker took a general astronomy surface hosts class for non-majors taught by Kelsey Johnson forming stars. LEAH HUSTAK (STSCI) (now president of the American Astronomical Society). Johnson offered Zucker a position in her lab, where “I begin working with newly released data from ESA’s Gaia mission. By looking for stars whose light shows signs of absorption by ended up falling in love with astronomy research, adding astron- material between Earth and that star, she hopes to better map the dynamics of nearby interstellar gas to determine whether events omy and physics as a second major in college,” Zucker recalls. such as supernovae might prompt new stars to form. She went on to receive her Ph.D. in astronomy from Harvard This work builds on a January 2022 Nature paper led by Zucker, in which she and collaborators used Gaia data to show University in 2020. “I owe much of my success today to Kelsey that 14 million years ago, a powerful supernova kicked off an expanding bubble called the Local Bubble. The bubble “swept recognizing my potential early on, and to my doctoral advisors up clouds of interstellar gas on its surface, which have now frag- mented and collapsed to form new stars,” she says. From the Sun’s Alyssa Goodman and Doug Finkbeiner for providing such amaz- vantage point inside the Local Bubble, “we have an amazing view here on Earth of star formation happening all around us.” ing support as I pursued my Ph.D.,” Zucker says. But Gaia’s optical data limit its best results to nearby stars. So, Now 30, Zucker is a fellow in the NASA Hubble Fellowship Zucker is part of the next iteration of the Sloan Digital Sky Survey, which will use near-infrared light to pierce galactic dust to see Program at the Space Telescope Science Institute in Baltimore. more distant stars. She’s also hoping NASA’s upcoming Nancy Grace Roman Telescope might survey the galactic disk, providing She still reads about history and visits historical sites and muse- information scientists could use to reconstruct the Milky Way’s ISM in 3D beyond the center of the galaxy. That “would be a total ums in her downtime. But even at work, she’s studying history game changer for galactic astronomy,” she says. —ALISON KLESMAN — not on Earth, but of our galaxy. Zucker’s work focuses on the Milky Way’s interstellar medium (ISM) — the gas and dust between stars — to untangle the many processes that birth new stars. “My ultimate goal over my career is to reconstruct the best possible map of the Milky Way’s structure and dynamics” via its gas and stars, she says. “What many people don’t realize is how incredibly difficult it is to map our Milky Way from our vantage point embedded deep inside its dusty disk.” Putting together this picture is part of why she’s excited to A fast-spinning neutron star with an extremely could also produce a GRB, though this mergers might account for a good fraction powerful magnetic field is responsible for a theory has yet to be verified. of [them].” supernova and gamma-ray burst in this artist’s concept. ESO Today, Fong, 35, works at In addition to her scientific achieve- Northwestern University in Evanston, ments, Fong is known for her mentorship Illinois, where she’s trying to uncover to students and her work to make astron- other clues about transients — like omy more inclusive — particularly for whether neutron star mergers account for women, who remain underrepresented. most GRBs and what the other sources of these flashes might be. She’s also investi- “She’s incredibly humble, brilliant, gating which elements are produced in creative, and transformative,” says Enrico the collisions that create GRBs. Ramirez-Ruiz, a theoretical astrophysicist and Vera Rubin and Presidential Chair for “For a long time, people thought Diversity in Astronomy at the University supernovae made all of the heavy ele- of California, Santa Cruz. “When I think ments in our universe, including gold, about individuals that we need to really platinum, and silver,” Fong says. “But move the field forward, I cannot think of now we actually think that neutron star anyone better.” —MARA JOHNSON-GROH WWW.ASTRONOMY.COM 51

SECRET SKY Two stunning Cavagnaro says, “as if that limb was releasing a mighty roar as it was being boxed in by the Earth and Moon.” spring eclipses Throwing shade on the Moon The May 2022 total lunar eclipse may be the darkest The year’s first two-step between the Sun and Moon made since that of Dec. 9/10, 1992, which occurred after the for captivating viewing. powerful 1991 Mount Pinatubo eruption in the Philippines. On the Danjon scale of brightness and color (from L = 0 to 4, with 0 being the darkest and least colorful), the December 1992 totality had a Danjon value of L = 0.5 to 1.0. For the May 2022 event, David Levy of Vail, Arizona, estimated a Danjon value of L = 1.5. Harvard University astronomer Dan Green, observing in St. Louis, Missouri, found the eclipse at mid-totality to be about magnitude –1.5 (or roughly as bright as Sirius) — quite the drop from the Full Moon’s magnitude of –12.8. May’s particularly dark totality was caused by the Moon’s passage through the southern half of Earth’s shadow, where refracted sunlight was LEFT: An Hα view Spring 2022 was an exciting period for dimmed by aerosols injected into the stratosphere of the Sun being eclipses, both solar and lunar. This comes as by the January 2022 Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha‘apai eclipsed by the Moon no surprise since such eclipses always occur eruption. The dimming effect could be spied during the and the Argentinean in pairs, two weeks from one another. The spring events penumbral phases, when it was only 36 percent eclipsed; Andes showcases opened the 2022 eclipse season and each had their usually it is first detected when the Moon is about a magnificent 60 percent eclipsed. prominence at left. During the umbral phases, a nearly uniform burnt LEO CAVAGNARO RIGHT: Sal LaRiccia delights — and a repeat performance is on its way. sienna color washed over the Moon’s face with little of Somerville, Massachusetts, A Sun swallowed other color noticeable. Through a telescope, the umbra’s captured the dark leading edge appeared steel blue almost throughout the monotone umbra and its stunning blue South America and Antarctica were the only major land entire umbral phases; this effect is due to light passing edge. He made this four-second exposure masses where one could see the April 30 partial solar through Earth’s upper stratosphere and penetrating the with a Canon Powershot SX20 IS eclipse, and even then, it was visible only shortly before ozone layer, which absorbs red light — thus making that camera at f/5 and ISO 80. SAL LARICCIA sunset. In Argentina, Leo Cavagnaro and section of the shadow appear blue. three friends traveled 90 minutes from their Come totality, however, the Moon’s home in Mendoza City to view the eclipse It was as extreme southern limb (that farthest away from the lovely Valle de Uco in Tupungato if the Sun from the umbra’s center) glowed the color of — a region in central west Mendoza noted didn’t stand straw under a setting Sun, while the Moon’s for its vineyards. The eclipse started at a chance. southern highlands took on a rusty shade. 5:38 p.m. local time with the Sun only about To the unaided eyes, the Moon’s northern 14° above the horizon. half (closest to the umbra) almost vanished “We were lucky to have a perfectly clear into the background sky as mid-totality sky and without strong wind,” says Cavagnaro, who neared, making totality appear like a burning brand of used a 60mm double stack Hydrogen-alpha (Hα) Lunt the letter C. telescope to record the eclipse with a Canon digital By the way, 2022’s last pairing of eclipses is upon us. camera attached using eyepiece projection. On Oct. 25, a partial solar eclipse will occur, favoring The view was outstanding. It was as if the Sun didn’t Europe, South and West Asia, and northeast Africa. A BY STEPHEN stand a chance, devoured by both Earth and the Moon total lunar eclipse follows Nov. 7/8, which favors the JAMES O’MEARA as it set behind the distant Andes. “The Sun was pretty Americas, north and east Europe, Asia, Australia, and Stephen is a globe- active with several prominences visible all around the part of Antarctica. If you make a curious observation, trotting observer who Sun,” Cavagnaro says. send it to [email protected]. is always looking for the next great One magnificent example appeared at the limb BROWSE THE “SECRET SKY” ARCHIVE AT celestial event. opposite the one being eclipsed by the Moon as the Sun www.Astronomy.com/OMeara set behind the Andes. “It was a dramatic view,” 52 ASTRONOMY • NOVEMBER 202 2

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