Caroline Moore
Encyclopedia
Caroline Moore is an American amateur astronomer. On November 7, 2008, at the age of 14, Moore discovered supernova 2008ha
in the galaxy
UGC 12682 in the constellation Pegasus
. At that time, Moore was the youngest person to discover a supernova
. This record was broken on December 31, 2010, by the 10 years old amateur astronomer Kathryn Aurora Gray who discovered supernova SN 2010lt
.
Moore started her astronomical observations at the age of ten, when her father Robert, an avid astronomer
and the co-chair of the NorthEast Astro-Imaging Conference, bought her a telescope
. Since then, they built a home observatory in the backyard of their home at Warwick
, 60 miles northwest of New York City
. The observatory has a retractable roof and three "advanced amateur" level telescopes, such as a 10-inch Newtonian reflector
. However, her serious observations were made not with her home telescopes, but at the computer screen. The motivation came at a dinner with family friends in early 2008 where she learned that an 18-year-old astronomer had found a supernova. She then said "I could beat her".
In April 2008, she joined the Supernova Search team at Puckett Observatory
, a private astronomical
observatory
dedicated to the study of comets and supernova
s. The observatory uses four automatic telescopes which digitally record astronomical images. This large amount of raw data is then processed on computers by volunteers, searching for unusual bright spots in the images, which could be supernovas.
After 7 months of browsing through the images, on November 7, 2008, Moore noticed a dim spot in one of the pictures from the UGC 12682 galaxy in the constellation Pegasus
. She cross checked possible image artifacts and reported the finding to her team. On November 13, 2008, the International Astronomical Union
confirmed the discovery of a supernova in galaxy UGC 12682 by Moore. On November 18 she received a phone call confirming that she had discovered a supernova, and a rather unusual one. Not only it is very faint, some 1,000 times dimmer than a typical supernova and probably the faintest supernova ever seen, but it is also located in a type of galaxy where supernovas are believed to be extremely unlikely. Alex Filippenko, a supernova group leader at the University of California at Berkeley, said on her discovery: "This shows that no matter what your age, anyone can make a significant contribution to our understanding of the universe."
Since her discovery, Moore has been in the media's attention. On December 30, 2008 she received a Certificate of Recognition from the Town of Warwick
and on February 9, 2009 a proclamation at the floor of the New York State Assembly
. Her interview was aired on North East Public Radio stations on April 20, 2009 and in June she appeared live on Fox News Channel
and on MSNBC
's Rachel Maddow Show
. In February 2009, Moore was awarded iOptron Young Astronomer of the Year for the International Year of Astronomy
2009, by iOptron Corporation of Boston, Massachusetts. iOptron will also donate astronomy equipment to her school in Warwick.
Moore continues looking for supernovas, browsing through 200-400 images a week. On July 3 2009 Moore discovered another new supernova SN2009he. She is also singing and skiing at school and participating in the Rockland Astronomy Club and The Orange County Astronomical Association. Her example has quickly become motivational for teenagers to join astronomy research. As such, she was chosen by iOptron as an active representative of the International Year of Astronomy 2009.
SN 2008ha
SN 2008ha was a type Ia supernova which was first observed around November 7, 2008 in the galaxy UGC 12682, which lies in the constellation Pegasus at a distance of about from Earth....
in the galaxy
Galaxy
A galaxy is a massive, gravitationally bound system that consists of stars and stellar remnants, an interstellar medium of gas and dust, and an important but poorly understood component tentatively dubbed dark matter. The word galaxy is derived from the Greek galaxias , literally "milky", a...
UGC 12682 in the constellation Pegasus
Pegasus (constellation)
Pegasus is a constellation in the northern sky, named after the winged horse Pegasus in Greek mythology. It was one of the 48 constellations listed by the 2nd century astronomer Ptolemy, and remains one of the 88 modern constellations.-Stars:...
. At that time, Moore was the youngest person to discover a supernova
Supernova
A supernova is a stellar explosion that is more energetic than a nova. It is pronounced with the plural supernovae or supernovas. Supernovae are extremely luminous and cause a burst of radiation that often briefly outshines an entire galaxy, before fading from view over several weeks or months...
. This record was broken on December 31, 2010, by the 10 years old amateur astronomer Kathryn Aurora Gray who discovered supernova SN 2010lt
SN 2010lt
SN 2010lt is a supernova located in the galaxy UGC 3378 in Camelopardalis. It was discovered by amateur astronomers Kathryn Aurora Gray, her father Paul Gray, of Fredericton, New Brunswick, Canada and David J. Lane of Stillwater Lake, Nova Scotia, Canada. Upon discovery, Kathryn Aurora Gray became...
.
Moore started her astronomical observations at the age of ten, when her father Robert, an avid astronomer
Astronomer
An astronomer is a scientist who studies celestial bodies such as planets, stars and galaxies.Historically, astronomy was more concerned with the classification and description of phenomena in the sky, while astrophysics attempted to explain these phenomena and the differences between them using...
and the co-chair of the NorthEast Astro-Imaging Conference, bought her a telescope
Telescope
A telescope is an instrument that aids in the observation of remote objects by collecting electromagnetic radiation . The first known practical telescopes were invented in the Netherlands at the beginning of the 1600s , using glass lenses...
. Since then, they built a home observatory in the backyard of their home at Warwick
Warwick, New York
Warwick is a town in Orange County, New York, United States. The population was 30,764 at the 2000 census. The 2007 census population estimate is 32,669.The Town of Warwick is located in the southwest part of the county...
, 60 miles northwest of New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
. The observatory has a retractable roof and three "advanced amateur" level telescopes, such as a 10-inch Newtonian reflector
Newtonian telescope
The Newtonian telescope is a type of reflecting telescope invented by the British scientist Sir Isaac Newton , using a concave primary mirror and a flat diagonal secondary mirror. Newton’s first reflecting telescope was completed in 1668 and is the earliest known functional reflecting telescope...
. However, her serious observations were made not with her home telescopes, but at the computer screen. The motivation came at a dinner with family friends in early 2008 where she learned that an 18-year-old astronomer had found a supernova. She then said "I could beat her".
In April 2008, she joined the Supernova Search team at Puckett Observatory
Puckett Observatory
Puckett Observatory is a private astronomical observatory located in the North Georgia Mountains, near Ellijay, Georgia, United States. It is owned and operated by Tim Puckett. Its primary observation goals are the study of comets and the discovery of supernovae...
, a private astronomical
Astronomy
Astronomy is a natural science that deals with the study of celestial objects and phenomena that originate outside the atmosphere of Earth...
observatory
Observatory
An observatory is a location used for observing terrestrial or celestial events. Astronomy, climatology/meteorology, geology, oceanography and volcanology are examples of disciplines for which observatories have been constructed...
dedicated to the study of comets and supernova
Supernova
A supernova is a stellar explosion that is more energetic than a nova. It is pronounced with the plural supernovae or supernovas. Supernovae are extremely luminous and cause a burst of radiation that often briefly outshines an entire galaxy, before fading from view over several weeks or months...
s. The observatory uses four automatic telescopes which digitally record astronomical images. This large amount of raw data is then processed on computers by volunteers, searching for unusual bright spots in the images, which could be supernovas.
After 7 months of browsing through the images, on November 7, 2008, Moore noticed a dim spot in one of the pictures from the UGC 12682 galaxy in the constellation Pegasus
Pegasus (constellation)
Pegasus is a constellation in the northern sky, named after the winged horse Pegasus in Greek mythology. It was one of the 48 constellations listed by the 2nd century astronomer Ptolemy, and remains one of the 88 modern constellations.-Stars:...
. She cross checked possible image artifacts and reported the finding to her team. On November 13, 2008, the International Astronomical Union
International Astronomical Union
The International Astronomical Union IAU is a collection of professional astronomers, at the Ph.D. level and beyond, active in professional research and education in astronomy...
confirmed the discovery of a supernova in galaxy UGC 12682 by Moore. On November 18 she received a phone call confirming that she had discovered a supernova, and a rather unusual one. Not only it is very faint, some 1,000 times dimmer than a typical supernova and probably the faintest supernova ever seen, but it is also located in a type of galaxy where supernovas are believed to be extremely unlikely. Alex Filippenko, a supernova group leader at the University of California at Berkeley, said on her discovery: "This shows that no matter what your age, anyone can make a significant contribution to our understanding of the universe."
Since her discovery, Moore has been in the media's attention. On December 30, 2008 she received a Certificate of Recognition from the Town of Warwick
Warwick, New York
Warwick is a town in Orange County, New York, United States. The population was 30,764 at the 2000 census. The 2007 census population estimate is 32,669.The Town of Warwick is located in the southwest part of the county...
and on February 9, 2009 a proclamation at the floor of the New York State Assembly
New York State Assembly
The New York State Assembly is the lower house of the New York State Legislature. The Assembly is composed of 150 members representing an equal number of districts, with each district having an average population of 128,652...
. Her interview was aired on North East Public Radio stations on April 20, 2009 and in June she appeared live on Fox News Channel
Fox News Channel
Fox News Channel , often called Fox News, is a cable and satellite television news channel owned by the Fox Entertainment Group, a subsidiary of News Corporation...
and on MSNBC
MSNBC
MSNBC is a cable news channel based in the United States available in the US, Germany , South Africa, the Middle East and Canada...
's Rachel Maddow Show
The Rachel Maddow Show (TV series)
The Rachel Maddow Show is a news and opinion television program that airs weeknights on MSNBC at 9:00 p.m. ET. It is hosted by Rachel Maddow, who gained popularity with her frequent appearances as a liberal pundit on various MSNBC programs. It is based on her former radio show of the same name...
. In February 2009, Moore was awarded iOptron Young Astronomer of the Year for the International Year of Astronomy
International Year of Astronomy
The International Year of Astronomy was a year-long celebration of astronomy that took place in 2009 to coincide with the 400th anniversary of the first recorded astronomical observations with a telescope by Galileo Galilei and the publication of Johannes Kepler's Astronomia nova in the 17th century...
2009, by iOptron Corporation of Boston, Massachusetts. iOptron will also donate astronomy equipment to her school in Warwick.
Moore continues looking for supernovas, browsing through 200-400 images a week. On July 3 2009 Moore discovered another new supernova SN2009he. She is also singing and skiing at school and participating in the Rockland Astronomy Club and The Orange County Astronomical Association. Her example has quickly become motivational for teenagers to join astronomy research. As such, she was chosen by iOptron as an active representative of the International Year of Astronomy 2009.
See also
- Harvard-Smithsonian Center for AstrophysicsHarvard-Smithsonian Center for AstrophysicsThe Harvard–Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics is one of the largest and most diverse astrophysical institutions in the world, where scientists carry out a broad program of research in astronomy, astrophysics, earth and space sciences, and science education...
- History of supernova observationHistory of supernova observationThe known history of supernova observation goes back to 185 CE, when supernova SN 185 appeared, the oldest appearance of a supernova recorded by humankind...
- SN 2008haSN 2008haSN 2008ha was a type Ia supernova which was first observed around November 7, 2008 in the galaxy UGC 12682, which lies in the constellation Pegasus at a distance of about from Earth....
External links
- http://deer-pond-observatorie.wetpaint.com/Caroline Moore with astronaut Dorothy Metcalf-LindenburgerDorothy Metcalf-LindenburgerDorothy Marie "Dottie" Metcalf-Lindenburger was born on May 2, 1975 in Colorado Springs, Colorado and married Jason Metcalf-Lindenburger, a seventh grade teacher at the time, in 2000. She was a science teacher at Hudson's Bay High School in Vancouver, Washington when she was selected in 2004 as an...
and of the supernova discovery pictures] - Various other photos of Moore