R. Jay GaBany
Encyclopedia
Robert Jay GaBany is an American Amateur astronomer
and astrophotographer
who is also known for his work with an international team of astrophysicists
led by Dr. David Martínez-Delgado (Max Planck Institute for Astronomy
). GaBany helped pioneer the use of modest size telescopes
and off the shelf CCD-cameras
to produce long exposures that revealed ancient galactic merger remnants
in the form of star streams surrounding nearby galaxies
that were previously undetected or suspected.
.
GaBany’s images have revealed faint tidal streams and rings in the outer halos of large spiral galaxies
, indicative of recent and ongoing gravitational interactions with dwarf satellite galaxies
. These images are helping scientists better understand how large galaxies such as our own Milky Way
are built up through the collisions and mergers
of many smaller galaxies.
Observing under very dark skies, and using very sensitive cameras, long exposure times, and advanced imaging and processing techniques, GaBany has managed to capture details not seen in professional images. Papers based on GaBany’s images have been published in leading scientific journals such as the Astrophysical Journal, the Astronomical Journal, and Astronomy & Astrophysics
, with GaBany listed as a coauthor.
NGC 4013
, NGC 5907
and NGC 5055 (M63)
; the discovery of extended spiral arms around NGC 4736 (M94)
; the identification of Arps Loop as Milky Way cirrus; a summary of stellar stream discoveries around nearby galaxies; techniques that enable modest instruments to be used for science , a study of the Perseus galaxy cluster core in xrays. and the formation of galactic shells from stars and dark matter clumps in a CDM Universe
(AAS) Chambliss Amateur Achievement Award
for his work with Dr. David Martínez-Delgado (MPIA
) into detection of stellar streams around nearby galaxies. Recognizing the contribution of nonprofessionals to the advancement of astronomical research, the AAS gave the Chambliss Amateur Achievement Award to R. Jay GaBany of San Jose, California, "who has single-handedly, through his dedicated and careful work, spawned a new research direction in the exploration of galaxy evolution via low-surface-brightness imaging of galaxy halo substructure." GaBany has devoted hundreds of hours working with professional astronomers to make deep images that reveal faint tidal streams and rings in the outer halos of galaxies, indicative of recent and ongoing galaxy interactions with dwarf satellites, supporting studies of galaxy formation. He was also inducted into the SBIG Hall of Fame for astrophotography.
to the International Space Station.
(USA), AstronomyNow
(UK), Beautiful Universe (USA), CIEL et Espace (France), Ciencia Hoy (Argentina), Coelum Astronomia (Italy), Hoshi Navi (Japan), Le Estelle (Italy), Nojum (Iran), Populär Astronomi (Sweden), Practical Astronomer (UK), SkyNews (Canada), Sky & Telescope
(USA), Spectacular Universe (USA) and Sterne Und Weltraum (Germany). His images have also appeared in the journal Nature
and the journal Science
.Several articles discussing astrophotographic techniques and his scientific collaborations have also appeared in print.
Many of his images have also been featured on the Astronomy Picture of the Day
(APOD) web site.
Amateur astronomy
Amateur astronomy, also called backyard astronomy and stargazing, is a hobby whose participants enjoy watching the night sky , and the plethora of objects found in it, mainly with portable telescopes and binoculars...
and astrophotographer
Astrophotography
Astrophotography is a specialized type of photography that entails recording images of astronomical objects and large areas of the night sky. The first photographs of an astronomical object were taken in the 1840s, but it was not until the late 19th century that advances in technology allowed for...
who is also known for his work with an international team of astrophysicists
Astrophysics
Astrophysics is the branch of astronomy that deals with the physics of the universe, including the physical properties of celestial objects, as well as their interactions and behavior...
led by Dr. David Martínez-Delgado (Max Planck Institute for Astronomy
Max Planck Institute for Astronomy
The Max-Planck-Institut für Astronomie is a research institute of the Max Planck Society. It is located in Heidelberg, Baden-Württemberg, Germany near the top of the Koenigstuhl, adjacent to the historic Landessternwarte Heidelberg-Königstuhl astronomical observatory.The institute was founded in...
). GaBany helped pioneer the use of modest size telescopes
Small telescope
A small telescope is generally considered by professional astronomers to be any reflector type telescope with a primary mirror of less than 2 metres diameter...
and off the shelf CCD-cameras
Charge-coupled device
A charge-coupled device is a device for the movement of electrical charge, usually from within the device to an area where the charge can be manipulated, for example conversion into a digital value. This is achieved by "shifting" the signals between stages within the device one at a time...
to produce long exposures that revealed ancient galactic merger remnants
Galaxy formation and evolution
The study of galaxy formation and evolution is concerned with the processes that formed a heterogeneous universe from a homogeneous beginning, the formation of the first galaxies, the way galaxies change over time, and the processes that have generated the variety of structures observed in nearby...
in the form of star streams surrounding nearby galaxies
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...
that were previously undetected or suspected.
Research
Using a half-meter telescope at the remote Black Bird Observatory, GaBany has been one of the world’s leading amateur astrophotographers for the past decade. In recent years, GaBany has devoted hundreds of hours to work with a team of astronomers led by Martínez-Delgado of the Max Planck Institute for Astronomy in Germany to produce ultra-deep deep CCD images of galaxies far beyond our Local GroupLocal Group
The Local Group is the group of galaxies that includes Earth's galaxy, the Milky Way. The group comprises more than 30 galaxies , with its gravitational center located somewhere between the Milky Way and the Andromeda Galaxy...
.
GaBany’s images have revealed faint tidal streams and rings in the outer halos of large spiral galaxies
Spiral galaxy
A spiral galaxy is a certain kind of galaxy originally described by Edwin Hubble in his 1936 work The Realm of the Nebulae and, as such, forms part of the Hubble sequence. Spiral galaxies consist of a flat, rotating disk containing stars, gas and dust, and a central concentration of stars known as...
, indicative of recent and ongoing gravitational interactions with dwarf satellite galaxies
Dwarf galaxy
A dwarf galaxy is a small galaxy composed of up to several billion stars, a small number compared to our own Milky Way's 200-400 billion stars...
. These images are helping scientists better understand how large galaxies such as our own Milky Way
Milky Way
The Milky Way is the galaxy that contains the Solar System. This name derives from its appearance as a dim un-resolved "milky" glowing band arching across the night sky...
are built up through the collisions and mergers
Galaxy merger
Galaxy mergers can occur when two galaxies collide. They are the most violent type of galaxy interaction. Although galaxy mergers do not involve stars or star systems actually colliding, due to the vast distances between stars in most circumstances, the gravitational interactions between galaxies...
of many smaller galaxies.
Observing under very dark skies, and using very sensitive cameras, long exposure times, and advanced imaging and processing techniques, GaBany has managed to capture details not seen in professional images. Papers based on GaBany’s images have been published in leading scientific journals such as the Astrophysical Journal, the Astronomical Journal, and Astronomy & Astrophysics
Astronomy and Astrophysics
* Astronomy and Astrophysics has a 2010 impact factor of 4.410.-See also:*The Astronomy and Astrophysics Review*Advanced Satellite for Cosmology and Astrophysics*Astronomy & Geophysics*Astronomical Journal*Astrophysical Journal...
, with GaBany listed as a coauthor.
Scientific collaborations
GaBany's scientific collaboration with professional astronomers has resulted in his participation as co-author of 8 peer-reviewed papers including the discovery of stellar rings aroundNGC 4013
NGC 4013
NGC 4013 is an edge-on barred spiral galaxy about 55 million light-years away in the constellation Ursa Major. The disk of NGC 4013 shows a distinct "peanut"-shaped bulge in long exposure photographs that N-body computer simulations suggest is consistent with a stellar bar seen perpendicular to...
, NGC 5907
NGC 5907
NGC 5907 is a spiral galaxy located approximately 50 million light years from Earth. It has an anomalously low metallicity and few detectable giant stars, being apparently composed almost entirely of dwarf stars.It is a member of the NGC 5866 Group....
and NGC 5055 (M63)
Sunflower Galaxy
The Sunflower Galaxy is a spiral galaxy in the constellation Canes Venatici consisting of a central disc surrounded by many short spiral arm segments...
; the discovery of extended spiral arms around NGC 4736 (M94)
Messier 94
Messier 94 is a spiral galaxy in the constellation Canes Venatici. It was discovered by Pierre Méchain in 1781,...
; the identification of Arps Loop as Milky Way cirrus; a summary of stellar stream discoveries around nearby galaxies; techniques that enable modest instruments to be used for science , a study of the Perseus galaxy cluster core in xrays. and the formation of galactic shells from stars and dark matter clumps in a CDM Universe
Honours and awards
GaBany was awarded the 2010 American Astronomical SocietyAmerican Astronomical Society
The American Astronomical Society is an American society of professional astronomers and other interested individuals, headquartered in Washington, DC...
(AAS) Chambliss Amateur Achievement Award
Chambliss Amateur Achievement Award
The Chambliss Amateur Achievement Award is awarded by the American Astronomical Society for an achievement in astronomical research made by an amateur astronomer resident in North America. The prize is named after Carlson R. Chambliss of Kutztown University, who donated the funds to support the prize...
for his work with Dr. David Martínez-Delgado (MPIA
Max Planck Institute for Astronomy
The Max-Planck-Institut für Astronomie is a research institute of the Max Planck Society. It is located in Heidelberg, Baden-Württemberg, Germany near the top of the Koenigstuhl, adjacent to the historic Landessternwarte Heidelberg-Königstuhl astronomical observatory.The institute was founded in...
) into detection of stellar streams around nearby galaxies. Recognizing the contribution of nonprofessionals to the advancement of astronomical research, the AAS gave the Chambliss Amateur Achievement Award to R. Jay GaBany of San Jose, California, "who has single-handedly, through his dedicated and careful work, spawned a new research direction in the exploration of galaxy evolution via low-surface-brightness imaging of galaxy halo substructure." GaBany has devoted hundreds of hours working with professional astronomers to make deep images that reveal faint tidal streams and rings in the outer halos of galaxies, indicative of recent and ongoing galaxy interactions with dwarf satellites, supporting studies of galaxy formation. He was also inducted into the SBIG Hall of Fame for astrophotography.
NASA collaboration
NASA selected GaBany's image of NGC 3521, the Bubble galaxy, as the uncredited back drop for the official crew portrait of Expedition 30Expedition 30
Expedition 30 is the 30th and current long-duration mission to the International Space Station . The expedition's first three crew members – Dan Burbank, Anton Shkaplerov and Anatoli Ivanishin – arrived on the ISS aboard Soyuz TMA-22 on 16 November 2011, during the last phase of...
to the International Space Station.
Media
GaBany's images have appeared in many of the world's leading astronomical magazines including Astronomi (Norway), AstronomíA (Spain), Astronomie (France), AstronomyAstronomy (magazine)
Astronomy is a monthly American magazine about astronomy. Targeting amateur astronomers for its readers, it contains columns on sky viewing, reader-submitted astrophotographs, and articles on astronomy and astrophysics that are readable by nonscientists....
(USA), AstronomyNow
Astronomy Now
Astronomy Now is a monthly British magazine on astronomy and space. It features a mix of articles ranging from how to observe the night sky to the latest discoveries in the Solar System and in deep space. The first issue of Astronomy Now was published in April 1987 by Intra Press, initially as a...
(UK), Beautiful Universe (USA), CIEL et Espace (France), Ciencia Hoy (Argentina), Coelum Astronomia (Italy), Hoshi Navi (Japan), Le Estelle (Italy), Nojum (Iran), Populär Astronomi (Sweden), Practical Astronomer (UK), SkyNews (Canada), Sky & Telescope
Sky & Telescope
Sky & Telescope is a monthly American magazine covering all aspects of amateur astronomy, including the following:*current events in astronomy and space exploration;*events in the amateur astronomy community;...
(USA), Spectacular Universe (USA) and Sterne Und Weltraum (Germany). His images have also appeared in the journal Nature
Nature (journal)
Nature, first published on 4 November 1869, is ranked the world's most cited interdisciplinary scientific journal by the Science Edition of the 2010 Journal Citation Reports...
and the journal Science
Science (journal)
Science is the academic journal of the American Association for the Advancement of Science and is one of the world's top scientific journals....
.Several articles discussing astrophotographic techniques and his scientific collaborations have also appeared in print.
Many of his images have also been featured on the Astronomy Picture of the Day
Astronomy Picture of the Day
Astronomy Picture of the Day is a website provided by NASA and Michigan Technological University . According to the website, "Each day a different image or photograph of our universe is featured, along with a brief explanation written by a professional astronomer."The photograph is not necessarily...
(APOD) web site.