Speaker:

Dr. Patrick Durrell, Youngstown State University

Presentation:

"Studying Galaxies with the Hubble Space Telescope"

Abstract:

The Hubble Space Telescope (or HST) has been providing beautiful, high-resolution images of multitudes of fascinating objects in the cosmos for almost 30 years. I will illustrate how important space-based telescopes like Hubble are, and highlight how astronomers can study galaxies -- both near and far -- with Hubble's unique capabilities and instruments. I will also include snippets from some of the extragalactic research I carry out using the HST, with a look forward to the next generation James Webb Space Telescope.

Bio:

Dr. Patrick Durrell is an astronomer and Distinguished Professor in the Department of Physics & Astronomy, and is also the Director of the Ward Beecher Planetarium.
Dr. Durrell studies the formation of galaxies through photometric studies of stars and globular star clusters both within and outside of galaxies (intracluster stars). He is also involved in studies of colliding galaxies and dwarf galaxies in nearby groups and clusters, making use of imaging data from the Hubble Space Telescope and other large ground-based telescopes, including the Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope, where he is part of the massive Next Generation Virgo cluster Survey (NGVS) project. He is also involved in science outreach through the Ward Beecher Planetarium, and CosmoQuest. Dr. Durrell received his PhD in 1996 from McMaster University, in Hamilton, Ontario.