different colored filters. Travis Rector (University of Alaska Anchorage) then reduced
and processed the image to create a stunning color portrait of this interesting and
peculiar galaxy. NGC 7727 is in the late stages of a galaxy-galaxy collision, with irregular
wisps of stars seen extending out from the
central regions — a tell-tale sign that two
moderately massive galaxies had a smash
up that started around 1 billion years ago.
Figure 2.
Richard McDermid
(AAO/Macquerie
University) with the
Ivanhoe Girls’ Grammar
School Astronomy
Club members.
Figure 3.
McDermid presenting a
prize photograph of NGC
7727 to Samuel Carbone
of Trinity College, Perth.
The Winners
Two winners share the top prize in the most
recent Australian Gemini Astronomy Contest: The Ivanhoe Girls’ Grammar School
Astronomy Club in Melbourne (Figure 2)
celebrates the win with Samuel Carbone of
Trinity College (Perth). Both winners proposed observing the peculiar galaxy NGC
7727 (Figure 1) in the constellation Aquarius. The judging panel was impressed by
the science cases put forward by these two
applications, and so awarded them as joint
winners of the Student Division contest.
Once the panel of judges selected the winners, astronomers observed their selected
target using one hour of time on the Gemini
South telescope, taking multiple images in
In addition to the winners having their object selected for observation on one of the
world’s largest telescopes, their schools received a visit from Richard McDermid from
the Anglo-Australian Observatory/Macquarie University. McDermid awarded the toprated students’ schools with a framed print
of the award-winning object taken with the
Gemini South telescope (Figure 3); he also
gave an astronomy presentation to the students at their respective schools, where celebrations took place. Samuel even made it
into the local newspaper, which quoted him
saying that the opportunity to have his selected target observed was “a huge honour.”
Congratulations to our winners, and a big
thank you to their respective sponsoring
teachers — William Cooper (Trinity) and Paul
Fitz-Gerald (Ivanhoe) — for supporting the
students in their applications. And thanks
to all of the students and teachers involved
in applying for the contest last year. This
year’s event is already underway, but with
a different approach to previous years. You
can find out more about it by contacting
contact Christopher Onken at:
[email protected]
Richard McDermid is an Assistant Scientist at
Gemini North. He can be reached at:
[email protected]
24
GeminiFocus
January 2016