2019
Professor Wendy Freedman leads study for new measurement of disputed constant
August 20, 2019
University of Chicago professor Wendy Freedman and colleagues have a new measurement for the rate of expansion in the modern universe, suggesting the space between galaxies is stretching faster than scientists would expect. The paper, “An Independent Determination of the Hubble Constant Based on the Tip of the Red Giant Branch,” Freedman et al, was published on July 12, 2019, in The Astrophysical Journal.
Orion Nebula, captured in 1901 by American astronomer George Ritchey
August 20, 2019
Remarkably recognizable to astrophotographers today, this stunning image of the star forming Orion Nebula was captured in 1901 by American astronomer and telescope designer George Ritchey. The original glass photographic plate was digitized by the University of Chicago Library in a partnership with Professor Rich Kron and undergraduate interns in the Department of Astronomy and Astrophysics to develop code for analyzing high-resolution image files made from historic photographic plates in order to extract astrometry and photometry data from them.