David Turner | |
---|---|
Born | 1945 (age 77–78) |
Academic background | |
Education | University of Waterloo (BS) University of Western Ontario (MS, PhD) |
Academic work | |
Discipline | Astronomy |
Institutions | Saint Mary's University |
David G. Turner (born 1945) is a Canadian astronomer and professor (emeritus) in the department of astronomy and physics at Saint Mary's University.
Turner was born in Toronto in 1945. He earned a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Waterloo,followed by a Master of Science and PhD from the University of Western Ontario. [1]
Turner was the editor of the Journal of the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada from 1995 to 2000, [2] and continues as review editor. His research interests include stellar evolution, [3] Cepheid variables,and open clusters. [4] He is one of the foremost authorities on the North Star,Polaris. [5] Asteroid 27810 Daveturner (= 1993 OC2) was named in his honor by Carolyn S. Shoemaker and David H. Levy. [6]
Polaris is a star in the northern circumpolar constellation of Ursa Minor. It is designated αUrsae Minoris and is commonly called the North Star or Pole Star. With an apparent magnitude that fluctuates around 1.98,it is the brightest star in the constellation and is readily visible to the naked eye at night. The position of the star lies less than 1°away from the north celestial pole,making it the current northern pole star. The stable position of the star in the Northern Sky makes it useful for navigation.
The Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC),or Nubecula Major,is a satellite galaxy of the Milky Way. At a distance of around 50 kiloparsecs (≈160,000 light-years),the LMC is the second- or third-closest galaxy to the Milky Way,after the Sagittarius Dwarf Spheroidal (~16 kpc) and the possible dwarf irregular galaxy known as the Canis Major Overdensity. Based on the D25 isophote at the B-band (445 nm wavelength of light),the Large Magellanic Cloud is approximately 9.86 kiloparsecs (32,200 light-years) across. It is roughly a hundredth as massive as the Milky Way and is the fourth-largest galaxy in the Local Group,after the Andromeda Galaxy (M31),the Milky Way and the Triangulum Galaxy (M33).
A Cepheid variable is a type of variable star that pulsates radially,varying in both diameter and temperature. It changes in brightness,with a well-defined stable period and amplitude.
The cosmic distance ladder is the succession of methods by which astronomers determine the distances to celestial objects. A direct distance measurement of an astronomical object is possible only for those objects that are "close enough" to Earth. The techniques for determining distances to more distant objects are all based on various measured correlations between methods that work at close distances and methods that work at larger distances. Several methods rely on a standard candle,which is an astronomical object that has a known luminosity.
Zeta Geminorum is a bright star with cluster components,distant optical components and a likely spectroscopic partner in the zodiac constellation of Gemini —in its south,on the left 'leg' of the twin Pollux. It is a classical Cepheid variable star,of which over 800 have been found in our galaxy. As such its regular pulsation and luminosity and its relative proximity means the star is a useful calibrator in computing the cosmic distance ladder. Based on parallax measurements,it is approximately 1,200 light-years from the Sun.
Delta Cephei is the Bayer designation for a quadruple star system located approximately 887 light-years away in the northern constellation of Cepheus,the King. At this distance,the visual magnitude of the star is diminished by 0.23 as a result of extinction caused by gas and dust along the line of sight. It is the prototype of the Cepheid variable stars that undergo periodic changes in luminosity.
RT Aurigae is a yellow supergiant variable star in the constellation Auriga,about 1,500 light years from Earth.
HD 84810,also known as l Carinae,is a star in the southern constellation of Carina. Its apparent magnitude varies from about 3.4 to 4.1,making it readily visible to the naked eye and one of the brightest members of Carina. Based upon parallax measurements,it is approximately 1,600 light-years from Earth.
FF Aquilae is a classical Cepheid variable star located in the constellation Aquila. It ranges from apparent magnitude 5.18 to 5.51 over a period of 4.470848 days,meaning it is faintly visible to the unaided eye in rural or suburban settings.
A yellow supergiant (YSG) is a star,generally of spectral type F or G,having a supergiant luminosity class. They are stars that have evolved away from the main sequence,expanding and becoming more luminous.
Beta Doradus,Latinized from βDoradus,is the second brightest star in the southern constellation of Dorado. It has a variable apparent visual magnitude,and is visible to the naked eye from the southern hemisphere. Based upon parallax measurements with the Hubble Space Telescope,it is located at a distance of 1,040 light-years from Earth.
Classical Cepheids are a type of Cepheid variable star. They are young,population I variable stars that exhibit regular radial pulsations with periods of a few days to a few weeks and visual amplitudes ranging from a few tenths of a magnitude up to about 2 magnitudes. Classical Cepheids are also known as Population I Cepheids,Type I Cepheids,and Delta Cepheid variables.
W Virginis is the prototype W Virginis variable,a subclass of the Cepheid variable stars. It is located in the constellation Virgo,and varies between magnitudes 9.46 and 10.75 over a period of approximately 17 days.
S Vulpeculae is a variable star located in the constellation Vulpecula. A supergiant star,it is around 382 times the diameter of the Sun.
BL Boötis is a pulsating star in the constellation Boötes. It is the prototype of a class of anomalous Cepheids which is intermediate in the H-R diagram between the type I classical Cepheids and the type II Cepheids.
In astronomy,a period-luminosity relation is a relationship linking the luminosity of pulsating variable stars with their pulsation period. The best-known relation is the direct proportionality law holding for Classical Cepheid variables,sometimes called the Leavitt law. Discovered in 1908 by Henrietta Swan Leavitt,the relation established Cepheids as foundational indicators of cosmic benchmarks for scaling galactic and extragalactic distances. The physical model explaining the Leavitt's law for classical cepheids is called kappa mechanism.
BL Herculis is a variable star in the northern constellation of Hercules. Its apparent visual magnitude ranges from 9.70 to 10.62,so it is never bright enough to be seen with the naked eye,even with ideal observing conditions. Its distance from the Sun is about 3,850 light-years,and it is moving away from us at 18 km/sec. It is the prototype of the BL Herculis class of variable star,a short-period subset of the pulsating Cepheid variables.
U Sagittarii is a variable star in the southern constellation of Sagittarius,abbreviated U Sgr. It is a classical Cepheid variable that ranges in brightness from an apparent visual magnitude of 6.28 down to 7.15,with a pulsation period of 6.745226 days. At its brightest,this star is dimly visible to the naked eye. The distance to this star is approximately 2,080 light years based on parallax measurements,and it is drifting further away with a radial velocity of 2 km/s.
X Cygni is a variable star in the northern constellation of Cygnus,abbreviated X Cyg. This is a Delta Cephei variable that ranges in brightness from an apparent visual magnitude of 5.85 down to 6.91 with a period of 16.386332 days. At it brightest,this star is dimly visible to the naked eye. The distance to this star is approximately 628 light years based on parallax measurements. It is drifting further away with a radial velocity of 8.1 km/s. This star is a likely member of the open cluster Ruprecht 173.
SU Cygni is a triple star system in the northern constellation of Cygnus,abbreviated SU Cyg. The primary component of the system is a classical Cepheid variable with a period of 3.8455473 days. The changing luminosity of this star causes the system to vary in brightness from a peak apparent visual magnitude of 6.44 down to magnitude 7.22 over the course of its cycle. The distance to this system is approximately 3,200 light years based on parallax measurements. It is a member of the Turner 9 open cluster of stars.