Profile – Astronomy Zone

Education:

1996-2000: University of Wisconsin Madison (USA), degree in Astronomy and Math; 2000-2005: Doctoral Studies at Utrecht University (The Netherlands) and the European Southern Observatory (Germany)
Qualifications:

Bachelors degree in Astronomy and Astrophysics, PhD in Astrophysics
Work History:

After my PhD I worked at University College London for 1.5 years, Harvard University for 1.5 years, Cambridge University for 2 years, University of Exeter for 1 year, “Excellence Cluster” in Munich for 2 years, and now I’m a Professor of Astrophysics in Liverpool
Current Job:

Professor of Astrophysics in Liverpool

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When galaxies collide, it takes hundreds of millions of years for the collision to happen. Of course this means that we can’t simply wait and see what will happen during the collision. Instead, we only see a single “snap shot” of each collision, which means that we need to study tens or even hundred of such collisions to gain a full understanding of what happens. One thing that often (although not always) happens during galactic train wrecks is that the collision causes millions of stars to form in a relatively (for astronomers anyway) short period, just tens of millions of years. My work focussing on these “starburst”, when and why they triggered, and how they affect their host galaxy.
My Typical Day:

Generally spent behind a computer, analysing data taken with the Hubble Space Telescope or the Very Large Telescope (VLT) in Chile.
What I'd do with the prize money:

Contribute to a “Primary Space Talk” programme this December, to engage primary school students in science.

Nate Bastian