Paul W. Hodge

Last updated
Paul William Hodge
Born(1934-11-08)November 8, 1934
DiedNovember 10, 2019(2019-11-10) (aged 85)
EducationB.S. physics
Ph.D. astronomy
Alma materYale University
Harvard University
Known forStellar populations of galaxies; editor-in-chief Astronomical Journal
ChildrenGordon, Erik, and Sandi [1]
Parent(s)Paul and Frances [1]
Scientific career
InstitutionsUniversity of California at Berkeley
University of Washington

Paul W. Hodge (November 8, 1934 - November 10, 2019) was an American astronomer whose principal area of research was the stellar populations of galaxies.

Contents

Education & Employment

Born in Seattle, Washington on November 8, 1934, Hodge grew up in the neighboring town of Snohomish. As a youth, his interests were primarily in physics, astronomy and music. He obtained a BS degree in physics at Yale University in 1956 and a PhD degree in astronomy at Harvard University in 1960. He was a National Science Foundation Post-doctoral Fellow at the Mt. Wilson and Palomar Observatories before joining the faculty of the University of California at Berkeley in 1961. He moved to the University of Washington in 1965, where he remained until 2006, and became Professor Emeritus of Astronomy. Between 1984 and 2004 he was the Editor in Chief of the Astronomical Journal .

Research

Hodge was author or co-author of over 550 research papers and 28 books. He also talked at professional meetings. Most of the papers are concerned with the extragalactic universe, especially nearby galaxies, their distances and their histories. [2] [3] [4] Works on the Magellanic Clouds, carried out at observatories in South Africa, Australia and Chile, included a study of young stellar associations, of which he and his students published the first catalog. [5] With colleague Frances Woodworth Wright, he published two widely used atlases of the Magellanic Clouds. [6] [7] He was the first to study the structure of the Local Group dwarf galaxies [8] and carried out the first large-scale survey of star-forming regions (HII regions) in spiral galaxies, in which he and his students mapped a total of 13011 of these objects. [9] He and his former student, K. Krienke, discovered 652 star clusters in the Andromeda Galaxy (M31). [10]

In the early years of his career he also did pioneering work on the collection of interplanetary dust from the upper atmosphere. With his graduate student, Donald Brownlee, he was the first to use high-altitude aircraft (e. g., B52s and U2s) to collect candidate meteoritic dust particles. [11] Together, they also investigated meteoritic dust from deep sea sediments and from the Moon. In related research, he collected and studied meteoritic particles in the soil surrounding terrestrial meteorite craters. [12]

A long-term mountain enthusiast, Hodge hiked extensively in the Cascade Mountains and published six books related to mountains and mountain trails. In 2001, the asteroid 14466 was named "Hodge" in his honor.

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Open cluster</span> Large group of stars less bound than globular clusters

An open cluster is a type of star cluster made of tens to a few thousand stars that were formed from the same giant molecular cloud and have roughly the same age. More than 1,100 open clusters have been discovered within the Milky Way galaxy, and many more are thought to exist. They are loosely bound by mutual gravitational attraction and become disrupted by close encounters with other clusters and clouds of gas as they orbit the Galactic Center. This can result in a loss of cluster members through internal close encounters and a dispersion into the main body of the galaxy. Open clusters generally survive for a few hundred million years, with the most massive ones surviving for a few billion years. In contrast, the more massive globular clusters of stars exert a stronger gravitational attraction on their members, and can survive for longer. Open clusters have been found only in spiral and irregular galaxies, in which active star formation is occurring.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Large Magellanic Cloud</span> Satellite galaxy of the Milky Way

The Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC) is a spiral satellite galaxy of the Milky Way. At a distance of around 50 kiloparsecs (163,000 light-years), the LMC is the second- or third-closest galaxy to the Milky Way, after the Sagittarius Dwarf Spheroidal (c. 16 kiloparsecs (52,000 light-years) away) and the possible dwarf irregular galaxy called the Canis Major Overdensity. Based on the D25 isophote at the B-band (445 nm wavelength of light), the Large Magellanic Cloud is about 9.86 kiloparsecs (32,200 light-years) across. It is roughly one-hundredth the mass of 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).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Extragalactic astronomy</span> Study of astronomical objects outside the Milky Way Galaxy

Extragalactic astronomy is the branch of astronomy concerned with objects outside the Milky Way galaxy. In other words, it is the study of all astronomical objects which are not covered by galactic astronomy.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hubble sequence</span> Galaxy morphological classification scheme advocated by Edwin Hubble

The Hubble sequence is a morphological classification scheme for galaxies published by Edwin Hubble in 1926. It is often colloquially known as the Hubble tuning-fork diagram because the shape in which it is traditionally represented resembles a tuning fork. It was invented by John Henry Reynolds and Sir James Jeans.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Small Magellanic Cloud</span> Dwarf irregular galaxy, satellite galaxy of the Milky Way

The Small Magellanic Cloud (SMC), or Nubecula Minor, is a dwarf galaxy near the Milky Way. Classified as a dwarf irregular galaxy, the SMC has a D25 isophotal diameter of about 5.78 kiloparsecs (18,900 light-years), and contains several hundred million stars. It has a total mass of approximately 7 billion solar masses. At a distance of about 200,000 light-years, the SMC is among the nearest intergalactic neighbors of the Milky Way and is one of the most distant objects visible to the naked eye.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tarantula Nebula</span> H II region in the constellation Dorado

The Tarantula Nebula is a large H II region in the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC), forming its south-east corner.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Metallicity</span> Relative abundance of heavy elements in a star or other astronomical object

In astronomy, metallicity is the abundance of elements present in an object that are heavier than hydrogen and helium. Most of the normal currently detectable matter in the universe is either hydrogen or helium, and astronomers use the word "metals" as convenient shorthand for "all elements except hydrogen and helium". This word-use is distinct from the conventional chemical or physical definition of a metal as an electrically conducting solid. Stars and nebulae with relatively high abundances of heavier elements are called "metal-rich" in astrophysical terms, even though many of those elements are nonmetals in chemistry.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Extinction (astronomy)</span> Interstellar absorption and scattering of light

In astronomy, extinction is the absorption and scattering of electromagnetic radiation by dust and gas between an emitting astronomical object and the observer. Interstellar extinction was first documented as such in 1930 by Robert Julius Trumpler. However, its effects had been noted in 1847 by Friedrich Georg Wilhelm von Struve, and its effect on the colors of stars had been observed by a number of individuals who did not connect it with the general presence of galactic dust. For stars lying near the plane of the Milky Way which are within a few thousand parsecs of the Earth, extinction in the visual band of frequencies is roughly 1.8 magnitudes per kiloparsec.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">NGC 4725</span> Galaxy in the constellation Coma Berenices

NGC 4725 is an intermediate barred spiral galaxy with a prominent ring structure, located in the northern constellation of Coma Berenices near the north galactic pole. It was discovered by German-born astronomer William Herschel on April 6, 1785. The galaxy lies at a distance of approximately 40 megalight-years from the Milky Way. NGC 4725 is the brightest member of the Coma I Group of the Coma-Sculptor Cloud, although it is relatively isolated from the other members of this group. This galaxy is strongly disturbed and is interacting with neighboring spiral galaxy NGC 4747, with its spiral arms showing indications of warping. The pair have an angular separation of 24′, which corresponds to a projected linear separation of 370 kly. A tidal plume extends from NGC 4747 toward NGC 4725.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">NGC 1850</span> Super star cluster in the constellation Dorado

NGC 1850 is a double cluster and a super star cluster in the Dorado constellation, located in the northwest part of the bar of the Large Magellanic Cloud, at a distance of 168 kly (51.5 kpc) from the Sun. It was discovered by Scottish astronomer James Dunlop in 1826.

A super star cluster (SSC) is a very massive young open cluster that is thought to be the precursor of a globular cluster. These clusters called "super" because they are relatively more luminous and contain more mass than other young star clusters. The SSC, however, does not have to physically be larger than other clusters of lower mass and luminosity. They typically contain a very large number of young, massive stars that ionize a surrounding HII region or a so-called "Ultra dense HII region (UDHII)" in the Milky Way Galaxy or in other galaxies. An SSC's HII region is in turn surrounded by a cocoon of dust. In many cases, the stars and the HII regions will be invisible to observations in certain wavelengths of light, such as the visible spectrum, due to high levels of extinction. As a result, the youngest SSCs are best observed and photographed in radio and infrared. SSCs, such as Westerlund 1 (Wd1), have been found in the Milky Way Galaxy. However, most have been observed in farther regions of the universe. In the galaxy M82 alone, 197 young SSCs have been observed and identified using the Hubble Space Telescope.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">NGC 4449</span> Galaxy in the constellation Canes Venatici

NGC 4449, also known as Caldwell 21, is an irregular Magellanic type galaxy in the constellation Canes Venatici, being located about 13 million light-years away. It is part of the M94 Group or Canes Venatici I Group that is relatively close to the Local Group hosting our Milky Way galaxy.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">LH 95</span> H II region in the constellation Dorado

LH 95 is a modestly sized stellar nursery in the Large Magellanic Cloud. It is related to the HII-region LHA 120-N 55, that is, a region of hydrogen ionized by the bright stars of LH 95.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WOH G64</span> Red supergiant in the constellation Dorado

WOH G64 is an unusual red supergiant (RSG) star in the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC) satellite galaxy in the southern constellation of Dorado. It is one of the largest known stars, being described as possibly being the largest star known. It is also one of the most luminous and massive red supergiants, with a radius calculated to be around 1,540 times that of the Sun (R☉) and a luminosity around 282,000 times the solar luminosity (L☉).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">R136a1</span> Wolf–Rayet star with one of the highest mass and luminosity of any known star

R136a1 is one of the most massive and luminous stars known, at nearly 200 M☉ and nearly 4.7 million L☉, and is also one of the hottest, at around 46,000 K. It is a Wolf–Rayet star at the center of R136, the central concentration of stars of the large NGC 2070 open cluster in the Tarantula Nebula in the Large Magellanic Cloud. The cluster can be seen in the far southern celestial hemisphere with binoculars or a small telescope, at magnitude 7.25. R136a1 itself is 100 times fainter than the cluster and can only be resolved using speckle interferometry.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">AB7</span> Binary star in the Small Magellanic Cloud in the constellation Tucana

AB7, also known as SMC WR7, is a binary star in the Small Magellanic Cloud. A Wolf–Rayet star and a supergiant companion of spectral type O orbit in a period of 19.56 days. The system is surrounded by a ring-shaped nebula known as a bubble nebula.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">NGC 121</span> Globular cluster in the constellation Tucana

NGC 121 is a globular cluster of stars in the southern constellation of Tucana. It is the oldest globular cluster in the Small Magellanic Cloud (SMC), which is a dwarf satellite galaxy of the Milky Way. This cluster was first discovered by English astronomer John Herschel on September 20, 1835. The compiler of the New General Catalogue, Danish astronomer John Louis Emil Dreyer, described this object as "pretty bright, pretty small, little extended, very gradually brighter middle". The cluster is located at a distance of around 200,000 light-years (60 kpc) from the Sun.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">NGC 299</span> Open star cluster in the constellation Tucana

NGC 299 is an open cluster of stars in the main body of the Small Magellanic Cloud – a nearby dwarf galaxy. It is located in the southern constellation of Tucana, just under 200,000 light years distant from the Sun. The cluster was discovered on August 12, 1834, by English astronomer John Herschel.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">N11 (emission nebula)</span> Emission nebula in the constellation Dorado

N11 is the brightest emission nebula in the north-west part of the Large Magellanic Cloud in the Dorado constellation. The N11 complex is the second largest H II region of that galaxy, the largest being the Tarantula Nebula. It covers an area approximately 6 arc minutes across. It has an elliptical shape and consists of a large bubble, generally clear interstellar area, surrounded by nine large nebulae. It was named by Karl Henize in 1956.

References

  1. 1 2 Krisciunas, Kevin (March 2020). "Obituary: Paul W. Hodge (1934-2019)". Bulletin of the American Astronomical Society. 52 (2): 0301. Bibcode:2020BAAS...52.0301K. doi: 10.3847/25c2cfeb.00e8b40d . S2CID   216225928. 0301.
  2. ↑ Hodge, Paul W. (1986). Galaxies. Harvard University Press. ISBN   9780674498327.
  3. ↑ Hodge, Paul W. (1981). "The extragalactic distance scale". Annual Review of Astronomy and Astrophysics. 19: 357–372. Bibcode:1981ARA&A..19..357H. doi:10.1146/annurev.aa.19.090181.002041.
  4. ↑ Hodge, Paul (1989). "Populations in Local Group galaxies". Annual Review of Astronomy and Astrophysics. 27: 139–198. Bibcode:1989ARA&A..27..139H. doi:10.1146/annurev.aa.27.090189.001035.
  5. ↑ Hodge, Paul W.; Lucke, Peter B. (October 1970). "The System of Stellar Associations of the Large Magellanic Cloud". Astronomical Journal. 75: 933. Bibcode:1970AJ.....75..933H. doi: 10.1086/111041 .
  6. ↑ Hodge, Paul W.; Wright, Frances W. (1967). The Large Magellanic Cloud. Smithsonian Press. ISBN   9780598053343.
  7. ↑ Hodge, Paul W.; Wright, Frances W. (1977). The Small Magellanic Cloud. University of Washington Press. ISBN   9780295953878.
  8. ↑ Hodge, Paul W. (1971). "Dwarf Galaxies". Annual Review of Astronomy and Astrophysics. 9: 35. Bibcode:1971ARA&A...9...35H. doi:10.1146/annurev.aa.09.090171.000343.
  9. ↑ Hodge, P. W.; Kennicutt, R. C. Jr. (March 1983). "An atlas of HII regions in 125 galaxies". Astronomical Journal. 88: 296–328. Bibcode:1983AJ.....88..296H. doi:10.1086/113318.
  10. ↑ Hodge, Paul (March 9, 2013). The Andromeda Galaxy. Springer Netherlands. ISBN   9789401580564.
  11. ↑ Hodge, Paul W. (1981). Interplanetary dust. Gordon and Breach Science Publishers. ISBN   9780677036205.
  12. ↑ Hodge, Paul William (August 4, 1994). Meteorite craters and impact structures of the earth. Cambridge University Press. p. 124. ISBN   9780521360920.
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