Physics & Engineering Physics

John D. Cunningham, S.J., department chair and associate professor of physics and engineering physics at Fordham University, will present, “Collecting Data on the Stellar Parameters of Red Giant Stars Using VATT: Vatican Advanced Technology Telescope.”

From February 16–19, 2020, three Jesuits took spectrographs of two groups of open clusters (NGC 6791 and NGC 6913), each containing 35 red giant stars using Vatican advanced technology telescope (VATT), located within the Mount Graham International Observatory in Safford, Arizona. Our aim was to test a method that could benefit the study of star formation and the chemical evolution of the stellar populations of the galaxy. The talk will cover why Jesuits study stars, how the challenges of data collection are addressed, why VATT is best suited for this study, and how the results will benefit astronomical research.