Nantucket Maria Mitchell Association REU-NSF Interns Attended the 245th American Astronomical Society Meeting in Washington, D.C.

January 24, 2025

NANTUCKET, MA—On the occasion of the 245th American Astronomical Society (AAS) Meeting, and the 178th anniversary year of the discovery of Miss Mitchell’s Comet, interns from the Maria Mitchell Association (MMA) of Nantucket Island, journeyed to Washington, D.C., to represent the MMA and present their work. Building on the legacy of Maria Mitchell, the first female American astronomer, the MMA offers STEM research and education opportunities to interns from across the country via their paid internship programs.

 

The MMA’s Maria Mitchell Observatory has operated the National Science Foundation- Research Experiences for Undergraduates (NSF-REU)- program each summer for decades. The program is funded by a generous grant from the National Science Foundation, which allows the MMA to bring six top undergraduate students to the MMA each summer who are selected out of a pool of approximately 380 applicants from around the United States.

 

January 12 -16, the MMA’s Summer 2024 NSF-REU interns presented their research on fascinating subjects, from finding baby stars, to understanding how galaxies grow over time, and how dark matter influences galaxy cluster collisions. MMA Executive Director, Joanna Roche, attended the conference and presented each student with a bound book of their cohort’s papers. “The research and projects that this year’s REU interns presented are as fascinating as they are well done. We are so proud to continue the tradition of nurturing young scientists through our REU program.”

 

This summer’s NSF-REU interns and their research presentations which they presented at the AAS are: 


Naija Bruckner | Rice University, majoring in Astrophysics, presented “Probing Circumgalactic Medium Turbulence with Synthetic Absorption.” Her topic was turbulence in the circumgalactic medium (the gas around galaxies). By examining snapshots of simulated galaxies at different redshifts, she found that higher ions are better tracers of turbulence and movement of gas in the CGM than low ions. This finding can be used to improve our interpretation of observed CGMs and the movement of gas within by looking at absorption lines particular to higher ions in actual observation.

 

Sophia Chan Davis | University of Michigan, double majoring in Astronomy & Astrophysics and Interdisciplinary Physics with a minor in Museum Studies, presented “Shining the X-ray light on Planetary Nebulae in Globular Clusters.”. She focused on investigating the origins of planetary nebulae in globular clusters, utilizing advanced X-ray observations to enhance our understanding of stellar evolution.  Her findings suggest its X-ray emissions come from shock interactions within the nebula, making K648 the most distant planetary nebula with X-ray emission ever observed.


Jillian Epstein | Cornell University, majoring in Engineering Physics and minoring in Astronomy, presented “Searching for X-ray Counterparts of Protostellar Cores.”  She is interested in optics and astrophysics with a particular interest in high-energy astrophysics, cosmology, and astrophysical instrumentation. She used archived Chandra X-ray Observatory data to research the X-ray components of protostars under Dr. David Principe from the MIT Kavli Institute. Epstein utilized the CAIO suite of tools in Python to analyze X-ray spectra.

 

Fiona Lopez | Texas A&M University, majoring in Physics and Astronomy, presented her research titled “Understanding the Interplay Between Dust, Gas, and Stars in High-Redshift Galaxies with ALMA and JWST” in collaboration with Dr. Mónica Relaño from the University of Granada, Spain. Her work explores the complex roles of interstellar dust, gas, and stars in high-redshift galaxies, leveraging observations from ALMA and the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) to gain deeper insights into these distant cosmic systems. 

 

Nicolas Mazziotti | University of Arizona, majoring in Astronomy and Physics, presented, “Exploring Dark Matter and Galaxy Clusters.” His presentation at AAS was about his MMA research with Dr. Lindsay King (UT Dallas) on simulations of merging galaxy clusters. 

 

Gada Tefera | Pomona College, majoring in Computer Science, presented “Investigating the Impact of sub-DLAs on the Neutral Hydrogen Mass Density of the Universe.” He focused on investigating the contribution of sub-Damped Lyman Alpha systems to the neutral hydrogen content of the early universe using spectra from the KODIAQ DR3 sample of 727 quasars. He developed and implemented spectroscopic analysis methods using Python tools, including LineTools and XSpectrum1D, to identify and characterize absorption systems. He led a systematic search resulting in the identification of 555 absorbers, including 415 sub-DLAs, representing one of the largest high-redshift sub-DLA samples ever assembled. He performed analysis of absorption features and metal line systems to determine column densities and metallicities across redshift range 2 < z < 6. 

 

The Maria Mitchell Association was founded in 1902 to preserve the legacy of Nantucket native astronomer, naturalist, librarian, and educator, Maria Mitchell. After she discovered a comet in 1847, Mitchell’s international fame led to many achievements and awards, including an appointment as the first female professor of astronomy at Vassar College. Maria Mitchell believed in “learning by doing” and today that philosophy is reflected in the MMA’s mission statement, programs, research projects, and other activities. The Maria Mitchell Association operates two observatories, a natural science museum, an aquarium, a research center, and preserves the historic birthplace of Maria Mitchell. A wide variety of science and history-related programming is offered throughout the year for people of all ages.
 

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For Immediate Release

January 24, 2025

Contact: Joanna Roche

jroche@mariamitchell.org

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Raise The Roof!

By Jascin N. Leonardo Finger • April 6, 2026
Well, actually replace the roof! With funding from the Community Preservation Act and the work of Lydon and Sons, Inc. the Mitchell House is getting a new roof. The current one had come to the end of its useful life. A cedar roof can last a long time – longer than asphalt – and is more historically accurate. The roof we are removing was installed in about 1992 – replacing a roof from the 1930s that was not cedar but a combination of materials that actually yes, did last sixty years. The unfortunate issue has arisen that the roofwalk (walk) has to be replaced. This is NOT the original walk – nor that old of a walk. It’s likely from the 1970s or so and has been cobbled at over time. It’s not a functioning walk – no one is allowed on it – but the Mitchell House needs it none the less. Maria Mitchell and her father, William, likely used the walk for astronomical observations – in addition to the yard – but the walk is also protected as part of the preservation easement on the House. Walks – NOT and NEVER called widow’s walks – were used for preventing and putting out chimney fire and roof fires. In a place where wood was expensive and had to be brought from “the main” these were purely utilitarian. What good Quaker (or non-Quaker) would build a platform for his wife to stare out to the harbor to see if her husband was on his way home? The other issue is that the walk was completely resting on the ridge board – and actually was notched to accept the pitch and tip of the ridge board so they couldn’t work around it. I suspect this may have been the ways walks were once built – and also a crafty and smart thinking carpenter who came up with the idea. It makes the walk lower. But between that issue and the age of the walk and then the blizzard of February 2026 that packed gusts over 83 MPH (that’s Category 1 hurricane winds) the walk gave in. Balusters had been knocked out and the railings were loose and pulling away from the posts. So, we will also be working with Barber and Sons to create a new roofwalk – and they agreed to do this for us quickly which is also no small feat given how busy everyone is these days. So from the bottom of the Mitchell House’s heart (and mine) a big thank you to Chris Lydon and Lydon and Sons and crew, Barber and Sons / Beau and Nate Barber, the Community Preservation Committee, and Nantucket Preservation Trust (our easement holder)! JNLF

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Nantucket Maria Mitchell Association Welcomes Dr. Joshua Reding for “Dark and Quiet: Astronomy in the Age of Satellite Constellations” For April Science Speaker Series

April 1, 2026
NANTUCKET, MA—The Maria Mitchell Association (MMA) invites the community to “Dark and Quiet: Astronomy in the Age of Satellite Constellation” presented by Dr. Joshua Reding for its April Science Speaker Series. This free presentation will take place Wednesday, April 15 from 7 – 8pm on Zoom. In the past decade, the number of active satellites in Earth’s orbit has grown by a factor of 10. This breakneck growth in the commercial space industry has turned entrepreneur, investor, and policymaker eyes to the skies, but in the process has boxed out the historic stewards of the space domain: scientists. Explorers and pioneers across human history learned that uncharted territory hides unprecedented challenges, but the consequences of decisions made towards occupying the “final frontier” do not abide by international borders. Space operators therefore ignore the warnings and concerns of scientists not only at their own risk, but at the risk of everyone living under increasingly crowded skies. In this conversation, Dr. Josh Reding will explain how astronomers are trying to inform and guide policymaking for the rapidly changing space environment, both informally through volunteer action and advocacy and formally in domestic and international policy forums. Dr. Reding is an optical astronomer by training and now a radio spectrum manager by profession. He completed his B.A. with a double major in Astronomy-Physics and Philosophy at Colgate University, and his M.S. and Ph.D. in Physics from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. His research investigated unusual white dwarf stars that likely formed in stellar mergers as “failed” supernovae and he has also designed astronomical instrument components and installed them at world-class observatories. Concurrent with the completion of his Ph.D., Reding began his professional science policy career as a North Carolina STEM Policy Fellow in the NC Department of Commerce’s Office of Science, Technology & Innovation. He was then selected for the American Association for the Advancement of Science Science & Technology Policy Fellowship, which places scientists in federal offices as expert contributors to ongoing agency missions. This event will be held via Zoom. Pre-registration is required. To register for the free, virtual event, use the registration link: https://us06web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_5MoAybp5QHCasQ0QE5xmgQ#/registration The Science Speaker Series is generously sponsored by the Maria Mitchell Association’s lead sponsor, Bank of America. The Maria Mitchell Association was founded in 1902 to preserve the legacy of Nantucket native astronomer, naturalist, librarian, and educator, Maria Mitchell. After she discovered a comet in 1847, Mitchell’s international fame led to many achievements and awards, including an appointment as the first professor of astronomy at Vassar College. Maria Mitchell believed in “learning by doing” and today that philosophy is reflected in the MMA’s mission statement, programs, research projects, and other activities. The Maria Mitchell Association operates two observatories, a natural science museum, an aquarium, a research center, and preserves the historic birthplace of Maria Mitchell. A wide variety of science and history-related programming is offered throughout the year for people of all ages. ###
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