We are delighted to report that Jayanne English, Department of Physics
and Astronomy, University of Manitoba, and Chair of the CASCA Education
and Outreach Committee, is the 2006 winner of the National Radio
Astronomy Observatory (NRAO) Radio Astronomy Image Contest. She and
her collaborators, Jeroen Stil and Russ Taylor, University of Calgary,
will share the grand prize of $1000 US.
According to the official press release, the image is of "a majestic
gas shall revealed by the VLA"; it goes by the prosaic name of GS
62.1+0.2-18, and is an enormous, nearly empty bubble, blown into the
dusty gas disc of the Milky Way galaxy. Jayanne is an expert on these
remarkable features of our galaxy. This particular image was made
using data collected as part of the VLA Galactic Plane Survey, led by
Russ Taylor. This survey is part of an even larger Galactic Plane
Survey, in which Canadians have played a major leadership role. So
this image, and this award, are a tribute both to Jayanne and to
Canadian astronomy in general.
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The award winning image of GS 62.1+0.2-18! (click on image for larger view) |
Jayanne has a unique background that includes education and experience
in art and design, as well as astronomy. She worked on the Hubble
Heritage Project during her postdoctoral years. We are fortunate that
she is chairing the CASCA Education and Outreach Committee, because
the CASCA E&O initiative now includes the development of a website
AstronomyCanada.ca which will produce high-quality images, graphics,
and information about Canadian astronomy for the media, and for all of
us who engage in education and outreach.
For more information, see: http://www.nrao.edu/pr/2006/imageprize/
Congratulations, Jayanne!
John R. Percy
University of Toronto