Catharine Garmany facts for kids

Catharine "Katy" D. Garmany (born March 6, 1946) is an American astronomer. She works at the National Optical Astronomy Observatory. Dr. Garmany studies huge stars and how they form. She also teaches people about space.

Katy Garmany earned her science degree in 1966. She then got her master's degree in 1968. In 1971, she completed her Ph.D. in astronomy. Her studies were at Indiana University Bloomington and the University of Virginia.

She was on the board of the Astronomical Society of the Pacific. She served from 1998 to 2001. Later, she was their vice president from 2001 to 2003. In 1976, she won the Annie Jump Cannon Award in Astronomy. This award is for promising female astronomers.

Since 1981, Dr. Garmany has been a professor. She teaches at the University of Colorado. She has taught many different groups. These include college students and the general public. She also worked at the Sommers–Bausch Observatory and Fiske Planetarium.

What Does an Astronomer Do?

Studying Giant Stars

Dr. Garmany's main research is about very large stars. These are called O- and B-type stars, or OB stars. They are the biggest and hottest stars in our galaxy. She studies how these stars are born and how they change.

These giant stars often form in groups. These groups are called OB associations. They are very spread out. Dr. Garmany once said, "an OB association is the closest thing to nothing that is still something." This means they are very loose groups of stars.

Why are these stars important? When OB stars explode, they create heavy elements. These elements are needed to form planets like Earth. Dr. Garmany believes that without OB stars, our planet wouldn't exist. Her work helps us understand how our universe came to be.

Katy Garmany's Career Journey

Early Research and Teaching

After getting her Ph.D. in 1971, Dr. Garmany worked at the University of Virginia. She was a research associate there until 1973. She also taught astronomy at Sweet Briar College for a few semesters.

In 1975, she moved to Colorado. She joined the Joint Institute for Laboratory Astrophysics (JILA). At JILA, she did research and taught at the University of Colorado. She taught both undergraduate and graduate students.

Leadership Roles and Public Outreach

Dr. Garmany became a fellow at the Center for Astrophysics and Space Astronomy (CASA) in 1985. This was also at the University of Colorado. In 1990, she also became a fellow at JILA. She held both positions at the same time.

She also directed the Sommers–Bausch Observatory and Fiske Planetarium. As director, she helped graduate students. She also made sure the observatory taught the public. They had shows and displays for everyone. They also worked with school groups.

From 2000 to 2003, Dr. Garmany taught at Columbia University. She also directed the Astronomy Program at Biosphere 2. This is a science research center in Arizona.

Since 2004, she has worked for the National Optical Astronomy Observatory. She is a Sr. Science Education Specialist. Her job is to help educate the public about science.

Awards and Recognition

The Annie J. Cannon Award

In 1976, Catharine Garmany received the Annie Jump Cannon Award in Astronomy. This award is given to women who show great promise in astronomy. The American Association of University Women recognized her talent.

After winning this award, she got a research position at the University of Colorado. She joined the Joint Institute for Laboratory Astrophysics. She later became the chair of JILA.

Dr. Garmany shared how important this award was. She said it helped her and other young women in science. She noted that young women sometimes doubt themselves. This award showed them they were doing great work.

In 2020, she was honored again. She was elected a Legacy Fellow of the American Astronomical Society.

Personal Life

Catharine Garmany went to the Bronx High School of Science. There, she made friends who also became scientists. They studied chemistry and biology.

She has two sons, Rick, born in 1974, and Jeff, born in 1980.

See also

In Spanish: Catherine Garmany para niños