Margaret Geller facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Margaret J. Geller
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Geller in 1981.
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Margaret Joan Geller
December 8, 1947 |
| Nationality | American |
| Alma mater | UC Berkeley (B.A., 1970) Princeton University (Ph.D., 1975) |
| Awards | Newcomb Cleveland Prize (1989) MacArthur Fellowship (1990) Klopsteg Memorial Award (1996) Magellanic Premium (2008) James Craig Watson Medal (2010) Russell Lectureship (2010) Lilienfeld Prize (2013) Karl Schwarzschild Medal (2014) |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Astrophysics: Galaxies and Cosmology |
| Institutions | Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory |
| Thesis | Bright Galaxies in Rich Clusters: A Statistical Model for Magnitude Distributions. (1974) |
| Doctoral advisor | Jim Peebles |
| Doctoral students | Timothy Beers Marc Postman |
Margaret J. Geller (born December 8, 1947) is an American astrophysicist. An astrophysicist is a scientist who studies space, stars, and galaxies. She works at the Center for Astrophysics | Harvard & Smithsonian. She is famous for creating the first maps of the universe close to us. She also studies how galaxies interact with their surroundings and how matter is spread out in the universe.
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Studying the Universe
Margaret Geller made the first maps of the universe's large-scale structure. This means she mapped how galaxies are grouped together. She earned her first degree in Physics from the University of California, Berkeley in 1970. Later, she received her Ph.D. in Physics from Princeton University in 1974. Her Ph.D. is a very high university degree. Her research for this degree was about "Bright galaxies in rich clusters." Her supervisor was James Peebles, another famous scientist.
After finishing her studies, Geller worked as a researcher. She worked at the Center for Astrophysics | Harvard & Smithsonian. She also worked at the Institute of Astronomy in Cambridge, England. From 1980 to 1983, she was a professor at Harvard University. After that, she joined the permanent science team at the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory. This observatory is part of the Center for Astrophysics.
Geller is a member of many important science groups. These include the American Association for the Advancement of Science. She is also a member of the American Physical Society. In 1990, she joined the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. Two years later, she became a member of the US National Academy of Sciences. She has also received seven honorary degrees. These are special awards from universities.
Exploring Galaxies and Dark Matter
Geller is well-known for her work in cosmology and extragalactic astronomy. Cosmology is the study of the universe's origin and future. Extragalactic astronomy focuses on objects outside our own galaxy. Her main goal is to find out what the universe looks like. She also wants to understand how the patterns we see today came to be.
In the 1980s, she made important maps of the nearby universe. One of these maps showed the Great Wall. This is a huge structure made of galaxies. This map even inspired a piece of art by Jasper Johns. Her SHELS project helps map how dark matter is spread out in the universe. Dark matter is a mysterious substance that we cannot see. With a large telescope called the 6.5-meter MMT, she leads a deeper survey. This survey, called HectoMAP, looks at the middle-aged universe. Geller has also created new ways to study groups of galaxies. She looks at how much mass they have. She also studies how these groups relate to their surroundings.
Geller also helped discover hypervelocity stars. These are stars that move very fast. They might help scientists understand how matter is spread out in our own galaxy.
Sharing Science with Everyone
Margaret Geller has made several films to teach people about science. Her short film Where the Galaxies Are (1989) was special. It was the first video to take viewers on a journey through the observed universe. It won an award called a CINE Gold Eagle.
Later, she made a longer film called So Many Galaxies...So Little Time. This film had amazing computer graphics. It won another award and was shown at the National Air and Space Museum.
Geller has given many talks to people all over the world. She has spoken at the Chautauqua Institution twice. She is also on NPR's list of "The Best Commencement Speeches, Ever." A commencement speech is given at a graduation ceremony.
In 2014, she shared her story on a podcast called The Story Collider. She talked about how she started in astrophysics. She also spoke about meeting the famous astrophysicist John Archibald Wheeler.
Books About Her Work
Margaret Geller's work is mentioned in several books. One book is called Physics in the Twentieth Century. Her articles also appear in Beyond Earth: Mapping the Universe. In this book, her work is with other famous scientists like Vera Rubin. She also has articles in Bubbles, Voids and Bumps in Time: The New Cosmology.
Awards and Honors
- 1989 Newcomb Cleveland Prize with John P. Huchra for "Mapping the Universe"
- 1990 MacArthur Foundation Fellowship
- 1990 Elected to the American Academy of Arts and Science
- 1992 Elected to the National Academy of Sciences
- 1993 Helen Sawyer Hogg Lecture of the Canadian Astronomical Society
- 1996 Klopsteg Memorial Award of the American Association of Physics Teachers
- 1997 New York Public Library Library Lion
- 2003 La Medaille de l'ADION of Nice Observatory
- 2008 Magellanic Premium by the American Philosophical Society for her research on galaxy groups
- 2009 Honorary Degree (D.S.H.C.) from Colby College
- 2010 Henry Norris Russell Lectureship of the American Astronomical Society
- 2010 James Craig Watson Medal of the National Academy of Sciences
- 2013 Julius Edgar Lilienfeld Prize of the American Physical Society
- 2014 Karl Schwarzschild Medal of the German Astronomical Society
- 2014 Honorary Degree (D.S.H.C.) from Dartmouth College
- 2017 Honorary Degree (L.H.C.) from University of Turin
See also
In Spanish: Margaret Geller para niños
