George David Gatewood
Encyclopedia
George David Gatewood also known as George G. Gatewood, is an American
astronomer
and presently is professor emeritus at the University of Pittsburgh
and at the Allegheny Observatory
. He specializes in astronomy
, astronomical instrumentation, statistical methods
, stellar astrophysics
, astrometric
properties of nearby stars and the observational discovery and the study of planetary systems.
He came to popular attention with his 1996 announcement of the discovery of a nearby multi-planet star system. This discovery has yet to be confirmed and is regarded with skepticism today.
in 1965.
He received his M.A. in Astronomy from the University of South Florida in 1968.
He received his Ph.D. in 1972 from the University of Pittsburgh
. His doctoral dissertation was an astrometric study of Barnard's Star
.
claimed that he had discovered a planet orbiting Barnard's Star
using astrometry. The two papers from 1973 were most influential in discrediting this claim. The first paper by John L.Hershey identified systematic errors in the telescope that van de Kamp had used. The second paper by was authored by Gatewood and Heinrich Eichhorn. They repeated the astrometry measurements made by van de Kamp with improved equipment and failed to detect any sign of Barnard's Star
companions.
soon after completing his thesis in the early 1970s. He failed to detect any planets at that time but was not discouraged. He continued to study this star and in 1996 he announced at an AAS
meeting and to the popular press that a multiple-planet planetary system
was present around this star, even though data from careful measurements he made himself a few years earlier indicated that large planets in this system were unlikely. Numerous subsequent studies of this system have failed to confirm the presence of any planets and have gradually discredited his claim also.
One popular science fiction
novel, written in the mid-1980s, refers to Lalande 21185
as Gatewood's Star. Likely Gatewood's name was chosen in response to the popular books and articles he wrote predicting the existence of possibly inhabited planets around this and other nearby stars at that time as this novel precedes his announcement of planets in this system by a decade.
as well as several other dim stars that are nearby.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
astronomer
Astronomer
An astronomer is a scientist who studies celestial bodies such as planets, stars and galaxies.Historically, astronomy was more concerned with the classification and description of phenomena in the sky, while astrophysics attempted to explain these phenomena and the differences between them using...
and presently is professor emeritus at the University of Pittsburgh
University of Pittsburgh
The University of Pittsburgh, commonly referred to as Pitt, is a state-related research university located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States. Founded as Pittsburgh Academy in 1787 on what was then the American frontier, Pitt is one of the oldest continuously chartered institutions of...
and at the Allegheny Observatory
Allegheny Observatory
The Allegheny Observatory is an American astronomical research institution, a part of the Department of Physics and Astronomy at the University of Pittsburgh. The facility is listed on the National Register of Historical Places The Allegheny Observatory is an American astronomical research...
. He specializes in astronomy
Astronomy
Astronomy is a natural science that deals with the study of celestial objects and phenomena that originate outside the atmosphere of Earth...
, astronomical instrumentation, statistical methods
Statistics
Statistics is the study of the collection, organization, analysis, and interpretation of data. It deals with all aspects of this, including the planning of data collection in terms of the design of surveys and experiments....
, stellar astrophysics
Astrophysics
Astrophysics is the branch of astronomy that deals with the physics of the universe, including the physical properties of celestial objects, as well as their interactions and behavior...
, astrometric
Astrometry
Astrometry is the branch of astronomy that involves precise measurements of the positions and movements of stars and other celestial bodies. The information obtained by astrometric measurements provides information on the kinematics and physical origin of our Solar System and our Galaxy, the Milky...
properties of nearby stars and the observational discovery and the study of planetary systems.
He came to popular attention with his 1996 announcement of the discovery of a nearby multi-planet star system. This discovery has yet to be confirmed and is regarded with skepticism today.
Education
He received his B.A. in Astronomy from the University of South FloridaUniversity of South Florida
The University of South Florida, also known as USF, is a member institution of the State University System of Florida, one of the state's three flagship universities for public research, and is located in Tampa, Florida, USA...
in 1965.
He received his M.A. in Astronomy from the University of South Florida in 1968.
He received his Ph.D. in 1972 from the University of Pittsburgh
University of Pittsburgh
The University of Pittsburgh, commonly referred to as Pitt, is a state-related research university located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States. Founded as Pittsburgh Academy in 1787 on what was then the American frontier, Pitt is one of the oldest continuously chartered institutions of...
. His doctoral dissertation was an astrometric study of Barnard's Star
Barnard's star
Barnard's Star, also known occasionally as Barnard's "Runaway" Star, is a very low-mass red dwarf star approximately six light-years away from Earth in the constellation of Ophiuchus . In 1916, the American astronomer E.E...
.
The Barnard's Star affair
In the 1960s astronomer Peter van de KampPeter van de Kamp
Piet van de Kamp , known as Peter van de Kamp in the United States, was a Dutch astronomer who lived most of his life in the United States. He was professor of astronomy at Swarthmore College and director of the college's Sproul Observatory from 1937 until 1972...
claimed that he had discovered a planet orbiting Barnard's Star
Barnard's star
Barnard's Star, also known occasionally as Barnard's "Runaway" Star, is a very low-mass red dwarf star approximately six light-years away from Earth in the constellation of Ophiuchus . In 1916, the American astronomer E.E...
using astrometry. The two papers from 1973 were most influential in discrediting this claim. The first paper by John L.Hershey identified systematic errors in the telescope that van de Kamp had used. The second paper by was authored by Gatewood and Heinrich Eichhorn. They repeated the astrometry measurements made by van de Kamp with improved equipment and failed to detect any sign of Barnard's Star
Barnard's star
Barnard's Star, also known occasionally as Barnard's "Runaway" Star, is a very low-mass red dwarf star approximately six light-years away from Earth in the constellation of Ophiuchus . In 1916, the American astronomer E.E...
companions.
The Lalande 21185 affair
Despite his involvement in the Barnard's Star affair 23 years earlier, Gatewood himself created a similar controversy. Gatewood predicted the existence of planets around nearby stars and studied these stars intensely attempting to detect planets by astrometry. Gatewood began studying Lalande 21185Lalande 21185
Lalande 21185 is a red dwarf star in the constellation of Ursa Major. Although relatively close by, it is only magnitude 7 in visible light and thus is too dim to see with the unaided eye...
soon after completing his thesis in the early 1970s. He failed to detect any planets at that time but was not discouraged. He continued to study this star and in 1996 he announced at an AAS
American Astronomical Society
The American Astronomical Society is an American society of professional astronomers and other interested individuals, headquartered in Washington, DC...
meeting and to the popular press that a multiple-planet planetary system
Extrasolar planet
An extrasolar planet, or exoplanet, is a planet outside the Solar System. A total of such planets have been identified as of . It is now known that a substantial fraction of stars have planets, including perhaps half of all Sun-like stars...
was present around this star, even though data from careful measurements he made himself a few years earlier indicated that large planets in this system were unlikely. Numerous subsequent studies of this system have failed to confirm the presence of any planets and have gradually discredited his claim also.
One popular science fiction
Science fiction
Science fiction is a genre of fiction dealing with imaginary but more or less plausible content such as future settings, futuristic science and technology, space travel, aliens, and paranormal abilities...
novel, written in the mid-1980s, refers to Lalande 21185
Lalande 21185
Lalande 21185 is a red dwarf star in the constellation of Ursa Major. Although relatively close by, it is only magnitude 7 in visible light and thus is too dim to see with the unaided eye...
as Gatewood's Star. Likely Gatewood's name was chosen in response to the popular books and articles he wrote predicting the existence of possibly inhabited planets around this and other nearby stars at that time as this novel precedes his announcement of planets in this system by a decade.
Continued research
George Gatewood continues to be very active in the study of nearby stars. In 2009 he published a refinement of the distance to Teegarden's starTeegarden's star
Teegarden's Star, also known as SO J025300.5+165258, is an M-type red dwarf star or brown dwarf in the constellation Aries, located about 12 light years from the Solar System. Despite its proximity to Earth it is a dim magnitude 15 and can only be seen through large telescopes. This star was found...
as well as several other dim stars that are nearby.
Selected publications
Gatewood is a prolific researcher and writer with 157 publications since 1967. He has also authored several popular books on astronomy. The following is a list of recent publications listed on his Curriculum Vitae as well as the University website.- 2001 “A Combined Hipparcos and MAP Study of the Proposed Planetary System of Rho Coronae Borealis”, Ap J 548, L61. Gatewood, G., Han, I. & Black, D.C.
- 2001 “Hipparcos and MAP Studies of the Triple Star Pi Cephei”, ApJ 549, 1145 Gatewood, G., Han, I., Kiewiet de Jonge, J., Reiland, C.T., &Pourbaix, D.
- 2002 “A Precise Orbit Determination of chi 1 Orionis from Astrometric and Radial Velocity Data”, PASP 114, 224. Han, I. and Gatewood, G.
- 2002, “An Upper Limit to the Mass of the Radial Velocity Companion of rho1 Cancri”, ApJ 564,L27-L30. M.A. McGarth, E. Nelson, D.C. Black, G. Gatewood, K. Noll, A. Schultz, S. Lubow, I. Han, T.F. Stepinski, T. Targett.
- 2003, Update to “An Upper Limit to the Mass of the Radial Velocity Companion of rho1 Cancri”, Scientific Frontiers in Research on Extrasolar Planets, ASP Conference Series (ed D.Deming and S.Seager) . M.A. McGarth, E. Nelan, K. Noll, A. Schultz, S. Lubow, D.C. Black, T.F.Stepinski, G. Gatewood, I Han, and T. Targett
- 2003 “An Astrometric Study of the Low-Mass Binary Star Ross 614", AJ 125, 1530, George Gatewood, Han, I., and Louis Coban
- 2004 "The Allegheny Observatory CCD Parallax Program," G. Gatewood, Bulletin of the American Astronomical Society, The Annual Meeting of the AAS Division on Dynamical Astronomy, Cannes, France, BAAS, 36, 854.
- 2005 "An Astrometric Study of the Binary Star α Oph," G. Gatewood, AJ 130, 809.
- 2006 "Preliminary Parallaxes from the Allegheny and Carnegie Observatories," G. Gatewood, A. Boss, A.J. Weinberger, I. Thompson, S. Majewski, R. Patterson, L. Coban, BAAS, 37, 1269.
- 2006 "An Astrometric Study of Procyon," G. Gatewood and Inwoo Han, AJ 131, 1015.
- 2009 "Allegheny Observatory Parallaxes for Late M Dwarfs and White Dwarfs," G. Gatewood, L. Coban, AJ 137, 402.