Nial Tanvir
Encyclopedia
Professor Nial Tanvir of the University of Leicester
is a professional astronomer
and has been at the fore-front of astronomy
for over a decade. Perhaps most significant is his research in and around Gamma ray burst
s. Tanvir featured in The Sky at Night
hosted by Sir Patrick Moore, which is an astronomically focused TV program.
In 2002 he was a member of the research group which won the Descartes Prize
.
Tanvir headed the UK team studying gamma-ray bursts, which investigated the infrared
afterglow
of 090423
(detected 2009 April 23), the most distant event recorded to date.
University of Leicester
The University of Leicester is a research-led university based in Leicester, England. The main campus is a mile south of the city centre, adjacent to Victoria Park and Wyggeston and Queen Elizabeth I College....
is a professional 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 has been at the fore-front of astronomy
Astronomy
Astronomy is a natural science that deals with the study of celestial objects and phenomena that originate outside the atmosphere of Earth...
for over a decade. Perhaps most significant is his research in and around Gamma ray burst
Gamma ray burst
Gamma-ray bursts are flashes of gamma rays associated with extremely energetic explosions that have been observed in distant galaxies. They are the most luminous electromagnetic events known to occur in the universe. Bursts can last from ten milliseconds to several minutes, although a typical...
s. Tanvir featured in The Sky at Night
The Sky at Night
The Sky at Night is a monthly documentary television programme on astronomy produced by the BBC. The show has had the same permanent presenter, Sir Patrick Moore, from its first airing on 24 April 1957, making it the longest-running programme with the same presenter in television history.The...
hosted by Sir Patrick Moore, which is an astronomically focused TV program.
In 2002 he was a member of the research group which won the Descartes Prize
Descartes Prize
The Descartes Prize is an annual award in science given by the European Union, named in honour of the French mathematician and philosopher, René Descartes....
.
Tanvir headed the UK team studying gamma-ray bursts, which investigated the infrared
Infrared
Infrared light is electromagnetic radiation with a wavelength longer than that of visible light, measured from the nominal edge of visible red light at 0.74 micrometres , and extending conventionally to 300 µm...
afterglow
Afterglow
An afterglow is a broad high arch of whitish or rosy light appearing in the sky due to very fine particles of dust suspended in the high regions of the atmosphere. An afterglow may appear above the highest clouds in the hour of deepening twilight, or reflected from the high snowfields in mountain...
of 090423
GRB 090423
GRB 090423 is a gamma-ray burst detected by the Swift Gamma-Ray Burst Mission on April 23, 2009 at 07:55:19 UTC. The afterglow of GRB 090423 was detected in the infrared, and allowed astronomers to determine that the redshift of GRB 090423 is z = 8.2, which makes GRB 090423 the second...
(detected 2009 April 23), the most distant event recorded to date.
External links
- http://website.lineone.net/~cdaa/Speakers/Nial%20Tanvir%20photo%201.html
- http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/8022917.stm