Shaun M. Hughes
Encyclopedia
Shaun M. Hughes was an Australia
n astronomer
at Siding Spring Observatory
.
He co-discovered the periodic comet
130P/McNaught-Hughes
.
The asteroid 1878 Hughes
was likely named after another astronomer, David Hughes
, of the University of Sheffield
.
Shaun Hughes left Siding Spring Observatory in 1992 for a fellowship at the California Institute of Technology
, where he joined one of the Hubble Space Telescope
Key Project teams, to measure the expansion rate of the universe, also known as the Hubble constant. This was achieved by observing Cepheid variable stars to measure distances to about 20 galaxies, then using these distances to tie together various other methods for measuring distances to thousands of galaxies.
He also pursued his research on Mira
variables, also known as Long period variable
stars. These are stars that are similar mass as the sun, only older, after they have become red giants, just prior to becoming planetary nebulae.
In 1994 he joined the Royal Greenwich Observatory in Cambridge
, England, where he continued his research and supported UK astronomers observe at the La Palma Observatory.
In 1998 the UK government, on the advice of some university astronomers, decided to close the Royal Greenwich Observatory. He then had a choice of moving his family back to the United States and stay working in astronomy, or change careers and stay in Cambridge. He chose the latter, and is now a business analyst
with Convergys
.
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n 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...
at Siding Spring Observatory
Siding Spring Observatory
Siding Spring Observatory near Coonabarabran, New South Wales, Australia, part of the Research School of Astronomy & Astrophysics at the Australian National University , incorporates the Anglo-Australian Telescope along with a collection of other telescopes owned by the Australian National...
.
He co-discovered the periodic comet
Comet
A comet is an icy small Solar System body that, when close enough to the Sun, displays a visible coma and sometimes also a tail. These phenomena are both due to the effects of solar radiation and the solar wind upon the nucleus of the comet...
130P/McNaught-Hughes
130P/McNaught-Hughes
130P/McNaught-Hughes is a periodic comet in our solar system. It takes 6.65 years to orbit the Sun and is 4.2km in diameter.-External links:* from JPL / ** – Seiichi Yoshida @ aerith.net*...
.
The asteroid 1878 Hughes
1878 Hughes
1878 Hughes is a main-belt asteroid discovered on August 18, 1933 by Delporte, E. at Uccle.- External links :*...
was likely named after another astronomer, David Hughes
David Hughes (astronomer)
David W. Hughes was a professor of Astronomy at the University of Sheffield, where he worked since 1965. Hughes has published over 200 research papers on asteroids, comets, meteorites and meteoroids...
, of the University of Sheffield
University of Sheffield
The University of Sheffield is a research university based in the city of Sheffield in South Yorkshire, England. It is one of the original 'red brick' universities and is a member of the Russell Group of leading research intensive universities...
.
Shaun Hughes left Siding Spring Observatory in 1992 for a fellowship at the California Institute of Technology
California Institute of Technology
The California Institute of Technology is a private research university located in Pasadena, California, United States. Caltech has six academic divisions with strong emphases on science and engineering...
, where he joined one of the Hubble Space Telescope
Hubble Space Telescope
The Hubble Space Telescope is a space telescope that was carried into orbit by a Space Shuttle in 1990 and remains in operation. A 2.4 meter aperture telescope in low Earth orbit, Hubble's four main instruments observe in the near ultraviolet, visible, and near infrared...
Key Project teams, to measure the expansion rate of the universe, also known as the Hubble constant. This was achieved by observing Cepheid variable stars to measure distances to about 20 galaxies, then using these distances to tie together various other methods for measuring distances to thousands of galaxies.
He also pursued his research on Mira
Mira
Mira also known as Omicron Ceti , is a red giant star estimated 200-400 light years away in the constellation Cetus. Mira is a binary star, consisting of the red giant Mira A along with Mira B. Mira A is also an oscillating variable star and was the first non-supernova variable star discovered,...
variables, also known as Long period variable
Long period variable
A long period variable is a type of variable star in which variations in brightness occur over long timescales of months or years. Long period variables are giant stars and brighter, from spectral class F and redwards, but most are red giants and AGB giants, meaning spectral class M, S or C...
stars. These are stars that are similar mass as the sun, only older, after they have become red giants, just prior to becoming planetary nebulae.
In 1994 he joined the Royal Greenwich Observatory in Cambridge
Cambridge
The city of Cambridge is a university town and the administrative centre of the county of Cambridgeshire, England. It lies in East Anglia about north of London. Cambridge is at the heart of the high-technology centre known as Silicon Fen – a play on Silicon Valley and the fens surrounding the...
, England, where he continued his research and supported UK astronomers observe at the La Palma Observatory.
In 1998 the UK government, on the advice of some university astronomers, decided to close the Royal Greenwich Observatory. He then had a choice of moving his family back to the United States and stay working in astronomy, or change careers and stay in Cambridge. He chose the latter, and is now a business analyst
Business analyst
A Business Analyst analyzes the organization and design of businesses, government departments, and non-profit organizations; BAs also assess business models and their integration with technology.-Levels:...
with Convergys
Convergys
Convergys Corporation is a corporation based in Cincinnati, Ohio that provides solutions in customer management and information management. Customer management solutions include agent assisted, self-service and proactive care solutions tailored to the communications, financial services,...
.