Ohio Wesleyan University astronomy professor Robert Harmon and 2008 OWU graduate Rachael Roettenbacher, assistant research scientist at the University of Michigan, have earned a $600,000 NASA grant to conduct what Harmon calls \u201cthe largest-scale study of starspots performed to date in terms of the number of stars involved.\u201d Drs. Harmon and Roettenbacher will be using data from the Kepler space telescope to analyze starspot distribution. \u201cStudies of starspots provide important insights into the physics of stellar magnetic fields and how they are generated,\u201d said Harmon, Ph.D., a member of the Ohio Wesleyan faculty since 1999. \u201cThis, in turn, provides insight into magnetic processes on the Sun, which are important to understand because the Sun\u2019s magnetic field is the driver of solar storms and coronal mass ejections that can have profound consequences for electrical grids, satellites, and more.\u201d<\/p>\n
Harmon will use a portion of the three-year NASA grant to hire OWU students each summer from 2025 through 2027. They will assist Harmon and Roettenbacher in their starspot studies through Ohio Wesleyan\u2019s annual 10-week Summer Science Research Program. \u201cRachael and I studied starspots on a star named LO Pegasi when she completed an OWU Summer Science Research Program project with me back in 2006,\u201d Harmon said. \u201cShe and I have been collaborating on starspot research and publishing papers together ever since, and this is our biggest project yet. It\u2019s a pleasure to have your former student become your colleague, your collaborator, and your friend.\u201d Learn more about Harmon and Ohio Wesleyan\u2019s Department of Physics and Astronomy at\u00a0www.owu.edu\/physics<\/a>\u00a0and more about the university\u2019s annual Summer Science Research Program at\u00a0www.owu.edu\/ssrp<\/a>.<\/p>\n