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Teenager Makes Discovery About Galaxy Distribution

Posted by samzenpus on from the all-lined-up dept.

Janek Kozicki writes "It has been long thought that dwarf galaxies orbiting Andromeda galaxy (M31), or any other galaxy for that matter, are distributed more or less randomly around the host galaxy. It seemed so obvious in fact that nobody took time to check this assumption. Until a 15-year-old student, Neil Ibata, working with his father at the astronomic observatory, wanted to check it out. It turned out that dwarf galaxies tend to be placed on a plane around M31. The finding has been published in Nature. Local press (especially in France) is ecstatic that a finding by a 15-year-old got published in Nature. However, there's another more important point: what other obvious things didn't we really bother to check?"

6 of 247 comments (clear)

  1. Working with his father... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Raises curiosity: how much work is done by this 15-old boy and how much is actually done by his father?

    1. Re:Working with his father... by slew · · Score: 5, Insightful

      Raises curiosity: how much work is done by this 15-old boy and how much is actually done by his father?

      I imagine about the same ratio as famous professors and the grad-students working under them... Don't underestimate the ideas and work that can be done by underlings. Only in this case, the underling gets the credit, in the other case, usually not so much...

    2. Re:Working with his father... by drdread66 · · Score: 5, Insightful

      The kid probably did most of the coding, but used data gathered by other observations at the observatory (or even other observatories). The idea probably came from his father. This is exactly the sort of straightforward project you would assign a bright undergrad (or high school student) to do. It's relevant, mostly easy, and might possibly generate a new result. You can't ask for much more.

    3. Re:Working with his father... by elfprince13 · · Score: 5, Insightful

      That depends on the university and the lab. I've heard all sorts of horror stories.

    4. Re:Working with his father... by drolli · · Score: 5, Insightful

      wish i had mod points.....

      After ten years in science (i left): The position and the fact if you are mentioned on a paper as an author depends on many things. I have seen people who never ever did anything but stand in the way (intentionally, sometimes) mentioned as co-authors due to higher forces (buddying with the group leader) and i have seen how phd students who built the setup over five years somehow slipped of the authors list after they graduated and where thanked for technical help.

  2. Re:link or it didn't happen by Genda · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Because the dwarf galaxies shouldn't be constrained to the galactic plane any more than globular clusters which are randomly disbursed. This suggests that there my be an unknown process that brings dwarf galaxies to the galaxy's equator... perhaps inflow of intragalactic gas or dark matter.. Makes for a interesting study.