Emma Whelan
Ground Telescope Astrophysicist
Brown Dwarf Discoverer
Discovering a celestial body of significant important right from the comfort of your office chair in Dublin while remotely using the Very Large Telescope in Paranal, Chilè is not exactly an everyday event for anyone around the world let alone an Astrophysicist from Ireland who decided to pursue astronomy in their 20’s.
That’s exactly what Professor of Astrophysics at Maynooth University, Dr. Emma Whelan did when she found 2M1207A, a Brown Dwarf with a planetary body orbiting it, and then you get a national postage stamp in your honour!
"I got into astronomy only in my 20's, I was always interested in the sciences but not astronomy so much. Today I work with the massive ground based telescopes in Chilè, Hawai'i and elsewhere where sometimes looking at your computer screen all day you forget what it is all about, but if you go out and look up, you get reminded, oh yeah, this is what I do for a job, and what a great job I have"
Dr. Emma Whelan
2Mass 1207A Brown Dwarf
Irish VLT Discovery
Emma at work in Maynooth University where she teaches astrophysics as well as operating the multiple giant telescopes around the world that have made some amazing discoveries.
As a member of ESO, Ireland now gets the opportunity to make more and more contributions to the science and pursuit of astronomy that will one day help us potentially see how the universe started!
Emma Studys VLT Results
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