Dr. Pamela L. Gay is an astronomer, technologist, and creative focused on using new media to engage people in learning and doing science. Join her as we map our Solar System in unprecedented detail through citizen science projects at CosmoQuest.org, and learn astronomy through media productions like Astronomy Cast & EVSN.tv.

Science

Sci Comm

Software

Art

Curriculum Vita

Need a conference speaker or show guest?

Need someone to science your audience? Want to learn more about astronomy’s latest discoveries, the role of everyday people in exploring our universe through citizen science, or someone to talk about how the astronomy advances at the speed of computing thanks to innovations in AI/ML, GPUs, and more? I am available for your IRL or virtual event. (View select past presentations here)

Current Projects & Collaborations

Latest Essays & Articles

An Amazing and Expanding Universe in Motion

From August 7-11, I’ll be working with the Davidson Institute’s Young Scholars program to put on an online colloquium titled, “An Amazing and Expanding Universe in Motion.”

Abstract: Looking for something entirely different? Take a tour through our ever changing universe that is (loosely) guided by Monty Python’s “The Galaxy” song. In this colloquium, students will explore the cosmic history of our planet, how we are evolving and revolving though space, and where we and our galaxy are headed in the future. Basic geometry and algebra will be used to understand the math a physics behind our planet’s position in time and space, and to understand why the numbers that apply to England don’t apply to Ecuador!

Not familiar with the song? Check out this rated [PG] google video.

Twilight on Earth,
Morning on Gleise 581c

phot-22c-07-preview.jpgThere are certain questions and dreams that drive society in its quest for the stars. Is there life beyond the Earth? How (and when) will we reach other worlds? What will it take to reach other worlds with life? For a long time, astronomers thought that we were still a long time away from being able to find the type of planets a person can actually stand on. Until within just the past couple weeks, we had assumed that it would take a new generation of space missions – Terrestrial Planet Finder, Darwin, some space-based interferometer – before discovery of these rocky worlds started entering the scientific literature.

But as soon as we think we know something, the universe has a habit of surprising us.

On April 25, the European Southern Observatory announced the discovery of a planet, Gliese 581c, with a mass M sin i* = 5 times the mass of the Earth. This is the smallest world that has thus far been found, and the first nearby world that we are fairly certain we can stand on (or at least sail a boat on). This little world is just 20.48 light years away. Using our fastest current space craft, New Horizons, and traveling at its zippy 10 mi/s, we could be there in just, um, well… 382,828.56 years.

Clearly faster space craft are called for.