Dr. Norah Patten

Space Enthusiast and Researcher – IComp

This NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope Picture of the Week zooms in on the feathery spiral arms of the galaxy NGC 45, which lies just 22 million light-years away in the constellation Cetus (The Whale). The data used to create this portrait were drawn from two complementary observing programmes. The first took a broad view of 50 nearby galaxies, leveraging Hubble’s ability to observe light from the ultraviolet to the near-infrared in order to study star formation in these galaxies. The second programme examined many of the same nearby galaxies as the first, narrowing in on a particular wavelength of red light called H-alpha. Star-forming nebulae are powerful producers of H-alpha light, and several of these regions can be identified across NGC 45 by their bright pink-red colour. These observing programmes aimed to study star formation in galaxies of different sizes, structures, and degrees of isolation — and NGC 45 makes for a particularly interesting target. Though it may appear to be a regular spiral galaxy, NGC 45 is actually a remarkable type called a low surface brightness galaxy. Low surface brightness galaxies are fainter than the night sky itself, making them incredibly difficult to detect. They appear unexpectedly faint because they have relatively few stars for the amount of gas and dark matter they carry. In the decades since the first low surface brightness galaxy was serendipitously discovered in 1986, researchers have learned that 30–60% of all galaxies may fall into this category. Studying these hard-to-detect galaxies is key to understanding how galaxies form and evolve, and Hubble’s sensitive instruments are equal to the task. [Image Description: This Hubble image features a close-up view of the outer arms of the spiral galaxy NGC 45. These spiral arms are filled with tiny blue dots - stars - and glowing pink clouds - star-forming nebulae. This is shown against a dark background.]

I am a Communications and outreach manager for IComp and also have a role with the International Space University. I am a space enthusiast, aeronautical engineering graduate and a University of Limerick researcher. IComp is the Irish Centre for Composites Research. It’s an Enterprise Ireland/IDA-funded technology centre where we work with industry to conduct research.

Top tip from Norah for those interested in a similar career:

Getting work experience in any of the STEM (science, technology, engineering and maths) areas gives you a huge insight into what happens in that career. If students are interested in engineering, any industry-related work is a brilliant opportunity.

Don’t be afraid to get in touch with a company. You’ve nothing to lose by writing an email or picking up the phone.

Never to take anything for granted. Surround yourself with positive people and do your best to do something you love.

Dr. Norah Patten

Top tip from Norah for those interested in a similar career:

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