GeminiFocus January 2015
GeminiFocus is a quarterly publication
of Gemini Observatory
670 N. A‘ohoku Place, Hilo, Hawai‘i 96720 USA
Phone: (808) 974-2500 Fax: (808) 974-2589
Online viewing address:
www.gemini.edu/geminifocus
Managing Editor: Peter Michaud
Science Editor: Nancy A. Levenson
Associate Editor: Stephen James O’Meara
Designer: Eve Furchgott / Blue Heron Multimedia
Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations
expressed in this material are those of the author(s) and
do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science
Foundation or the Gemini partnership.
The cover of this issue features a striking new image
from Gemini that peers into the heart of a galaxy
group known as VV 166. The image brings clarity and
definition to the different morphological types in VV 166
despite its great distance of about 300 million lightyears. One of its most fascinating features is a perfect
alignment of three disparate galaxies in a precise
equilateral triangle, including the giant blue spiral NGC
70 at top. Despite the apparent diversity of galaxy types
in VV 166, the relative proportions of morphologies that
we see in it may represent the distribution of galactic
types throughout the universe. Also shown are covers of
the three previous issues of GeminiFocus, 2014.
1 Director’s Message
Kissler-Patig
Markus
3 Why Do Galaxies Stop Forming Stars in Massive Clusters?
Muzzin
Adam
8 Gemini Captures Extreme Eruption on Io
Katherine de Kleer
13 GU Psc b: An Unexpected Planetary-mass Companion
Discovered with GMOS
Marie-Eve Naud and Étienne Artigau
18 Gemini Helps Confirm First Earth-sized Planet in the
Habitable Zone of a Star
Quintana, Steve Howell, Tom Barclay, and Jason F. Rowe
Elisa
23 Science Highlights
Levenson
Nancy
34 News for Users
staff contributions
Gemini
44 On the Horizon
staff contributions
Gemini
54 Fast Turnaround Program: It’s About Time
Mason
Rachel
58 Gemini Future and Science Meeting 2015
60 Bring One, Get One: Engaging Gemini’s Users and Their
Students
Michaud
Peter
62 gAstronomy and Exoplanets
Michaud
Peter
64 Viaje al Universo
Michaud and Maria-Antonieta García
Peter
67 Fostering Career Opportunities within Our Local Community
Michaud
Peter
70 Creating the Cosmos
Cook
Lynette
75 Gemini’s Journey through the Universe Reaches a
Giant Milestone