Seven Billion Years Ago
The summer after his sophomore year, Max Marcus ’09, a double major in astronomy and physics, spent 10 weeks in Vassar’s Undergraduate Research Science Institute (URSI) with astronomy professor Debra Elmegreen exploring the evolution of galaxies using images from the Hubble Space Telescope.
Q. How did you first become interested in physics and astronomy?
I’ve always been interested in astronomy, ever since middle school and high school, even though I was never that good at math, which was bad for physics. I got to high school and did the calculus, which wasn’t bad because it was more conceptual, so I figured I could do the physics. I got here and continued with it. I love the department and the faculty. The professors are very helpful.
Q. Tell me about your URSI experience?
It’s a little different in astronomy because we’re members of an astronomy consortium with other liberal arts colleges. So sometimes Vassar URSI students will be doing astronomy research at one of the other colleges, and sometimes their students come here. The consortium was started to help students get more research experience, and it’s an incredible program. It’s neat to be a part of all this work in science.
Q. What were you working on?
I was working with a partner from Wesleyan, Karlen Shahinyan, on the evolution of galaxies. There’s something called the GEMS survey [Galaxy Evolution from Morphology and SEDs], which is the largest contiguous field imaged with the Hubble. The entire GEMS field contains over 10,000 galaxies and looks back about seven billion years. Our project was to scan the entire field and identify different kinds of galactic formations---chains, clump-clusters, and edge-on spirals---and then to obtain redshifts, colors, and magnitudes for all of the galaxies we identified.
Q. What was a typical day of URSI like?
My hours were 9 to 5 every day. There were two other astronomy projects that summer as well---students who were working with Professor Chromey, doing observations at night and data reduction in the afternoons. Karlen and I were working with Professor Elmegreen. We spent most of the day reducing data and looking at the Hubble images and measuring the galaxies. We would download these huge files, which are fields of galaxies. We looked at them, took measurements, and made plots. It was the first time I’d done that kind of work. It was very cool to work alongside a professional in the field. I learned a tremendous amount. At the symposium at the end of the summer, we did a poster presentation on it and then a 20-minute Power Point.
Q. How did you choose Vassar?
I applied to other small liberal arts colleges, but I always had Vassar as a priority. When I was accepted, I came and met with one of the astronomy professors, Fred Chromey, and he sat down with me for 25 minutes and talked to me, and that really impressed me---that he would take the time to get to know me a little bit.
Q. Are you involved in any extracurricular activities?
I’m involved in a lot of music stuff on campus. I’m in the jazz band and the jazz combo. It’s been really fun. I play the saxophone in both. I’m also the natural sciences representative on the Committee for Curricular Policy. We meet and talk about curricular issues, which has been a great experience. I get to see the inner workings of the college. I think the administration is pretty receptive. If you’re a student and you want to get something done, it’s not hard to do it.
Q. What’s your favorite class outside the sciences?
My favorite class is called Black Music. It’s a nice break from science and math. It mixes in politics, sociology, history.
Q. What do you hope to do after college?
I would like to go on and get a PhD in astronomy.
Q. So you’re from NYC? Can’t really see the stars there, huh?
I had the glow stars on the ceiling in my room, but my mom was mad because it took all the paint off. Actually, the planetarium at the Museum of Natural History is a few blocks from my house, and I loved to go there. But somehow I would always find myself in the dinosaur section, so I’m surprised I’m not a biologist.