Chelen Johnson
HIPS (Hidden In Plain Sight) AGN will be using archival surveys for stellar variability to detect variability in active galactic nuclei (AGN) in the background.
One evening, while working on some homework, I had the realization that THIS WAS REAL. There is no right answer, in fact, no one knows the answer. I can't just go and ask someone the answer. It was like a light bulb went off and I experienced a feeling of excitement and also felt a little bit scared. I thought to myself -- Is this how astronomers feel about their work? It was a great feeling and exciting that I too am part of this now.
This experience has forced me to look at something new and has inspired me to enrich and improve my classes.
Real astronomy isn’t just looking through telescopes with the naked eye anymore. It is really being accurate and precise and a lot of computer mathematics.