Payton B's Senior Project Blog

Project Title: Luminous Blue Variables: Why do they vary? BASIS Advisor: Sheri Nelson Internship Location: Embry Riddle Aeronautical University Onsite Mentor: Dr. Noel Richardson

Project Abstract

Have you ever wondered about the universe, How it works, what happens throughout it, or maybe even its beginning? For years, I have asked myself these same questions and many more about the universe and all that happens in it. There is a very rare kind of star known as a Luminous Blue Variable (LBV) that can teach us a lot about the universe and its history. These large blue stars are approaching the end of their lives and will likely supernova when they die. The problem is that these stars often change brightness, color, and even size which makes it difficult to gather data and understand that gathered data. I will be working with Dr. Noel Richardson, a professor at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, to help gather and understand data about LBVs. I will get the opportunity to occasionally observe these stars using various equipment at ERAU.. We will also be analyzing data gathered from the Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS). Finally, we will be working with computer coding to help process this data. Hopefully, this research will allow us to better understand LBVs, how they vary, how often these variations occur, what these variations mean, and maybe even help us understand the history of the universe.