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astronomy

Steve Fossey

Steve Fossey is a astronomy topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Steve Fossey rather than just read about it. In short: Stephen John Fossey is a British astronomer who is the director of UCL Observatory, part of University College London (UCL). He discovered the nearby supernova SN 2014J and is one of the three editors of The Observatory magazine.

Key takeaways

  • Steve Fossey belongs to astronomy; place it in that map before memorising details.
  • Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
  • Connect Steve Fossey to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
  • Reproduce the core statement of Steve Fossey from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

Stephen John Fossey is a British astronomer who is the director of UCL Observatory, part of University College London (UCL). He discovered the nearby supernova SN 2014J and is one of the three editors of The Observatory magazine.

Education Fossey studied at University College London (UCL), receiving his Bachelor of Science with Honours in 1983. This was followed in 1990 by a PhD in Astronomy (also at UCL). Fossey became a member of staff at ULO (University of London Observatory), which was later renamed UCL Observatory.

Research and publications Fossey's research interests are in the interstellar medium, exoplanets and time-domain astronomy. He has authored two dozen refereed scientific papers on these topics. His first scientific publication was a single-author letter in Nature. Along with Ingo Waldmann and David Kipping, Fossey discovered in 2009 that the exoplanet HD 80606b (previously known from radial velocity) transits its host star. In January 2014, Fossey discovered supernova SN 2014J, the closest supernova for several decades. Fossey is an editor of The Observatory magazine.

References

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Steve Fossey

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Steve Fossey claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In astronomy, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Steve Fossey before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Steve Fossey ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Steve Fossey

In research
Steve Fossey appears in astronomy research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry
Engineering practice reuses Steve Fossey in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom
Steve Fossey is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics 21st-century British astronomers, Academics of University College London, Alumni of University College London, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life
Look for Steve Fossey outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.
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How to study Steve Fossey in 20 minutes

  1. Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
  2. Close the page and write down what Steve Fossey means in your own words.
  3. Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
  4. Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
  5. Explain Steve Fossey out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Steve Fossey in simple terms?

Stephen John Fossey is a British astronomer who is the director of UCL Observatory, part of University College London (UCL). He discovered the nearby supernova SN 2014J and is one of the three editors of The Observatory magazine.

Why does Steve Fossey matter?

Because it connects several astronomy ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Steve Fossey?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Steve Fossey.

Tags

  • 21st-century British astronomers
  • Academics of University College London
  • Alumni of University College London
  • British physicists
  • Living people

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