Graduating Student Spotlight: Gabe Weible
Gabe Weible graduates this spring with his B.S. in Physics and Astronomy and will begin his PhD studies at Steward Observatory this year
As he prepares to graduate with his B.S. in Physics and Astronomy, Gabe Weible reflects on his time at Steward Observatory, including his interferometry research of the circumbinary brown dwarf companion to the Pleiades constellation. His advice for other astronomy students: “take advantage of Thursday tamales!” Read his full interview below.
What brought you to Steward Observatory?
I've been interested in space for a long time. I really enjoyed my physics and calculus classes in high school, which brought me first to study physics at UArizona before quickly declaring a double major in astronomy. I was really drawn in by all the research going on at Steward with the large number of telescopes around Tucson.
Can you describe your research and any especially interesting learning experiences you’ve had during your time here?
I have worked with Dr. Kevin Wagner to characterize a circumbinary brown dwarf companion in the Pleiades, using observations from the Large Binocular Telescope Interferometer (LBTI). One of the biggest results of my research was constraining the orbit of this companion, finding that it is likely on a highly eccentric orbit (e ~ 0.8), suggesting a past dynamical encounter with its host binary stars.
What's your greatest point of pride from your time at Steward?
I am most proud of seeing my research project through to the end, from raw images to submitting a paper for publication.
Can you share piece of wisdom from your time as an astronomy student?
Take advantage of Thursday tamales!
What’s next?
I will be starting my PhD in Astronomy this fall.
As the semester approaches its end, we’re excited to celebrate our students who will be graduating in May. Stayed tuned for more Spotlight profiles on Steward Observatory graduates, and follow our social media channels for more insight into the lives of our students, staff and faculty.