U.S.- U.K. Cooperative Research: A Cosmos Study of Magellanic Cloud Clusters

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This two-year award supports U.S.-U.K. cooperative research in galactic astronomy between Paul W. Hodge of the University of Washington and Harvey MacGillivray of the Royal Observatory in Edinburgh, United Kingdom. The objective of the research is to search for and identify and characterize star clusters in the Magellanic Cloud and Small Magellanic Cloud using unique instrumentation at the Royal Observatory in Edinburgh. Dr. Hodge brings to this collaboration his extensive knowledge about the cluster system and stellar content of the Magellanic Clouds and other local galaxies. He has some of the best 4-meter telescope plates of the Magellanic Clouds. This is complemented by Dr. MacGillvray's extensive experience in image analysis and access to the Royal Observatory's COSMOS instrument which is considered to be the finest plate-scanning instrument and software in the world. The COSMOS machine will be used to scan the 4-meter telescope plates in order to eventually obtain a complete map of the Magellanic Clouds' clusters. The Magellanic Cloud and Small Magellanic Cloud are very useful objects for the general study of clusters, their evolution and formation, and for understanding the history of these two galaxies. The results of this research will provide astronomers with new clusters to study. It will also advance understanding of the evolution of galaxies in general.