Phil is a Postdoc at the University of Southampton
His research interests include host galaxies of supernovae and other transients. He uses photometry from DES and spectroscopy from OzDES to understand the host galaxy properties of SNIa, how they correlate with the SN themselves, and how these differ for different ways of selecting SNIa
We asked Phil a few more questions, here’s what he had to say…
What is your favorite part about being a scientist?
I get paid to discover and study exciting things about our Universe. What could be better than that?
When did you know you wanted to be a scientist?
There was no real ‘eureka’ moment. My A-Level maths and science teachers were really inspirational, as was my Masters supervisor
This composite shows images of NGC 4993 from several different ESO telescopes and instruments. They all reveal a faint source of light close to the center. This is a kilonova, the explosion resulting from the merger of two neutron stars. Image credit: VLT / VIMOS / MUSE / MPG / ESO / GROND / VISTA / VIRCAM / VST / OmegaCAM.
Do you have any hobbies or take part in sports?
Yes! I play rugby, I cycle and am getting into distance running.
What is your favorite space-related image, and why?
I was part of the GROND team which took images of the neutron star merger event!
What is your secret talent?
I’m very good at world accents.
What do you think has been the most exciting advance in science / technology in the last 10 years?
Being able to land and therefore recycle rockets is really cool.
Any advice for aspiring scientists?
Never let anyone put you off wanting to know more about things you’re interested in!