WWW resources I manage:

My pretty-picture collection Intro and observational astronomy course sites
Telescopes I've used (and what for) Current publication list
Quasars/active galactic nuclei image set Astronomy students say the strangest things
Useful data files ...and so do professionals
Grad lectures on galaxies and the Universe The family page (mostly for grandparents...)
Stargazing (with Leonid meteors) UA Christian Faculty/Staff Fellowship
Course notes on astronomical techniques Science/religion article from Mercury
Public-outreach presentations and graphics Space history bits - Apollo, Lunar Orbiter, Soviet programs
Observing reference material Course pages: Aerospace Science for Educators



William C. Keel


(Download full-res version of this UA picture by Jeff Hanson; or earlier picture by Ricky Yanaura, in landscape or portrait layout, or again a less formal and more atmospheric picture by Lisa Frattare)




As an astronomer especially interested in galaxies, I have made a practice of getting photons wherever I can, having made appearances at Kitt Peak, Cerro Tololo, La Palma, La Silla, the MMT, the 6-meter Bolshoi Teleskop Azimutal'nyi, the IRTF, and the VLA. I have become pretty multispectral, using data from Voyager 2, IUE, IRAS, Einstein, ROSAT, ISO, UIT, HST, Chandra, GALEX, and FUSE. Judging a book by its cover Judging a book by its cover These data support studies of the effects of interactions on galaxies, the history of galaxy merging, triggering of star formation and nuclear activity in galaxies, and too many other projects that have struck my fancy. With this background, joining the team of the Galaxy Zoo project was only natural; much of my most interesting recent research has grown out of this project (read my blog entries). In the more socially respectable part of my job, I teach at the University of Alabama; mostly introductory astronomy courses with occasional forays into extragalactic astronomy and observational techniques at the graduate level. Unlike many professional astronomers, I got my start in the back yard many years ago and retain a soft spot for eyeballing the Universe. Many boring details on my education and professional activities can be found in my curriculum vitae, or you may enjoy this more spirited profile from a local magazine. I have now published two books - The Road to Galaxy Formation (left), published in August 2002 by Springer-Praxis, released in a revised second edition in 2008. At a more popular level, The Sky at Einstein's Feet (right), published in October 2005, traces the many ways in which relativity has informed the last century of astronomical discovery. My next book project will take on the history of space astronomy.



Some of my research interests:

High-redshift galaxies
Dust in galaxies
Galaxy interactions
Hanny's Voorwerp



UA Astronomy | Dept. of Physics and Astronomy | University of Alabama


(ostentatious throat-clearing) "The views, opinions, and conclusions expressed in this page are those of the author and not necessarily those of The University of Alabama or its officers and trustees. The content of this page has not been reviewed or approved by The University of Alabama, and the author is solely responsible for its content. "

keel@bildad.astr.ua.edu
Last changes: January 2010