Watunyoo Patwong
Watunyoo Patwong | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | June 1, 1985 Kanchanaburi, Thailand |
| Residence | Chiang Mai, Thailand |
| Nationality | Thai |
| Alma mater | Chiang Mai University |
| Known for | Cosmology, galaxy, redshift, starburst, spectroscopy |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Astronomy |
| Institutions | National Astronomical Research Institute of Thailand (NARIT) |
Watunyoo Patwong (born 1 June 1985) is a Thai astronomer and science communicator. He works as an astronomy information officer at the National Astronomical Research Institute of Thailand (NARIT) in Chiang Mai, where his work has included stellar spectroscopy and the study of radial velocities of stars in OB associations.
Biography
Patwong was born in Kanchanaburi, a province in western Thailand. He has described developing an early interest in astronomy through observing the total solar eclipse of 24 October 1995 and the Leonids meteor shower in 2000.
He initially studied physics at Prince of Songkla University for one semester before transferring to Chiang Mai University, where he studied physics with a specialization in astronomy. As an undergraduate he carried out observational research on the spectral classification of a multiple star system, using a CCD spectrograph on the 16-inch telescope of the Sirindhorn Observatory. He later completed a Master's degree in astronomy at Chiang Mai University, with a thesis on the radial velocities of stars in the field of the nebula NGC 1977.
Work
After training as a medical scientist at the Department of Medical Sciences, Ministry of Public Health, Patwong joined the National Astronomical Research Institute of Thailand. There he has worked on developing astronomy curricula and educational materials for schoolteachers in Thailand and abroad, writing astronomical articles and news for the institute's website, producing astrophotography and video content, organizing youth astronomy camps and teacher training workshops, and supporting public observing activities and national science exhibitions.
He has taken part in international training and meetings in the field, including the National Astronomical Observatory of Japan Asian Winter School on "Observational Cosmology" (2009), the 16th Asia-Pacific Regional Space Agency Forum (2010), the 3rd Thailand–Korea Joint Workshop on Astrophysics (2010), and the Asia-Pacific Region IAU Meeting (2011).
Scientific contributions
Patwong's research has focused on stellar spectroscopy and radial-velocity measurements. At the Siam Physics Congress 2017 he presented "Radial velocity observations of OB1d association in NGC 1977," reporting radial-velocity measurements of bright stars in the field of the nebula NGC 1977 obtained with the medium-resolution spectrograph (MRES) on the 2.4 m telescope of the Thai National Observatory. The study identified stars with constant radial velocities as well as candidate spectroscopic binaries, and assessed possible membership in the OB1d association.
Abstracts
- 2008 - "The Spectral Classification of a Multiple Star System using CCD Spectrograph" (Read in full)