Gregg Thompson (astronomer)

Gregg D. Thompson of Brisbane, Australia is an amateur astronomer and the executive director of the Dreamtech Designs and Productions company.

Astronomy

Gregg Thompson was one of the founding members of the Southern Astronomical Society (SAS). [ cite web
title = The Southern Astronomical Society Celebrates its 20th Anniversary
work = Astronomical Events
publisher = Southern Astronomical Society
date =
url = http://www.sas.org.au/aevents.htm
accessdate = 2007-09-15 ] Before 1981 he started making a set of charts of bright galaxies, designed to help deep sky observers in their search for extragalactic supernovae. cite book
last = Evans
first = Robert
authorlink = Robert Evans (astronomer)
title = Supernova Search Manual
publisher = American Association of Variable Star Observers
date = 1993
location = Cambridge, USA
pages =
url = http://www.aavso.org/observing/programs/sn/supernovasm.shtml
isbn = 1-878174-11-8 ] In 1985 he received the Amateur Achievement Award of the Astronomical Society of the Pacific, together with Robert Owen Evans, [ cite web
title = Past Amateur Achievement Winners
publisher = Astronomical Society of the Pacific
url = http://www.astrosociety.org/membership/awards/pastamateur.html
accessdate = 2007-09-15 ] who had made several supernova discoveries using Thompson's charts. ] Evans wrote in his book "Searching for Supernovae" that the number of galaxies he was able to observe grew substantially after the charts were produced. Gregg Thompson also helped verify some of Evans' discoveries. [ cite web
last = Evans
first = Robert
authorlink = Robert Evans (astronomer)
title = Searching for Supernovae: A More Personal Story
publisher = Research in Evangelical Revivals
url = http://revivals.arkangles.com/searchingforsupernovae.php
accessdate = 2007-09-15 ]

Public outreach

In 1990 Gregg Thompson co-authored with James T. Bryan, Jr. the astronomical atlas "The Supernova Search Charts and Handbook", containing 248 comparison charts of 345 of the brightest galaxies, [ cite web
title = Supernova Search Charts and Handbook, Pack/set ICL - Abstract
publisher = The Smithsonian/NASA Astrophysics Data System
url = http://adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/1990ssch.book.....T
accessdate = 2007-09-15 ] highly valued especially by supernova hunters and recommended by the Supernova Search Committee of the American Association of Variable Star Observers. [ cite web
title = Supernova Search Observing Program
publisher = American Association of Variable Star Observers
url = http://www.aavso.org/observing/programs/sn/
accessdate = 2007-09-16 ] In 1993 he published "The Australian Guide to Stargazing", a manual for both naked-eye and telescope observing of the sky of the southern hemisphere with explanatory diagrams, photographs and detailed drawings, describing the basics of the night sky observation to novice amateur astronomers. cite web
last = Wheeler
first = Chris
authorlink =
title = SAS Library
publisher = Southern Astronomical Society
url = http://www.sas.org.au/Library/Library.htm
accessdate = 2007-09-15 ]

With his Dreamtech Designs and Productions company he also opened the educational interactive high-tech attractions SpaceWalker and Infinity at the Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia. ] [ cite news
title = Qld: World s first funhouse for the future on the Gold Coast
work = AAP General News (Australia)
publisher = Australian Associated Press
date = 2000-08-08
url = http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P1-30387105.html
accessdate = 2007-09-15 ]

References

Persondata
NAME = Thompson, Gregg D.
ALTERNATIVE NAMES =
SHORT DESCRIPTION = amateur astronomer
DATE OF BIRTH =
PLACE OF BIRTH =
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