Nancy Chanover

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Biography

Education

• PhD: New Mexico State University, 1997
• BS: Wellesley College, 1991

Research

Dr. Chanover’s research involves the study of planetary atmospheres using visible and infrared imaging and spectroscopic techniques. She has worked on projects involving the upper atmospheric chemistry of Venus; measuring wind speeds on Venus, Jupiter, and Saturn; and studying the atmospheric vertical structure of Jupiter, Saturn, and Titan using radiative transfer modeling. Many of her ground-based observing efforts have been in support of and complementary to NASA spacecraft missions such as Galileo and Cassini. Dr. Chanover is also involved in the development of new instrumentation for planetary science, primarily acousto-optic tunable filter instruments for high spectral resolution imaging and/or spatially resolved spectroscopy. Dr. Chanover is the PI of NASA’s Planetary Data System Atmospheres Discipline Node, which is located in the NMSU Astronomy Department. The PDS archives all data from planetary spacecraft missions. In 2017 she was appointed as the Director of the Astrophysical Research Consortium 3.5m telescope at Apache Point Observatory.

These graduate students are currently working with Dr. Chanover:

Emma Dahl is working on the acquisition and analysis of ground-based hyperspectral images of Jupiter in support of the Juno mission.

David DeColibus is studying the distribution of volatile ices on the surface of Uranus' moon Miranda.

Kristen Luchsinger is modeling the subsurface vertical profile of water ice in seasonally shadowed craters near the Moon’s South Pole.

Ali Hyder is analyzing infrared spectra of Jupiter from Juno/JIRAM data to examine latitudinal variations of disequilibrium species.

Matthew Varakian is examining phase curves of asteroids observed by the NEOWISE mission to study the volatile inventory on asteroid surfaces.

Hannah Gallamore studied the recent color change of Jupiter's cyclonic storm Oval BA.

 

Previous Ph.D. Students

• Emma Dahl (2021), Color and Structure of Jupiter's Uppermost Cloud Deck During the Juno Era
• Alexander Thelen (2018), The Chemical Composition and Dynamics of Titan’s Atmosphere as Revealed by ALMA
• Kyle Uckert (2016), Characterization of Biosignatures Within Geologic Samples Analyzed Using a Suite of In Situ Techniques
• Candace Gray (2015), The Effects of Solar Flares, Coronal Mass Ejections, and Co-Rotating Interaction Regions on the Venusian 5577 A Oxygen Green Line
• Adam McKay (2013), The Volatile Composition of Comets as Inferred from Gas Production
• Chas Miller (2013), Methods for Constraining Surface Properties and Volatile Migration on Phoebe Triton, Pluto, and the Moon
• Michael Sussman (2011), Modeling Seasonal Change on Uranus with the EPIC GCM
• Paul Strycker (2011), Studies of Jovian Atmospheric Structure and Coloring Agents Using Hyperspectral Imaging
• Randall Carlson (2011), Spatial and Seasonal Variations in Saturn’s Haze and Vertical Phosphine Distribution at 3 Microns from 2005 to 2010
• James Norwood (2010), The Vertical Structure of the Uranian Atmosphere Near Equinox as Modeled with Near-Infrared Spectroscopic Observations
• Carrie Anderson (2006), Aerosol Vertical Structure in Earth-Analog Atmospheres: Titan’s Haze and Martian Dust
• Takafumi Temma (2005), Vertical Structure Modeling of Saturn with High Spectral Resolution Imaging

 

Teaching

Dr. Chanover currently teaches a pilot First Year Seminar course entitled The Planets: Climate Change Across the Solar System (ASTR 1120G). She has previously taught the online version of the undergraduate course entitled Introduction to Astronomy (ASTR 1115G), other introductory and upper level undergraduate astronomy courses at NMSU, as well as a graduate course on Solar System Astrophysics and directed independent studies related to planetary atmospheres.