February 26, 2006 Sunday NEIGHBORS DELAWARE; Pg. L03
A rising star eyes past and future
Villanova professor Edward Sion, a history buff, is making his mark in the field of astronomy
Gloria A. Hoffner
Inquirer Suburban Staff
Edward Sion is a time traveler with his feet firmly on Earth.
Sion, of Radnor, steps back in time for his hobby as a Civil War re-enactor,
and searches for clues to the future of the universe as a professor of astronomy
at Villanova University.
Sion's passion for white dwarf stars led to the 2004 discovery of a pre-supernova,
a rare celestial phenomenon that occurs just before the material in a star is
about to explode. It emits 15 billion times the energy of the sun.
Finding this star might help unravel a mystery that Einstein wrestled with on
his deathbed.
"It was a total shock. A Type 1A Supernova, one that shows no hydrogen,
in the farthest galaxy was going at a rate slower than the Hubble red shift
line. Meaning the universe is accelerating, so there must be a source of dark
energy-opposing gravity and causing the universe to speed up," said Sion,
almost leaping from his chair at his Villanova office.
Sion, 60, a Villanova professor since 1975, was the leader of a team of astronomers
studying data from the Hubble Telescope when he found the star CP Eridani. The
pre-supernova was in the constellation Eridanus, about 1,000 parsecs from Earth.
(A parsec is 3.26 light-years.)
He presented the findings at the American Astronomical Society meeting in October.
They were published in the Astrophysical Journal Letters last month.
Finding Type 1A Supernovas could help prove Einstein's theory of a cosmological
constant, a dark energy that exerts a uniform repulsive force, Sion explained.
"The goal now," he said, "is to analyze more binary stars and
Type 1A Supernovas and compare models. This could tell us if the universe is
really accelerating."
Sion grew up in Kansas, where his personal journey of discovery began in the
sixth grade, when his parents gave him a 6-inch reflecting telescope.
"The skies in Kansas are so clear that the Milky Way looked like cirrus
clouds," Sion said.
"When I was 7 or 8, my parents bought me the Book of Knowledge. I read
it cover to cover and was turned on to science. Those experiences, and science
fiction's War of the Worldsand This Island Earth, made me want to know what
other worlds were like."
Sion earned bachelor's and master's degrees in astronomy from the University
of Kansas. He earned a doctorate from the University of Pennsylvania, and landed
a teaching position at Villanova the same year.
A married father of two, Sion said teaching and research have always been his
academic goals.
"I wanted to carry out research on interacting binary stars ever since
I was an undergrad. I wondered, 'How can they [binary stars] be so close that
they share an atmosphere?' " Sion said.
Sion is one of six faculty astronomers at Villanova. A large crucifix hangs
above his office desk, a space just below the college observatory's three remote
imaging telescopes.
"I have no conflict with my Catholic faith and exploring the frontiers
of space. I agree with the writings of St. Augustine, who regarded nature as
the working of God," Sion said.
He has helped 18 undergraduates publish research projects.
"Ed is able to bring his same excitement and enthusiasm to the classroom,
which enables him to motivate and inspire his students," said George McCook,
chairman of Villanova's Astronomy and Astrophysics department.
"Many of the astronomy students who have worked on research projects with
Dr. Sion have continued on to advanced degrees and successful research careers."
Outside the classroom, Sion said he is a "basketball nut" who has
played on the faculty-staff team on Tuesdays and Thursdays since he started
working at Villanova. His other interest is 18th- and 19th-century American
and European history.
"I spent a lot of time reading about history as a child. History is my
passion - outside of astrophysics," Sion said, holding a photograph of
himself dressed as a Union soldier.
As fascinating as the past is, Sion said he is glad to be living in the 21st
century.
"I think the most exciting times lie ahead," he said. "I think
we will find extraterrestrial life forms.
"I hope I live long enough to see it."
