Brian Patrick Abbott

Curriculum Vitae

Photo of Brian Patrick Abbott

Brian Abbott (M. Shanley/©AMNH)

Contact

Hayden Planetarium
American Museum of Natural History
Central Park West at 79th Street
New York, NY 10024-5192 (Map)

Email: abbott@amnh.org
Web: brianabbott.net

Employment

  1. Assistant Director, Hayden Planetarium

    2013–Present

    American Museum of Natural History

    New York, NY

  2. Manager of the Digital Universe

    2004–2013

    Hayden Planetarium

    American Museum of Natural History

  3. Data Analyst

    2000—2004

    Hayden Planetarium

    American Museum of Natural History

  4. Project Astronomer

    1999—2000

    Digital Galaxy Project

    Hayden Planetarium

    American Museum of Natural History

  5. Research Assistant

    1997—1999

    Department of Physics & Astronomy

    University of Toledo

    Toledo, OH

  6. Instructor

    1996

    Main Line Night School

    Radnor, PA

  7. Research Assistant

    1992—1996

    Department of Astronomy & Astrophysics

    Villanova University

    Villanova, PA

  8. Teaching Assistant

    1992—1995

    Department of Astronomy & Astrophysics

    Villanova University

Education

  1. M.S. Physics

    May 1999
    University of Toledo, Toledo, OH

    Thesis: Ionization Structure and Mass-Loss for Rapidly-Rotating Near Main-Sequence B Stars

    Advisor: Jon E. Bjorkman

  2. B.S. Astronomy and Astrophysics

    May 1995
    Villanova University, Villanova, PA

    Advisors: Edward Guinan & Edward Sion

Teaching Experience

  1. Presenter

    2002–Present
    Hayden Planetarium

    Participant in numerous planetarium programs where I guide the public through the universe while showcasing my work on the Digital Universe.

  2. Public Programs Trainer

    2004–2018
    Hayden Planetarium

    Developed and run the training of all presenters for public programs in the planetarium involving the Digital Universe. Focused on software and speak for an audience in the theater.

  3. Co-developer & Co-instructor

    Spring 2016 & Spring 2017
    Hayden Planetarium

    Course: Digital Universe Flight School

    Co-developed a six-week course where a limited number of students learn the Digital Universe atlas and the planetarium software to author their own mini planetarium show, which they present to a public audience.

  4. Co-developer & Co-instructor

    Fall 2002 & Fall 2003
    Hayden Planetarium

    Course: Envisioning the Virtual Universe

    A popular, six-week course in the planetarium highlighting how to use the Digital Universe atlas, data visualization, and astrophysics.

  5. Teaching Assistant

    Fall 1996
    Department of Physics & Astronomy
    University of Toledo

    Taught physics labs designed for music and art majors, before moving into a research position.

  6. Teaching Assistant

    1992–1995
    Department of Astronomy & Astrophysics
    Villanova University

    Taught astronomy labs for non-science majors and hosted public observing evenings at the observatory.

  7. Instructor, Main Line Night School

    Spring 1996

    Established and taught two astronomy courses for adults, integrating classroom instruction with night-sky observing.

Research Experience

  1. Research Assistant

    Dept. of Physics & Astronomy
    University of Toledo

    Modified radiative transfer codes to explore the 3-D wind structure and composition in rapidly rotating B stars.

  2. Research Assistant

    Dept. of Astronomy & Astrophysics
    Villanova University

    Light-curve analysis and photometry of binary stars, spectral analysis of variable stars, binary stars, and cataclysmic variable stars using the Villanova University Observatory, remote telescopes on Mt. Hopkins, Arizona, the International Ultraviolet Explorer, and the Hubble Space Telescope.

Technical Skills

  • Web Development

    Author, programmer, and editor of this website, and the Hayden Planetarium website. Developer for numerous personal clients.

  • Programming & Languages

    C, Perl, Shell, PHP, Javascript, HTML5, CSS/SASS, SQL

  • Data Visualization

    OpenSpace, Uniview, Glue, Partiview, and many others

  • Media Production

    Adobe Suite: Photoshop, Illustrator, Premiere Pro, After Effects.

  • Desktop Publishing & Typesetting

    Adobe InDesign, LaTeX, Adobe Acrobat, MS Word, Pages

Publications

  1. OpenSpace: Development Updates and Education Applications

    Gemma, M. E.; Roe, C.; Emmart, C.; Trakinski, V.; Smith, R. L.; Acinapura, M.; Abbott, B.; Ebel, D.S.; Kinzler, R.

    2020, 51st Lunar and Planetary Science Conference

  2. Visualizing a Billion Stars for Science and Education

    Faherty, J.; Abbott, B.; Alsegard, A.; Emmart, C.; Bock, A.; Axelsson, E.; Ynnerman, A.; Acinapura, M.; OpenSpace Project

    2020, Bulletin of the American Astronomical Society, Vol. 52, No. 1

  3. Digital Universe Guide

    Brian Abbott

    2019, A 70-page, illustrated guide to the Digital Universe Atlas

  4. Digital Universe Atlas: The Grand Tour

    Brian Abbott

    2018, An illustrated guide for the hour-long tour of the universe we deliver in the planetarium.

  5. The Inspiration of Astronomical Phenomena VIII: City of Stars

    Brian Abbott, Editor

    2015, (San Francisco: Astronomical Society of the Pacific), Astronomical Society of the Pacific Conference Series, vol. 501

    The 330-page conference proceeding from the 8th meeting of the Inspiration of Astronomical Phenomena.

  6. Digital Universe Guide

    Brian Abbott

    2018, 6th edition (superseded by 2019’s guide)

    A 200-page guide to the Digital Universe Atlas to accompany the Partiview software viewer.

  7. Partiview Quick Start Guide

    Brian Abbott

    2018, An illustrated primer on using Partiview software.

  8. Partiview Users Guide

    Brian Abbott

    2012, 4th edition

    A comprehensive guide for the Partiview software, including using the software, tutorials with data, and a command reference.

  9. Virtual Universe

    Brian Abbott, Carter Emmart, and Ryan Wyatt

    Natural History Magazine, April 2004, Volume 113 Number 3, pp.44–49

  10. The Digital Universe Coalition: Building a Prototype NVO E/PO Portal

    Mendez, B.; Craig, N.; Haisch, B.; Lindblom, J.; Hanisch, R.; Summers, F.; Abbott, B.

    2004, American Astronomical Society Meeting 204, #78.05

  11. Visualizing and Analyzing Massive Astronomical Datasets with Partiview

    Abbott, B. P.; Emmart, C. B.; Levy, S.; Liu, C. T.

    2004, in P.J. Quinn, and K.M. Gorski (editors), Toward an International Virtual Observatory. ESO Astrophysics Symposia: 57–61. Berlin: Springer

  12. Hayden Planetarium’s Digital Universe: The Extragalactic Atlas

    Abbott, B. P.; Gawiser, E.; Emmart, C. B.; Wyatt, R. J.

    2003, American Astronomical Society Meeting 203, #118.07

  13. An Interactive Viewing System for 3-D Astronomical Data

    Emmart, C. B.; Abbott, B. P.; Wyatt, R. J.; Levy, S

    2001, American Astronomical Society Meeting 199, #22.10

  14. The Astrophysics Visualization Archive: Toward a Virtual Observatory Node at AMNH/Hayden

    Abbott, B. P.; Liu, C. T.; Tyson, N. D.

    2001, American Astronomical Society Meeting 199, #10.06

  15. 3-D Visualizations of Massive Astronomy Datasets with a Digital Dome

    Liu, C. T.; Abbott, B.; Emmart, C.; Mac Low, M.; Shara, M.; Summers, F.; Tyson, N. D.

    Virtual Observatories of the Future, ASP Conference Proceedings, Vol. 225. Edited by Robert J. Brunner, S. George Djorgovski, and Alex S. Szalay. San Francisco: Astronomical Society of the Pacific, ISBN: 1-58381-057-9, 2001, p.188

  16. Ionization Structure and Mass Loss for Rapidly-Rotating Near Main-Sequence B Stars

    Bjorkman, J. E.; Abbott, B. P.

    The Be Phenomenon in Early-Type Stars, IAU Colloquium 175, ASP Conference Proceedings, Vol. 214, edited by Myron A. Smith and Huib F. Henrichs. Astronomical Society of the Pacific, ISBN 1-58381-045-5, 2000, p.632

  17. Ionization Structure and Mass-Loss for Rapidly-Rotating Near Main-Sequence B Stars

    Bjorkman, J. E.; Abbott, B. P.

    1999, American Astronomical Society Meeting 194, #13.09

  18. Hubble Space Telescope GHRS Spectroscopy of U Geminorum during Two Outbursts

    Sion, Edward M.; Cheng, Fuhua; Szkody, Paula; Huang, Min; Provencal, Judi; Sparks, Warren; Abbott, Brian; Hubeny, Ivan; Mattei, Janet; Shipman, Harry

    1997, Astrophysical Journal v.483, p.907

  19. UBVRI Photometry of the Solar Neighborhood Pleiades-Age K Dwarfs HD 17925 and HD 1405

    Abbott, B. P.; Pomerance, B. H.; Ambruster, C. W., 1995

    1995, American Astronomical Society Meeting, 186, #22.10

  20. Simultaneous EUVE and IUE Flares from the Flare Star EV Lac

    Pomerance, B. H.; Abbott, B.; Ambruster, C.

    1995, American Astronomical Society Meeting, 186, #21.03

  21. Photoelectric Photometry of VW Cephei in 1993

    Abbott, B. P.; Rumignani, D. J.

    1994, Information Bulletin on Variable Stars, 4041, 1

Community Service

  • Online Mentor

    2016–Present

    Advise, support, and advocate for LGBTs who are isolated and have no resources at their disposal.

  • AMNH Pride

    Chair

    2015–2019

    Active member

    2009–present

    AMNH Pride, an employee resource group at the American Museum of Natural History where we advocate for LGBT+ issues.

  • Mentoring Circles

    Organizing Committee Member

    2016–2017

    Group Leader

    2016–2019

    A career-oriented mentoring program at the American Museum of Natural History.

  • Volunteer Mentor

    2001–2006

    Student mentoring for icouldbe.org

Memberships

Personal Interests

Photography, cooking, writing, video production, web design, programming, history, the art of moviemaking.