Astronomers breathe new life into venerable instrument

How do astronomers determine the shapes of objects that are too far away to photograph? One method is by using spectropolarimetry, an observational technique that measures the way light waves align after they scatter through clouds of gas and dust in space. The Half-wave Spectropolarimeter (HPOL) is an instrument designed by Wisconsin astronomer Dr. Kenneth Nordsieck in 1989 to conduct these measurements. During HPOL's 15-year lifetime at the University of Wisconsin's Pine Bluff Observatory (PBO...