A search and discovery of Ultra Compact Dwarf Galaxies

A search for an uncommon class of compact stellar systems called Ultra Compact Dwarf Galaxies was carried out. Using data in the visual wavelength band from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey and in the infrared band from UKIRT Infrared Deep Sky Survey, a small subset of potential candidates to spectroscopically confirm was conceived. A proposal for one night of study using the 4-meter Mayall Telescope was submitted and accepted. The observation run was carried out under severe wind conditions that resulted in only enough time for 2 targets to be observed. Spectra were extracted and redshifits were obtained for both targets. The inferred distance associated with each target's radial velocity confirmed their small physical size as being part of the UCD class. In this paper I present the work involved in the process from the conception of the idea to start the search to the observation run and analysis thereafter.