Astronomy Tea Talks at Caltech

"The Very Energetic Radiation Imaging Telescope Array System (VERITAS)"

The Very Energetic Radiation Imaging Telescope Array System (VERITAS) is an array of four
gamma ray telescopes located at Mt. Hopkins, Arizona. It has been fully operational since the Spring
of 2007 taking data for neary two complete observing seasons. I will describe the basics of
ground-based gamma-ray astronomy and the Air Cherenkov Telescope method of detection.
I will give an overview of the VERITAS system in particular and then describe some of the
recent results from the observing program paying attention to the observations of several
new active galactic nuclei.