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Stargazing Lecture

Friday, December 4, 2020
7:00pm to 9:00pm
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Online Event
Big Questions, Small Telescopes, and Fast Astronomy
Vikram Ravi, Assistant Professor, Department of Astronomy, Caltech,
  • Public Event

Because this is an online event, the in-person stargazing that normally follows events in this series will not be possible.


Join the YouTube Livestream here: https://youtu.be/gAeS1gfjLko

7:00–7:30 p.m. - Virtual Lecture
7:30–9:00 p.m. - Virtual Panel Q&A and Discussion

What would the sky look like if your eyes could see in radio waves? You would see the glow of cosmic rays spiraling in the magnetic field of the Milky Way, the sputter of relativistic jets expelled by supermassive black holes, and behind everything the faint echo of radiation from the dawn of the Universe. But if you blink, you may miss one of the most exciting phenomena in astronomy today: fast radio bursts from distant galaxies. At the Owens Valley Radio Observatory in eastern California, Caltech is building arrays of radio telescopes to discover these bursts and pinpoint their origins. In doing so we will address some of the most compelling questions in astronomy: What are the various types of neutron stars that can be formed? How is matter distributed throughout the Universe? What is the nature of dark matter? 

About the Series

Stargazing Lectures are free lectures at a public level followed by a Q&A panel and guided stargazing with telescopes (weather permitting). All events are held at the Cahill Center for Astronomy and Astrophysics at Caltech. No reservations are needed. Lectures are 30 minutes; stargazing and panel Q&A last 90 minutes. Stay only as long as you want.

Stargazing is only possible with clear skies, but the lecture and panel Q&A takes place regardless of weather.

For directions, weather updates, and more information, please visit: http://outreach.astro.caltech.edu.

For more information, please contact Cameron Hummels by email at [email protected].