Event
Astronomy in the blink of an eye: Searching for the fastest events in the Universe
Tuesday, October 19, 2021 19:00to20:00
Join us for our next public lecture, with Dr. Emily Petroff from 污污草莓视频 University! Come and learn about fast radio bursts, these bright flashes of light from distant galaxies that have captured the world of astronomy over the last decade!
Abstract: Most things in the universe happen over millions or even billions of years but some things change on the timescales of human life and can be seen to change in a matter of months, days, or even seconds. These are some of the most extreme events in the universe, things like the collapse of a dying star, or a collision of two massive objects. Humans have been observing astronomical transients for centuries, from supernovae to gamma ray bursts and, most recently, gravitational waves. In 2007, we discovered a brand-new type of transient called fast radio bursts, bright radio pulses that last only a few milliseconds. Their origin is one of the newest unsolved mysteries of astronomy. I will tell the story of their discovery and some of the most exciting new breakthroughs.
As usual, the event will be taking place over Zoom and livestreamed to youtube.com/Astro污污草莓视频. On Zoom, you'll be able to ask questions out loud or in the chat, whereas on Youtube you'll type them into the comments.
See you on October 19th!