Stargazing Lecture

Stargazing is dependent on clear weather, but lecture and Q&A happen regardless. Event will occur in-person, with lecture and Q&A additionally live-streamed on YouTube.

For remote viewers, the event will be live-streamed here:
https://youtube.com/live/JcPOVv6kkdU

8:00–8:45 p.m. - Public Lecture
8:45–9:45 p.m. - Panel Q&A and Guided Stargazing

Galaxies are collections of gas, stars, and dark matter held together by gravity. Much like humans, galaxies grow and change over their lives, which span billions of years.  One major way that galaxies can change is by forming new generations of stars from collapsed clouds of gas.  Thus, to understand the life and evolution of a galaxy, we must fully account for all of its gas. This includes both gas (1) inside the galaxy where stars form and live, and (2) outside of the galaxy, in a sort of atmosphere surrounding the galaxy.  But like the Earth's atmosphere, galactic atmospheres are nearly invisible and difficult to detect. In this talk, I will summarize our understanding of how galaxies evolve over their lives, and new observations that indicate the presence and importance of a galaxy's atmosphere.

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 and are free and open to all. No reservations are needed. Lectures are 30 minutes; stargazing and panel Q&A last 60 minutes. Stay only as long as you want.

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

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