LECTURES & TALKS

The region around the Galactic Center contains a well-characterized excess of gamma rays, which has garnered great interest as a possible signal of either dark matter particles colliding and annihilating, or a previously undiscovered population of pulsars in the stellar bulge. Analyses of the photon statistics of this excess have been used to argue that the pulsar interpretation is strongly favored -- however, I will present recent work arguing that it may be premature to exclude a dark matter origin for the excess on these grounds. I will outline the history of our understanding of the excess and the arguments for various interpretations, describe the current status of the controversy, and discuss future paths forward

Description: The nature of dark matter is one of the most captivating and fundamental open problems facing physicists today. Over many decades, we have collected overwhelming evidence for the existence of dark matter in the universe. Some of the strongest evidence comes from observations of the growth of galaxies and clusters of galaxies, from tiny clumps of matter at the earliest times to the vast patterns of stellar structures that we see in our telescopes today. These patterns are created by streams of dark matter coming together under the influence of their gravitational attraction. There are new ideas about dark matter in which these streams are not completely dark but, rather, can be coaxed into revealing themselves as they shine ever so faintly. This talk will review our knowledge of dark matter, and describe new methods for revealing its flow being developed here at SLAC. About the Speaker: Sebastian Ellis is a theoretical physicist working to understand the mysteries of elementary particle physics. After completing his undergraduate and masters degrees in the UK, he obtained his PhD from the University of Michigan in 2017. Later that year he joined the SLAC theory group as a postdoctoral researcher. His recent research has been focused on understanding dark matter, and studying what role it might play in answering other fundamental questions of nature.

What is a degenerate object in space? From white dwarfs to neutron stars, and brown dwarfs to planets, the universe is full of degenerate objects, a classification used in physics. Museum Curator Dr. Rebecca Oppenheimer discusses 25 years of her own research on these small but fascinating denizens of the universe. Dr. Oppenheimer is a comparative exoplanetary scientist: she studies planets orbiting stars other than the Sun. Her optics laboratory in the Rose Center for Earth and Space is the birthplace of a number of new astronomical instruments designed to tackle the problem of directly seeing and taking spectra of nearby solar systems. In March 2004, Dr. Oppenheimer deployed the world’s most sensitive coronagraph at the AEOS Telescope in Maui. See lyot.org for more information. In June 2008, her team deployed an even more precise and sensitive exoplanet imaging system at the Palomar Observatory. This instrument is called Project 1640 and involves researchers at AMNH, Cambridge, Caltech, and NASA/JPL. All of these instrumentation efforts, as well as several others including the starlight suppression system for the International Gemini Observatory Planet Imager project (GPI), were conducted in Oppenheimer’s lab in the Museum’s Rose Center for Earth and Space. Project 1640 became the first research effort to conduct a reconnaissance of all the known planets in another planetary system in March 2013. Dr. Oppenheimer also works on faint white dwarfs, the remnants of normal stars, and brown dwarfs, star-like objects that are too small to be stars but too large to be called planets. She is the co-discoverer of the first brown dwarf, called Gliese 229B, and was the first scientist to study the atmospheric composition, chemistry, and physics of a sub-stellar object outside our solar system. This is Dr. Oppenheimer’s second visit to the Westport Observatory. Her last visit was November 2011 when she spoke about recent Kepler findings in her talk The Universe of Worlds: Comparative Exoplanet Science.

Thirty-five years ago, a group of entrepreneurs and scientists founded the SETI Institute – the first scientific institute dedicated to the search for extraterrestrial life in the universe. We’re excited to commemorate this anniversary. We invited SETI Institute co-founder Jill Tarter and 2018 Drake Award Recipient Vikki Meadows to discuss the challenges and possible future strategies for the detection of life. Initiated by Jill Tarter in 1990s, Project Phoenix marked the first systematic search for technosignatures. Today, the Allen Telescope Array and Laser SETI are driving our technosignature search. The discovery that exoplanets are common has radically changed our view of the universe. The likelihood that there are habitable worlds elsewhere in the universe seems more plausible than ever before. Astronomers, including Vikki Meadows, are developing new instruments to help search for life on other planets. By analyzing data from exoplanets and identifying biosignatures, we will be able to search for habitable planets and the presence of life. Which approach will discover the first evidence of extraterrestrial life? Will technosignatures or biosignatures confirm our hypothesis that life exists outside our watery, shimmering planet and that, indeed, we are not alone? Molly Bentley, the co-host and producer of the radio program and podcast, Big Picture Science, will be the moderator.

From exoplanets, with their surprising lack of spectral features, to Titan and its characteristic haze layer, numerous planetary atmospheres may possess photochemically produced particles of "haze". With few exceptions, we lack strong observational constraints (in situ or remote sensing) on the size, shape, density, and composition of these particles. Photochemical models, which can generally explain the observed abundances of smaller, gas phase molecules, are not well suited for investigations of much larger, solid phase particles. Laboratory investigations of haze formation in planetary atmospheres therefore play a key role in improving our understanding of the formation and composition of haze particles. I will discuss a series of experiments aimed at improving our understanding of the physical and chemical properties of planetary atmospheric hazes on Titan, Pluto, super-Earths, and mini-Neptunes.

Just as the Earth has cycles, our closest star, the Sun, has cycles of activity that we call space weather. Throughout the 11-year solar cycle, the Sun goes from a relatively quiet, spotless disk to a busy, flaring ball of plasma. If these flares are pointed at Earth, we see the effects in our GPS, radio, power grid systems, and even in high altitude or polar flights. In this talk, we will see how the Sun is a dynamic source of energy that in turn affects our planet Earth in many ways in the form of space weather. By Dr. Anthony DeStefano, NASA Marshall Flight Space Center. From the November 1, 2019 General Meeting of the Memphis Astronomical Society. Due to a microphone glitch, only 22 minutes of the talk was captured, sorry about that 🙁 http://www.MemphisAstro.org https://www.facebook.com/groups/memphisastro/ https://twitter.com/society_memphis

Some of the smallest and lightest rockets in NASA’s lineup have made some of the biggest impacts on science. With a flight time of just about 15 minutes before falling back to Earth, sounding rockets collect unique observations on everything from our planet’s atmosphere to the Sun and even distant galaxies. Join us live to hear from scientists who have traveled to the ends of the Earth to launch sounding rockets, flown cutting-edge instruments on these suborbital flights, and used sounding rockets to make brand-new scientific discoveries.

Former NASA Associate Administrator for the Office of Policy and Plans, Alan Ladwig, will discuss his book, See You in Orbit? Our Dream of Spaceflight. The lecture will be followed by a book signing. Books will be available for purchase in the Observatory gift shop. All Space Considered is Griffith Observatory’s live science program that is free and open to the public, held the first Friday of every month. Subscribe now for more All Space Considered clips: https://www.youtube.com/subscription_center?add_user=griffithobservatory Watch All Space Considered videos: https://www.youtube.com/griffithobservatory Learn more about All Space Considered on our official site: http://griffithobservatory.org/asc/all_space.html Follow All Space Considered on SOCIAL MEDIA: Twitter: https://twitter.com/allspacecnsdrd Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AllSpaceConsidered/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/allspaceconsidered/ -Disclaimer- WE DO NOT OWN THE RIGHTS TO THE, VIDEOS, MUSICAL MATERIAL OR PICTURES PRESENT THAT WERE NOT CREATED DIRECTLY BY GRIFFITH OBSERVATORY OR ITS AFFILIATES, ALL CREDIT FOR THIS MATERIAL GOES TO THE ORIGINAL ARTISTS, CREATORS AND COMPOSERS. Fair Use: "Copyright Disclaimer Under Section 107 of the Copyright Act 1976, allowance is made for "fair use" for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research. Fair use is a use permitted by copyright statute that might otherwise be infringing. Non-profit, educational or personal use tips the balance in favor of fair use."

1080P - 60 Host: Mercedes Lopez-Morales Speaker: David Sing (STScI) Abstract: To date, Hubble has played the definitive role in the characterization of exoplanet atmospheres. From the first planets available, we have learned that their atmospheres are incredibly diverse. With HST, JWST, and TESS a new era of atmospheric studies is opening up, where wide scale comparative planetology is now possible. Such studies can provide insight into the underlying physical process through comparative studies. Hubble’s full spectroscopic capabilities are now being used to produce the first large-scale, simultaneous UVOIR comparative study of 20 exoplanets ranging from super-Earth to Neptune and Jupiter sizes. With full UV to infrared wavelength coverage, an entire planet’s atmosphere can be probed simultaneously and with sufficient numbers of planets, it will be possible to statistically compare their features with physical parameters. The panchromatic treasury program aims at build a lasting HST legacy, providing the UV and blue-optical exoplanet spectra which will be unavailable to JWST, providing key insights into clouds and mass loss. I will review the highlights of the program to date, which include atmospheric water resolved in emission and new absorption features seen in transmission such as escaping ionized metals. I will also present the latest findings from the ongoing Hubble Treasury program and discuss synergies with JWST.

LHCb has observed CP violations in charm quarks. What implications does this have on our quest to find out why there's more matter than antimatter in the universe? Subscribe for regular science videos: http://bit.ly/RiSubscRibe Tara Shears is Professor of Physics at the University of Liverpool. She is an experimental particle physicist, and focuses on testing the Standard Model at the high energy frontier with the LHCb experiment at CERN’s Large Hadron Collider. --- A very special thank you to our Patreon supporters who help make these videos happen, especially: Andrew McGhee, Anna Chiara Bellini, Anonymous, Dave Ostler, David Lindo, David Schick, Erik Shepherd, Greg Nagel, Jan Bannister, Joe Godenzi, John C. Vesey, Kellas Lowery, Lasse T. Stendan, Lester Su, Osian Gwyn Williams, Paul Brown, Rebecca Pan, Robert Hillier, Robert Reinecke and Roger Baker. --- The Ri is on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/TheRoyalInstitution and Twitter: http://twitter.com/ri_science and Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/royalinstitution and Tumblr: http://ri-science.tumblr.com/ Our editorial policy: http://www.rigb.org/home/editorial-policy Subscribe for the latest science videos: http://bit.ly/RiNewsletter Product links on this page may be affiliate links which means it won't cost you any extra but we may earn a small commission if you decide to purchase through the link.

In her Nov. 6 talk at Perimeter Institute, astrophysicist and author Elizabeth Tasker will take audiences for a speculative stroll through a few of the alien worlds we’ve discovered in the galaxy, and ponder whether someone else may already call them home.

Unveiling the Cosmos: Key Inventions Behind the Modern Telescope Sarah Kendrew of the European Space Agency/STScI The astronomical telescope is a relatively recent invention in the ancient science of stargazing. Over the past 400 years, generation after generation of technology has transformed telescopes from passive observing tools to complex, highly automated workhorses of science. This astounding increase in sophistication has brought forth a golden age of astronomical discovery and ever-new insights into the nature of the universe and our place within it. Join Dr. Sarah Kendrew for an illustrated guide to the technological inventions that enabled this cosmic transformation. Host: Dr. Frank Summers of the Space Telescope Science Institute Recorded live on Tuesday, November 5, 2019, at the Space Telescope Science Institute in Baltimore, Maryland, U.S.A. More information: www.stsci.edu/public-lectures

If you look closely at any part of our Universe, you’ll find something familiar. If enough people look with you, you might find something nobody has ever seen before. Join Drs. Chris Lintott and Laura Trouille to find out how scientists cope with surprises, what’s it’s like to think you might have found aliens, and how you too might make a remarkable discovery from the comfort of your home. Learn more: http://bit.ly/2m14ECG --- About the Adler Planetarium The Adler Planetarium connects people to the Universe and each other. Whether it is introducing a guest to the Ring Nebula, a neighborhood school to a community partner, a research team to a network of citizen scientists, or one staff member to another, the Adler’s focus on meaningful connections dates back nearly a century. Today, the museum hosts more than half a million visitors each year and reaches millions more through youth STEM programs, neighborhood skywatching events, online citizen science, and other outreach projects. With the Adler’s support, people of all ages, backgrounds, and abilities gain the confidence to explore their Universe together and return to their communities ready to think critically and creatively about any challenge that comes their way. --- About the Kavli Foundation The Kavli Foundation is dedicated to the advancement of science for the benefit of humanity. The Foundation supports scientific research, honors scientific achievement, and promotes public understanding of scientists and their work. The Foundation's mission is implemented through an international program of research institutes, professorships, symposia and other initiatives in the fields of astrophysics, nanoscience, neuroscience and theoretical physics. The Foundation is also a founding partner of the Kavli Prizes, which recognize scientists for their seminal advances in astrophysics, nanoscience and neuroscience.

230th Meeting of the American Astronomical Society, Austin, TX Monday, 5 June 2017, 10:15 am CDT Welcome Rick Fienberg (AAS Press Officer) What Gravitational Waves from Black Holes Say About Supernova Physics Richard O'Shaughnessy (Rochester Institute of Technology) Blowing the Cover of a Hidden Black Hole Stephanie Juneau (National Optical Astronomy Observatory) The Magnetic Origin of Black Hole Accretion Disk Winds Chris Shrader (NASA Goddard Space Flight Center) Magnetic Field Transport in Accretion Disks Ethan T. Vishniac (Johns Hopkins Univ.)

231st Meeting of the American Astronomical Society, Washington, DC Tuesday, 9 January 2018, 2:15 pm EST Welcome Rick Fienberg (AAS Press Officer) Time-Resolved Spectroscopy of Cepheid Variable Stars Katherine Hartman (Pomona College) & Rachael Beaton (Princeton University) The More the Metals, the Closer the Planet Robert F. Wilson (University of Virginia) Measuring the Masses of Supermassive Black Holes Catherine Grier (Pennsylvania State University) Supermassive Black Holes Bully Even the Smallest Galaxies Karen Masters (Haverford College / University of Portsmouth)

231st Meeting of the American Astronomical Society, Washington, DC Tuesday, 9 January 2018, 12:45 pm EST Welcome Rick Fienberg (AAS Press Officer) TESS Mission Overview and Science Objectives George Ricker (Massachusetts Institute of Technology) TESS’s Anticipated Exoplanet Bounty & Ground-Based Follow-up Sara Seager (Massachusetts Institute of Technology) TESS Guest Investigator Program Science Padi Boyd (NASA Goddard Space Flight Center) Combining TESS with Current (Hubble) and Future (Webb) Missions Elisa Quintana (NASA Goddard Space Flight Center)

231st Meeting of the American Astronomical Society, Washington, DC Tuesday, 9 January 2018, 10:15 am EST Welcome Rick Fienberg (AAS Press Officer) Overview & Introduction Kimberly Ennico (NASA Ames Research Center) SOFIA/HAWC+ Polarization in Galaxies: It’s All About the Magnetic Fields Enrique Lopez Rodriguez (USRA / SOFIA Science Center) HAWC+/SOFIA Observations of the Rho Ophiuchi A Star-Forming Region Fabio Santos (Northwestern University) Interstellar Dust Grain Alignment — Why Do We Detect Polarization? B-G Andersson (SOFIA / USRA) Characterizing the Origin of Ionized-Carbon Emission from Spiral Galaxies Elizabeth Tarantino (University of Maryland)

Ever feel disheartened about the lack of a budget to get into astrophotography? Well, Adrian Aberdeen gives us a few ideas on how to get into astrophotography in a way that is less painful to your wallet. Adrian is a member and councillor for the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada-Toronto Centre. He gave his presentation at the Recreational Astronomy Night meeting, which was held at the Ontario Science Centre on October 9, 2019.

In a special public lecture webcast at Perimeter Institute on October 23, 2019, Gabriela González will provide a first-hand account of LIGO’s century-in-the-making breakthrough, and explain observations made as recently as this year. González, a professor of physics and astronomy at Louisiana State University and former spokesperson of the LIGO collaboration, will take the audience on a journey to some of the universe’s most violent places, and explain how such distant events can lead to a very bright future here on Earth. The Perimeter Institute Public Lecture Series is made possible in part by the support of donors like you. Be part of the equation: https://insidetheperimeter.ca/donate BMO Financial Group is a Supporting Partner of this talk.

Original Air Date: Oct. 17, 2019 All the material we can see is just a small fraction of the universe. The rest, a full 95 percent, is invisible and mysterious. These are the enigmatic dark matter and dark energy. While dark matter keeps things like galaxies together, dark energy acts in an opposite way – it pushes groups of galaxies apart and expands the universe itself. This event will discuss how astronomers are working to map the universe’s dark matter so they can see the effects of dark energy. The results could help us understand if the universe will expand at an accelerating rate forever. Host: Preston Dyches Speaker(s): Alina Kiessling — Astrophysicist, NASA-JPL Jason Rhodes — Astrophysicist, NASA-JPL

Check out Charles Liu’s book: https://amzn.to/2VOM8v6 On this episode of StarTalk Radio, we celebrate World Space Week! The annual event has been celebrating the “contributions of space science and technology to the betterment of the human condition” since its ratification by the United Nations in 1999. This year is no different except for the fact that our own Neil deGrasse Tyson, comic co-host Matt Kirshen, and astrophysicist and StarTalk geek-in-chief Charles Liu, PhD, are joining the celebration by answering your fan-submitted Cosmic Queries on a variety of cosmic topics! Explore the possibilities of higher dimensions in our universe. We investigate certain theories that allow for “compactified dimensions.” We also discuss Edwin Abbott’s iconic book, Flatland, and ponder how to explain a third dimension to someone in a two-dimensional universe. Next, we raise our sights to asteroids. What are the most common metals found on asteroids and how do mine them? Neil explains why, even if there is an abundance of curiosity, money is still always the driving factor. You’ll hear about the state of solar energy. Find out the real costs inherent in the solar marketplace. Charles sheds light (pun intended) on the difficulties of switching from old technology to new technology. We harken back to the rapid switch from horses to cars and debate why the switch from fossil fuels to renewable resources has taken so much longer. Discover more about speed of light travel: how you would protect those traveling in a vehicle at the speed of light, how The Flash is able to travel at the speed of light, and why it’s possible that you might not even be you at the speed of light. You’ll also hear about terraforming Mars and why the lack of atmosphere presents a big problem. Learn why it’s beneficial to put space telescopes on the far side of the Moon. Our trio weighs in on who will lead humanity’s journey through space? Governments, the private sector, or a combination of both? All that, plus, we discuss how to market space travel to those who find it unnecessary or extravagant. This episode originally aired on October 4, 2019. #StarTalk #NeildeGrasseTyson #Mars

Kelly Chance, Senior Physicist in Atomic and Molecular Physics, Center for Astrophysics | Harvard & Smithsonian The Smithsonian/NASA Tropospheric Emissions: Monitoring of Pollution satellite instrument (TEMPO; tempo.si.edu) will measure atmospheric pollution and much more over North America at hourly time resolution or better and 2km (N/S)×5km (E/W) spatial resolution. It will measure ground-level ozone, its chemical precursors, clouds, and aerosols. TEMPO will be launched in early 2022. TEMPO will measure from a geostationary vantage point 35,786 km above Earth's equator at 93°W. Applications include air quality and health; ozone production; biomass burning; lightning nitrogen dioxide; soil nitrogen and fertilizer application; crop and forest damage from ozone; chlorophyll and primary productivity; water vapor studies including atmospheric rivers, hurricanes, and corn sweat; and rush hour pollution. Original music by Mark C. Petersen, Loch Ness Productions. Used with permission. Animations used under Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. Photo credit: David Glenn

Dan Ward speaks on techniques and tools to use your smartphone for astrophotography. Recorded at Star Gaze 2019 hosted by the Northern Virginia Astronomy Club

Dr Tom Barklay speaks on Discovering planets around the nearest and brightest stars with the Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite. Recorded at StarGaze 2019 hosted by the Northern Virginia Astronomy Club

Professor Karim Jaffer presented his method of engaging Grade 12 level students from diverse backgrounds in the field of astronomy. With the aid and partnership of RASC Montreal Centre, he mentors students in observational techniques and public outreach. He discusses some of the projects they have created as well as the students who are still engaged in astronomy by participating in outreach events and by becoming members of RASC Montreal Centre even after they have left college. He spoke at the RASC/AAVSO General Assembly, which was held on campus at York University on June 15, 2019.

The SETI Institute's Nathalie Cabrol walks you through what it's like to prepare for a month-long field expedition to the mountains of Chile.

Paul Jones is the President of the Ancient City Astronomy Club, but that doesn't stop him from collaborating with NEFAS! Paul talked about his decades of experience watching meteors at the September 2019 club meeting of the Northeast Florida Astronomical Society [NEFAS] in Jacksonville, Florida. What is NEFAS? NEFAS, or the Northeast Florida Astronomical Society, is an organization of amateur astronomers who live, serve, and observe in Northeast Florida. We operate primarily in Jacksonville, Florida and its surrounding communities. We are a “non-profit organization expanding horizons through education and observation.” Visit us at: Web: http://nefas.org/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/2209926886/ Twitter: @NEFAS_org Instagram: nefas_jacksonville ...or at one of our club meetings or public events found on the website calendar. Find Paul and the ACAC here: http://www.acacstaugfl.org/ Clear skies!

Once we get there, can we Survive on Mars? Find out from special guests, Astrogeochemist Dr. Robin Bond, and a team from VOX Media’s new YouTube Originals learning series Glad You Asked. Watch more Glad You Asked here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x8fpeVICeGg All Space Considered is Griffith Observatory’s live science program that is free and open to the public, held the first Friday of every month. Subscribe now for more All Space Considered clips: https://www.youtube.com/subscription_center?add_user=griffithobservatory Watch All Space Considered videos: https://www.youtube.com/griffithobservatory Learn more about All Space Considered on our official site: http://griffithobservatory.org/asc/all_space.html Follow All Space Considered on SOCIAL MEDIA: Twitter: https://twitter.com/allspacecnsdrd Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AllSpaceConsidered/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/allspaceconsidered/ -Disclaimer- WE DO NOT OWN THE RIGHTS TO THE, VIDEOS, MUSICAL MATERIAL OR PICTURES PRESENT THAT WERE NOT CREATED DIRECTLY BY GRIFFITH OBSERVATORY OR ITS AFFILIATES, ALL CREDIT FOR THIS MATERIAL GOES TO THE ORIGINAL ARTISTS, CREATORS AND COMPOSERS. Fair Use: "Copyright Disclaimer Under Section 107 of the Copyright Act 1976, allowance is made for "fair use" for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research. Fair use is a use permitted by copyright statute that might otherwise be infringing. Non-profit, educational or personal use tips the balance in favor of fair use."

Ponente: Paola Caselli, directora del Max-Planck-Institute for extraterrestrial Physics Molecules are unique tracers of the dynamical and chemical evolution of star and planet forming regions. Thus, astrochemistry is crucial to test theories and shed light on our origins. In this talk I shall review the chemical and physical structure of interstellar clouds, where stars and planets are formed, as well as theoretical work on protoplanetary disk formation and early evolution. Links to our Solar System will be made.

Michel Mayor, Premio Nobel de Física 2019 por el descubrimiento del primer exoplaneta junto a Didier Queloz. Le acompañan: - María Rosa Zapatero Osorio, astrofísica del CAB - Ricardo Amils, geomicrobiólogo en el CAB - Eva Mateo, física-química en el CAB - José Antonio Caballero, astrofísico en el CAB y moderador de la mesa #MichelMayor #NobelPrize #astrobiology #astrobiología #exoplanets #exoplanetas

Dr. Grant Heiken discusses the purpose and functions of the Lunar Receiving Laboratory at the Manned Spaceflight Center (now the Johnson Space Center). Heiken was a member of the Lunar Sample Preliminary Examination Team during Apollo and was the lead editor of The Lunar Sourcebook. This was the first presentation in the Lunar and Planetary Institute’s 2019–2020 Cosmic Exploration Speaker Series — Apollo to Artemis: Exploring Our Moon.

Royal Astronomical Society of Canada - Toronto Centre Recreational Astronomy Night October 9, 2019 Jim Chung - What You Never Knew About Cleaning Optics 7:55 Adrian Aberdeen - Quality Astrophotography on a Budget 33:20 Denis Grey - The Sky This Month 1:08:07 Ralph Chou - Announcements 1:35:53

Dr Tom Barklay speaks on Discovering planets around the nearest and brightest stars with the Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite. Recorded at StarGaze 2019 hosted by the Northern Virginia Astronomy Club

Dan Ward speaks on techniques and tools to use your smartphone for astrophotography. Recorded at Star Gaze 2019 hosted by the Northern Virginia Astronomy Club

Webinar archive entitled, “Exploring the Moon: Past, Present & Future” featuring NASA Astromaterials Research & Exploration Science (ARES) scientist, John Gruener. (Live webinar held on 10/2/19).

Ponente: Dr. Emilio Cocinero. Universidad del País Vasco (UPV/EHU). Instituto de Biofisika (CSIC-UPV-EHU) En este seminario se presentarán varios estudios sobre biomoléculas (hidratos de carbono y glucopéptidos) y varias aplicaciones, aprovechando una estrategia experimental que combina microondas y espectroscopia láser en alta resolución, NMR, cálculo y síntesis. La espectroscopia de láser ofrece alta sensibilidad y selectividad, por lo que es ideal para el estudio de sistemas bioquímicos de tamaño medio-grande. Además, la espectroscopia de microondas proporciona una mayor resolución y un acceso directo a la estructura molecular. Este enfoque combinado no solo proporciona información química precisa sobre la conformación, la estructura y las propiedades moleculares, sino también normas de evaluación comparativa que guían el desarrollo de cálculos teóricos. Para ilustrar estas posibilidades, se presentarán los resultados sobre el paisaje de conformación de varios carbohidratos, péptidos y glucopépidos con diferentes roles biológicos. Además, se presentarán otras aplicaciones de la espectroscopia de alta resolución. __________ Laser spectroscopy offers high sensitivity and selectivity, making it ideal for studying biochemical systems of medium-large size. Moreover, microwave spectroscopy provides higher resolution and direct access to molecular structure. This combined approach provides not only accurate chemical insight on conformation, structure and molecular properties, but also benchmarking standards guiding the development of theoretical calculations. In order to illustrate these possibilities, there will be presented the results on the conformational landscape of several carbohydrates, peptides and glycopeptides with different biological roles, as well as other applications of high resolution spectroscopies. #astrobiología #astrobiology #science #ciencia #biología

How was the speed of light first measured? Albert Einstein deduced it was the speed limit for everything in the universe. Is it possible to go faster? A lecture by Katherine Blundell OBE, Gresham Professor of Astronomy 02 October 2019 1PM BST https://www.gresham.ac.uk/lectures-and-events/faster-than-light The speed of light has fundamental significance.  This talk will explain how the speed of light was first measured, and how an obscure but brilliant patent clerk in Bern, Switzerland by the name of Albert Einstein deduced that the speed of light is the upper speed limit for everything in the Universe. It is even possible for things to be measured as travelling faster than the speed of light and I will explain how that is permissible and understandable in an Einsteinian worldview. #GreshamLectures #Astronomy #Lightspeed #Science #Space #Light #Universe

Paul Mortfield gave an up-to-the-minute account of the instrumentation, operation and results of the exciting RASC National initiative, the Robotic Telescope project. He presented the update at the RASC/AAVSO 2019 General Assembly on June 15, 2019 at York University.

Watch Anna Ho, a graduate student in the astronomy department at Caltech, discuss Chaucer and Milton and other artists who grappled with developments in astronomy, and who incorporated an updated understanding of the universe into their dialogue and imagery. "I found and visited the famous Galileo grown old..." These are the words of John Milton in 1644. His most famous work, the epic poem Paradise Lost, was published in the wake of transformative discoveries and controversies enabled by the use of the telescope for astronomy. Centuries earlier, Geoffrey Chaucer wrote a technical treatise on an astronomical instrument, the astrolabe; it was one of his most widely circulated works, second only to The Canterbury Tales. Anna Ho is a graduate student in the astronomy department at Caltech. For her research, she uses the Zwicky Transient Facility at Palomar Observatory to investigate the death throes, deaths, and afterlives of massive stars. Before coming to Caltech, she obtained her B.S. in Physics at MIT and spent a year on a Fulbright Scholarship at the Max Planck Institute for Astronomy in Heidelberg, Germany.

Bob Trembley will take you on a tour of the Solar System, the Milky Way Galaxy and beyond! Using the amazing app Space Engine, Bob will fly you to several different planets and moons in our solar system, and then fly you to nebulae, star clusters and wherever else the audience might wish to go. Bob’s comment about Space Engine is that “it’s one of the few apps that really makes you appreciate that you live in a sea of stars!” SpaceEngine is the application used to create the graphics for OVERVIEW VR – which Bob has shown to hundreds of people, including several WAS members. Bob uses SpaceEngine every week to create exoplanet images for his posts on the Sacred Space Astronomy blog – the blog of the Vatican Observatory Foundation. Bob Trembley has been an amateur astronomer and has loved astronomy and space his entire life; he is a volunteer NASA/JPL Solar System Ambassador, and the 2019 outreach officer for the Warren Astronomical Society. Bob works for the Vatican Observatory Foundation, writing astronomy and space science posts for the “Sacred Space Astronomy Blog” with Br. Guy Consolmagno and other astronomers. Bob also maintains the VOF website, does social media work, creates newsletters and media… and whatever else gets thrown at him. Bob is fantastically interested in asteroids, near-Earth objects (NEOs), and meteorites. Bob is a HUGE fan of educational space-related PC software such as: NASA’s Eyes on the Solar System, Universe Sandbox, SpaceEngine and Kerbal Space Program. Bob and his wife Constance, a middle-school science teacher and also a Solar System Ambassador, run an after-school astronomy and space science club at Connie’s school called the “Endeavour Space Academy.” --- The views expressed in presentations are those of the speakers and do not necessarily represent, and should not be attributed to, the Warren Astronomical Society.

Without the fear and clashing political ideologies of the Cold War to fuel a space race, what will fuel the “new” space race? On this episode of StarTalk Radio, Neil deGrasse Tyson sits down with comic co-host Ray Ellin to explore what will push human space exploration further out into the solar system. You’ll learn why the United States’ history as space “pioneers” needs adjusting. We investigate why we haven’t gone back to the Moon in decades. Find out if the Moon would be a good launching and refueling station for missions going further out. You’ll hear why human endeavors on Mars will require survival based on Martian resources. We also explore why traveling to another star, like Alpha Centauri, will take more rocket power than we have currently, possibly even requiring a development like warp drives. Explore why the Space Force is not necessarily a crazy idea, and why it partially exists already. We talk about the possible activities of the Space Force, and whether or not they might include cleaning up space junk. Brush up on the International Space Treaty of 1967 as we ponder what would happen if another country destroyed the flag planted by the United States on the Moon. We also address the question, “Can you own space?” Get details on NASA’s Office of Planetary Protection and how it protects the Earth and other celestial bodies from contaminating each other. Discover more about which countries might be involved in a “new” space race and whether there’s any merit to the idea of sending world leaders into space. We also discuss if this new space race should even be framed as a “race.” All that, plus, Neil shares his thoughts on why exploring space should eventually be like exploring your own backyard. This episode originally aired as a podcast on February 22, 2019 #SpaceRace #NeildeGrasseTyson #SpaceForce

Harvard University Professor of Physics Andrew Strominger explores the deep theoretical puzzles that have driven black hole research and the insights achieved by recent breakthroughs. This program is part of the Big Ideas Series, made possible with support from the John Templeton Foundation. - SUBSCRIBE to our YouTube Channel and "ring the bell" for all the latest videos from WSF - VISIT our Website: http://www.worldsciencefestival.com - LIKE us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/worldsciencefestival - FOLLOW us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/WorldSciFest

Thursday, August 15, 2019 @ 7:00 pm Hilton El Conquistador Turquoise Ballroom 10000 North Oracle Road, Tucson, Arizona, 85704 The Large Synoptic Survey Telescope (LSST) is approaching completion on the Cerro Pachón ridge in north-central Chile. When science operations begin in 2022, LSST will scan the sky with the world’s largest digital camera, creating a 500 petabyte set of images and data products that will address the most pressing questions about the structure and evolution of the universe and the objects in it. Among these objects are black holes, objects so dense they warp the fabric of space-time, objects whose incredible properties are only recently becoming known to us. You are invited to join us for an evening of black hole science and learn about Tucson’s leadership role in LSST’s voyage of scientific discovery. During this public event, LSST Project Manager Victor Krabbendam will provide an update on LSST construction progress, University of Arizona astrophysicist Feryal Özel will discuss the latest black hole discoveries from the Event Horizon Telescope (EHT) and Northwestern University’s Raffaella Margutti will describe what we have learned from the first multi-messenger observations of a neutron star merger with gravitational waves and light, and what might be revealed when LSST begins its ten-year survey. Speakers: Raffaella Margutti, Northwestern University Raffaella Margutti is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Physics & Astronomy at Northwestern University. She utilizes observations of transient astrophysical phenomena including stellar explosions and stellar tidal disruptions by supermassive black holes. She serves as the chair of the Gravitational Wave source follow-up with LSST within the LSST Transient and Variable Stars science collaboration. As an astrophysicist, her research specifically focuses on the biggest explosions and disruptions that occur in our Universe: Supernovae, Gamma-Ray Bursts, compact stellar mergers that are sources of gravitational waves and tidal disruption events. Dr. Margutti investigates the physics of these events by combining broad-band observations across the electromagnetic spectrum, including X-ray, UV, optical, IR, and radio. The primary goal of her research is to understand the nature of the physical processes that regulate such dramatic displays. Feryal Özel, University of Arizona Feryal Özel is a Professor of Astronomy and Astrophysics in the Department of Astronomy at University of Arizona. She has made pioneering contributions to the physics of neutron stars and black holes, as well as to the co-evolution of black holes and galaxies in the early Universe. Dr. Özel led the Model Comparison group for the Event Horizon Telescope (EHT) that released the first image of a black hole in April of 2019. She made the first accurate measurements of the neutron star radii that constrain the ultradense matter equation of state. Based on her work on accretion flows, she made the first size predictions of the images of nearby supermassive black holes at different wavelengths. Victor Krabbendam, LSST Victor Krabbendam has been LSST Project Manager since 2012, after eight years as Project Manager for the LSST Telescope & Site subsystem. Trained as a mechanical engineer, Victor has worked in industry, government, and with major astronomical research facilities including the Hobby-Eberly Telescope at McDonald Observatory and the Southern Astrophysical Research (SOAR) Telescope, a 4.1 meter telescope that is LSST's neighbor on Cerro Pachón. Slides: https://project.lsst.org/meetings/lsst2019/sites/lsst.org.meetings.lsst2019/files/FINAL-LSST%20Black%20Holes%20PCW%202019.pdf Download: https://gallery.lsst.org/bp/#/folder/6743808/96990895 Use policy https://gallery.lsst.org/bp/#/brandguidelines/2206/section/17286

Planetary Astronomer Michael Busch and Senior Astronomer Seth Shostak discuss a recent visit from Comet Borisov, C/2019 Q4.

Brown dwarfs are the missing link between giant planets and stars. In recent years, very low-mass brown dwarfs have been discovered which share a remarkable resemblance with the directly-imaged planets. In this talk, Dr. Vos discusses how we identify such objects and what they can tell us about the atmospheres of directly-imaged planets. Johanna Vos received her undergraduate degree from Trinity College Dublin in 2014 and her Ph.D. in Astronomy from the University of Edinburgh in 2018. She is now a Postdoctoral Fellow at the American Museum of Natural History as part of the Brown Dwarfs in New York City (BDNYC) group. Her research focuses on the atmospheres and spin properties of brown dwarfs and exoplanet analogs.

Original air date: Sept. 19, 2019 There are no service stations in space. Join Dr. Marc Rayman for the story of how NASA repaired and saved a spacecraft millions of miles away. Speaker: Marc Rayman, Mission Director/Chief Engineer/Project Manager for Deep Space 1 Follow us on your favorite social media platforms for updates @NASAJPL. All chats are moderated. Inappropriate language or posts that harass other individuals will be removed. Be courteous Use respectful language Protect your private information No spam, sexually explicit or discriminatory material Stay on topic

Calum Hervieu looks to humanity’s future on the Moon and the resurgence of lunar exploration. Subscribe for regular science videos: http://bit.ly/RiSubscRibe Watch the Q&A: https://youtu.be/eC5C9JZKyaQ 50 years on from the Apollo program, the Moon has formed the desolate backdrop for a new era of space exploration. This era is one populated not by nations, but by private companies, each vying to make the next giant leap. The race is certainly on, but what’s the prize? Calum Hervieu is a Spacecraft Operations Engineer working on the lunar surface mission definition at PTScientists in Berlin; a New Space company that aims to be the first private company to land a spacecraft on the Moon. This talk and Q&A was filmed in the Ri on 20 July 2019. --- A very special thank you to our Patreon supporters who help make these videos happen, especially: Andrew McGhee, Dave Ostler, David Lindo, David Schick, Erik Shepherd, Greg Nagel, Ivan Korolev, Joe Godenzi, Julia Stone, Lasse T. Stendan, Lester Su, Osian Gwyn Williams, Paul Brown, Radu Tizu, Rebecca Pan, Robert Hillier, Robert Reinecke and Roger Baker. --- The Ri is on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/TheRoyalInstitution and Twitter: http://twitter.com/ri_science and Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/royalinstitution and Tumblr: http://ri-science.tumblr.com/ Our editorial policy: http://www.rigb.org/home/editorial-policy Subscribe for the latest science videos: http://bit.ly/RiNewsletter Product links on this page may be affiliate links which means it won't cost you any extra but we may earn a small commission if you decide to purchase through the link.

How is the access to the moon regulated on an international level? Could the International Space Station be developed into a jumping off point for space travel? Calum Hervieu answers audience questions following his talk. Subscribe for regular science videos: http://bit.ly/RiSubscRibe Watch the talk: https://youtu.be/VOqUvKsyBDA Calum Hervieu is a Spacecraft Operations Engineer working on the lunar surface mission definition at PTScientists in Berlin; a New Space company that aims to be the first private company to land a spacecraft on the Moon. This talk and Q&A was filmed in the Ri on 20 July 2019. --- A very special thank you to our Patreon supporters who help make these videos happen, especially: Andrew McGhee, Dave Ostler, David Lindo, David Schick, Erik Shepherd, Greg Nagel, Ivan Korolev, Joe Godenzi, Julia Stone, Lasse T. Stendan, Lester Su, Osian Gwyn Williams, Paul Brown, Radu Tizu, Rebecca Pan, Robert Hillier, Robert Reinecke and Roger Baker. --- The Ri is on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/TheRoyalInstitution and Twitter: http://twitter.com/ri_science and Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/royalinstitution and Tumblr: http://ri-science.tumblr.com/ Our editorial policy: http://www.rigb.org/home/editorial-policy Subscribe for the latest science videos: http://bit.ly/RiNewsletter Product links on this page may be affiliate links which means it won't cost you any extra but we may earn a small commission if you decide to purchase through the link.

Watch Prof. Kelly Holley-Bockelmann from Vanderbilt University present the talk "Black Holes 101" at the Keck Institute for Space Studies short course "Approaching the Event Horizon - Black Holes and Their Effect on the Universe" (Caltech, September 16, 2019).