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Caltech

Stargazing Lecture

Friday, February 23, 2018
7:00pm to 9:00pm
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Cahill, Hameetman Auditorium
Galaxies Aren't Great at Making Stars
Matt Orr, PhD Candidate, Department of Theoretical Astrophysics (TAPIR), Caltech,

For nearly 100 years, we have known about the existence of galaxies other than our own Milky Way, but only since the late '50s have we known about the rate of star formation in our own galaxy. Only since the late '80s have we had any idea of how well those other galaxies produced stars. It turns out galaxies are terrible at their only job: making stars. They are about 50 times worse at star formation than we might expect, why? Feedback from hot young stars, violent stellar explosions, and how cold-ish gas behaves in galaxies give us some clues.

About the Series

Stargazing Lectures are free lectures at a public level followed by 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 lasts 90 minutes. Stay only as long as you want.

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

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

Download the series flyer (PDF)

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