Date: Thursday, February 16th, 2023
Time: 7 pm
Location: Register on Zoom
Tickets: $5-$15 suggested donation (Support us on Patreon or make a one-time donation here)
Event Website: https://www.scienceontaporwa.org/events/online_feb_16_blackholes/
Light can’t escape from black holes, how do we know where they are and what they’re doing? Black holes formed from dying massive stars are the densest things in the universe. They have ten to 100 times the mass of the Sun crammed into a space that is only tens of miles across. There are also supermassive black holes at the centers of most galaxies (including our own Milky Way galaxy), that are millions to billions of times more massive than the Sun.
Black holes get their name because their gravity is so strong that not even light can escape, so they look black to us. However, we still know where lots of them are. Scientists can find and study black holes from effects they have on the space environment around them. In this talk, astronomer Dr. Abbie Stevens tells us about the ways of finding black holes and learning more about their extreme physics.
Dr. Abbie Stevens is an NSF Astronomy & Astrophysics Postdoctoral Fellow at Michigan State University and the University of Michigan. She studies black holes and neutron stars by looking at X-ray light coming from stars they’re eating. Alongside this research, Abbie is involved in X-ray space telescopes, science advising on creative projects, open-source software development, astronomy data science, science literacy education, and mental health initiatives in academia.
Auto-generated captioning available.
Recorded live shows are available to Patreon members about a week later.
Science on Tap is a science lecture series where you can sit back, drink a pint, and enjoy learning. Listen to experts talk about the science in your neighborhood and around the world. You don't have to be a science geek to have fun--all you need is a thirst for knowledge! For more information on this event or about Science on Tap, visit Science on Tap OR WA.