Stargazing Lecture

This is back to occurring in-person, so if the weather allows, we will host our telescope-aided stargazing. Event will be hybrid, so we'll stream the lecture and the panel Q&A over YouTube livestream. In-person audience members will be required to prove full vaccination status at the door and wear a mask while in indoor spaces as per Caltech policy.

Join the YouTube Livestream here: https://youtu.be/nCvvSLCziZA

8:00–8:30 p.m. - Public Lecture
8:30–10:00 p.m. - Panel Q&A and Guided Stargazing

Neutron stars are matter's last stand in the battle against total collapse under the overwhelming force of gravity. With masses comparable to that of our Sun yet smaller in size than the island of Manhattan, neutron star interiors drive matter to extreme conditions with densities exceeding those found in the nuclei of atoms. These extreme conditions can only be described with our most advanced physics theories: Quantum Chromodynamics and General Relativity. At the same time, neutron stars are at the heart of some of the most energetic astronomical events we observe, from supernova explosions to collisions of neutron stars and black holes. I will describe what neutron stars are, what we know about them, and what we do not know but attempt to learn using collisions of neutron stars and black holes observed with gravitational waves.

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. No reservations are needed. Lectures are 30 minutes; stargazing and panel Q&A last 90 minutes. Stay only as long as you want.

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

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