April 15, 2016 8-10PM

Event Type: Lecture and Stargazing
Title: Astronomy from the Bottom of the Earth: Telescopes at the South Pole
Lecturer: Abby Crites
Position: Postdoctoral Fellow
Institution: Caltech
Abstract:
The South Pole represents a unique environment for studying the evolution of the Universe. Its extreme cold, dark skies, and isolation from humans optimize it for certain types of instruments and studies. I will present my experiences working at the Pole on the South Pole Telescope, an instrument designed to investigate the nature of the Big Bang. Additionally, I�ll discuss other science efforts at the Pole, including IceCube, a photodetector array embedded in the ice used to study neutrinos.