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.