January 15, 2018 7:30-9:30PM

Event: Astronomy on Tap
Venue: Der Wolfskopf

Talk 1

Title: Hacking The Galaxy To Make A Gravitational Wave Antenna
Lecturer: Stephen Taylor
Position: Postdoctoral Researcher
Institution: Caltech

Talk 2

Title: Stars Go Boom--but Why?
Lecturer: Mia de los Reyes
Position: Graduate Student
Institution: Caltech

Quiz Questions / Answers

1. How many official (non-dwarf) planets does the solar system have? 8
2. This week, astronomers reported finding what natural structures near the north pole of the Moon potentially hosting large quantities of water ice? Lava Tubes
3. A co-discoverer of this comet died last week--it was the most viewed comet in the 20th century, peaking in 1997. What was its name? Hale-Bopp (Tom Bopp)
4. What fourth phase of matter (e.g. solid, liquid, and gas) is found frequently in space environments? Plasma
5. Last week, JPL scientists announced K2-138, an exoplanetary system discovered entirely by crowdsourcing. How many planets are in this system? Five
6. What is the primary source of pollution that inhibits astronomical observations of the sky? Light pollution, RFI
7. In Star Wars, this outer planet once hosted a rebel base and is identified by its white layer of salt sitting atop red soil. Crait
8. If our entire solar system could fit into a coffee cup, about how big would our galaxy be (The Milky Way)? Washington State
9. After the Sun and the planets, what is the largest body in the solar system? Ganymede
10. What do astronomers believe exists at the center of every galaxy? Black Hole