January 26, 2018 7-9PM

Event Type: Lecture and Stargazing
Title: When Galaxies Collide: Snapshots of the Universe's Largest Battles
Lecturer: Anne Medling
Position: Postdoctoral Fellow
Institution: Caltech
Abstract:
The Milky Way is on a crash course for our nearest neighboring galaxy, Andromeda. Galaxy collisions like this one have been happening throughout cosmic history and can jumpstart major episodes of new star formation and black hole growth. I'll discuss some lessons we've learned from looking at other galaxy mergers and will answer a few common questions, like "will our galaxy ever be the same?" and "should we be worried?" (Spoiler alert: No and no.)