February 26, 2021 7-9PM

Event Type: Lecture and Stargazing
Title: Searching for the Violent Births and Deaths of Stars with Night-Vision Goggles
Lecturer: Kishalay De
Position: PhD Candidate
Institution: Caltech
Abstract:
Since the beginning of civilization, humans have observed and recorded visible changes in the sky. Today, after decades of investigation, astronomers have created exquisite catalogs of stars that flare and dim to mark their births, deaths, and cataclysmic interactions. Yet, it is well known that a substantial fraction of stars in our own galaxy and beyond are obscured by interstellar dust absorbing and blocking their visible light. In this talk, we will learn why so many stars in the universe are hidden from human eyes, and how infrared observations allow us to pierce through the intervening dust to see them clearly. I will talk about recent technological developments (similar to night vision goggles) that are finally allowing us to scan the skies at infrared wavelengths and reveal the dynamic and explosive hidden universe.