May 26, 2023 8-10PM

Event Type: Lecture and Stargazing
Title: Seeing the Invisible: Astronomical Radio Waves
Lecturer:Nitika Yadlapalli
Position: Phd Candidate
Institution:Caltech
Abstract:
Humans can only see a narrow range of wavelengths of light, but the electromagnetic spectrum of light covers a much broader range. Radio telescopes can "see" many objects in space that our eyes cannot, including flashes given off by highly magnetic stars, energetic jets erupting from black holes, and radiation emitted from supernovae. But how do these radio telescopes work and how can we build one? Over the last several years, I have been working on a new radio telescope called SPRITE in the desert north of Los Angeles. I will discuss how this telescope works, how we built it, and how we can use it to make new astronomical discoveries.