WARP Speed ASTRONOMY?
The next Stargazers?
What The IF you could travel faster than the SPEED OF LIGHT to observe a dying star up close! Grab your popcorn, and get ready for a wild ride courtesy of the warp course on the ENTERPRISE! Would we see the same light we see from home, or would the star have vanished in a SUPERNOVA?!
The incredible EMILY LEVESQUE joins us to talk about her latest book, THE LAST STAR GAZERS. Emily Levesque is an astronomy professor at the University of Washington and the author of the popular science book The Last Stargazers. Her research is focused on the physics behind how the most massive stars in the universe evolve and die. She has observed for upward of fifty nights on many of the planet’s largest telescopes and flown over the Antarctic stratosphere in an experimental aircraft for her research.
To find out more about The Last Star Gazers and Emily Levesque go to thelaststargazers.com
MORE ON THE IF THIS WEEK:
1. Telescopes
The research telescopes that astronomers need to apply for are bigger and far more complex than what we normally imagine. Here is a list of the 10 biggest telescopes in the world. With the current pandemic, here is how Covid-19 is impacting the operation of these telescopes and the field of astronomy.
2. Betelgeuse
Meet the red supergiant in the shoulder of the Orion constellation. For more on Betelgeuse’s mysterious dimming recently, check out this article.
3. Life Cycle of Stars
How are stars formed and how do they die? Learn more about the lifecycle of stars here.
4. Images of the Sun
ESA/NASA’s Solar Orbiter brought back the closest images we’ve ever taken of the sun, check them out here!
5. Astronaut Training
How did the Apollo 11 astronauts train before they stepped onto the Moon? Learn about some of their training sites and exercises here.
6. Gravitational Waves
What are gravitational waves and how do they affect our studies of space? Read more here.