Catch a Dying Star: Astronomy Deep Underground
Join Dr. Stephen Sekula, Research Group Manager at SNOLAB, for this Deep Talks event on Supernova!
168,000 years ago, very close to our home galaxy, a massive star exploded. On February 23, 1987, the first signs of this catastrophe reached earth. This event was a turning point in astronomy, a moment that helped shift the field from what we can see (light) to all the things we cannot see. These invisible messengers can penetrate entire stars, cross undeflected through vast expanses of space, and reach Earth in countless numbers. They are frustrating to detect but are too important to ignore. We'll explore how these messengers tell us about our own Sun and how the visible deaths of distant stars can be forecast by a global network of early warning systems based on the lessons learned from 1987.
The Deep Talks lecture series is sponsored by Crow Peak Brewing Company, Edward Jones Financial Advisor – Chris Mitchell, RCS Construction, and Charles & Jolene Lichtenwalner.