| October 29, 2008 |
| 7:00 pm | to | 9:00 pm |
As we celebrate the 400th anniversary of the invention of the telescope in 1608, and, next year, the 400th anniversary of Galileo’s first use of the telescope to study the celestial sphere, we can also celebrate the star cities of the Milky Way — the glorious globular star clusters that surround our galaxy. Just as the telescopes of the 17th century opened the sky for discoveries of star clusters and nebulae, 21st century telescopes take us to explore the origin and evolution of globular star clusters in our galaxy, and in galaxies far away. Globular clusters offer a glimpse of early star formation in the Universe, and of the origin of the basic elements of the periodic table. Some globular clusters harbor black holes, while others may be the remnants of galaxies shredded by the tidal forces of the Milky Way. And above all, the globular clusters are magnificent sentinels in the night sky, shining with the power of hundreds of thousands of suns.
The presentation will be held at the Gheens Science Hall & Rauch Planetarium at 7 p.m.
The presenter, Caty Pilachowski, is the Kirkwood Professor and Astronomy Dept. Chair at Indiana University. Previously, she was on staff at the National Optical Astronomy Observatory (NOAO) for 22 years, finishing as Deputy Director of the U.S. Gemini (twin 8 meter telescope) Program. She is a past President of the American Astronomical Society, has served on a number of national and international panels, and is a recognized expert on globular clusters.
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