The universe is full of surprises, from ghost remnants of black hole jets to exotic planets around distant stars to Boyajian’s star, the most mysterious star in the galaxy.
If you are curious about how astronomers handle such surprises, attend a special live stream presentation, “A Universe of Surprises,” from 2:30-4 p.m. Friday, Nov. 1, at ‘Imiloa Astronomy Center.
The presentation is free for ‘Imiloa members. Regular admission fee applies to non-members.
For tickets, call 932-8901.
Through the Kavli Foundation, Adler Museum in Chicago will live stream lectures by Chris Lintott and Laura Trouille. They will examine how scientists cope with surprises, reveal what it’s like to think aliens might have been found and explain how people might make a remarkable discovery from the comfort of their home.
Lintott and Trouille will use unexpected discoveries to explore what we know — and what we don’t — about our universe. With future telescopes providing astronomers with a dynamic view of the universe for the first time, there’s never been a better time to look up at the night sky — and be surprised.
This special presentation will take place in ‘Imiloa’s Cyber CANOE room, where participants can enjoy watching and listening to the lecture broadcast on the large screens or participate in a virtual reality experience using their phone and a provided VR headset.
The Kavli Foundation is dedicated to the advancement of science for the benefit of humanity. The foundation supports scientific research, honors scientific achievement and promotes public understanding of scientists and their work.
Lintott is a professor of astrophysics at the University of Oxford, where he also is a research fellow at New College. As principal investigator of the Zooniverse, he leads a team that runs the world’s most successful citizen science projects, allowing more than a million people to discover planets, transcribe ancient papyri or explore the Serengeti, and was the founding director of citizen science at the Adler. An accomplished speaker and writer, he is best known as co-presenter of BBC’s “Sky at Night” television program.
Trouille has led the Adler’s citizen science efforts since June 2015. Prior to that, she had a dual postdoctoral position at Northwestern University and at the Adler as an observational astronomer, examining supermassive black holes, and was a science education researcher. She earned a bachelor’s degree from Dartmouth College and a doctorate in astronomy from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
‘Imiloa Astronomy Center is located at 600 ‘Imiloa Place in Hilo.
For more information, visit www.ImiloaHawaii.org or call 932-8901.
