RASC Mississauga: Synthesis of Elements in Stars

James Edgar, President, Royal Astronomical Society of Canada

All stars are born from hydrogen and during their lives they produce elements through nuclear fusion. High-mass stars end their lives as supernovae, perhaps the most cataclysmic events in the universe, producing the heavy elements.

This talk merges James Edgar’s love of woodworking, astronomy, genealogy, chemistry, physics, and poetry from Northern Ireland, although the main thrust of the presentation is about how elements form within stars.

James Edgar’s interest in astronomy began in the early 1970s when he and his family went into the dark of night to see Comet Kohoutek. Unfortunately, it didn’t present itself at naked-eye brightness. James started by volunteering with the Vancouver Museum, going into schools, talking to children about the Sun and the stars. In 1999, he bought his first telescope. One year later, his son bought him a membership in The Royal Astronomical Society of Canada (RASC) and, as they say, the rest is history. James has attended every General Assembly of the Society since 2001. He is now National President of the RASC, production manager of the Society’s bi-monthly Journal, and is excited to be the next editor of the RASC Observer’s Handbook.

Who can attend: Everyone
Fee: Free
Reservations: Not required
Organized by: RASC - Mississauga Centre
Location: University of Toronto Mississauga, William Davis Building, Lecture Hall SE2082, 3359 Mississauga Road, Mississauga, ON  L5L 1C6. Enter off Mississauga Road. Park in lot 4 or the parkade across from the fitness centre south of the Davis Building. Enter through the Fitness centre, walk up the stairs until you reach the main corridor then turn right. (If you need an elevator, follow the corridor to the right of the stairs, then go up to the main floor.) Look for the Mississauga Centre sign in front of the lecture room.

http://earthshineastronomy.ca/events/2016/2/26/elements-in-stars