UofT AstroTour: Astronomical Adventures in Antarctica: From the Bottom of the World to the Beginning of Time
Speaker: Jamil Shariff
The Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB) is a glow across the entire sky, left over from the heat of the Big Bang. Measurements of the CMB have dramatically increased our understanding of the early universe. However, many unanswered questions remain. In this talk, Jamil Shariff will discuss an ambitious experiment — Spider — which aims to answer some of them. Spider observed the CMB while hanging from a helium balloon flying over Antarctica. He spent three months on a research team there, assembling, testing, and launching Spider. He will explain why we had to go to such extremes, pushing limits both human and technological. Using vivid photos and videos, he will show what it was like to live on this amazing continent.
About the Speaker
Jamil Shariff is in his final month of the PhD programme in the U of T Department of Astronomy & Astrophysics. He helps design and build telescopes that are launched from Antarctica on high-altitude helium balloons. Experiments he has worked on have aimed to answer questions like, “how do stars form in our Galaxy?”, and “what happened at the very beginning of the universe?”. In his spare time, he enjoys cycling, science fiction, and penguin whispering.
The U of T Astronomy Public Tour, or AstroTour, is a monthly event operated by the graduate students of the U of T Astronomy Department. The Tour features a public lecture by a member of the Department on topics ranging from their research to great moments in astronomical history. Following the lecture, tour-goers can peer at the night sky through the Department’s balcony and dome telescopes, or watch a planetarium show run live by astronomer. Admission to the tour is free. Seating for the lecture is on a first-come, first-served basis (doors open ten minutes before the start of the lecture), and the telescope observing is walk-in.
Who can attend: Everyone
Fee: Free
Reservations: Only required for Planetarium Shows (available July 30th)
Organized by: Graduate Astronomy Students Association. The AstroTours are generously financed by the Department of Astronomy & Astrophysics and the Dunlap Institute for Astronomy & Astrophysics.
Location: University of Toronto, McLennan Physical Laboratories (MP 102), 60 St George St., Toronto, ON M5S 1A7