2016-11-3
      20:00

UofT AstroTour: Nature, Destroyer of Worlds

Artist's rendering of what the environment around HD 23514 might look like as two Earth-sized bodies collide. Artwork by Lynette Cook for Gemini Observatory.

Throughout its 4.5 billion year history, life on Earth has been threatened by cataclysmic events such as extreme volcanic eruptions and asteroid impacts which have caused mass extinction of species. While events like these can drastically alter the face of the Earth, the planet still remains. So what would it take to completely obliterate the Earth? Starting from birth, the evolution of solar systems and the environments they exist in can put planets towards catastrophic fates. In this talk, we will explore some of the incredible ways that nature can destroy planets.

About the Speaker
Alysa Obertas is a PhD student at the University of Toronto investigating the theoretical limits of how tightly-packed solar systems can be while still surviving for billions of years. If she isn’t running simulations, she can be found doing ballet, binge-watching Netflix, or watching cute cat videos.

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
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 203), 60 St George St., Toronto, ON  M5S 1A7

http://www.astro.utoronto.ca/astrotours/?page_id=392
https://www.facebook.com/events/101651633643636/

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