UofT AstroTour: What if the Earth had Two Suns?
Half of all stars in the night sky are actually in pairs or “binaries.” That is, instead of a single star like our Sun, these systems have two stars orbiting each other. Planets in these systems could have twice as many sunrises and sunsets. There could be twice as many solar systems to explore, double the habitable zones and, therefore, more opportunities for life to form! Is this really the case? Life here on Earth fundamentally relies upon the Sun’s (relatively) stable and quiet nature. Binaries, on the other hand, are sometimes found to exchange mass and more often explode! In this talk, we’ll explore ?a variety of binary systems and discuss whether the consequences of ?having two Suns ?are worthwhile.
About the Speaker
Stephen Ro wants to live 4 billion years into the future when the Andromeda galaxy begins merging with us. This would provide a close up view of its super-massive black hole, dozens of star forming regions, and billions of planets and stars. In the mean time, he is patiently completing his PhD at the University of Toronto. Stephen studies how stars generate winds and how they explode to produce supernovae. Most recently he has begun investigating whether sound can “shatter” a star, given the right frequency and volume.
Planetarium Show: Our Journey to Pluto
Presenter: Darsh Kodwani
Location: Astronomy Building (50 St. George Street.)
Planetary missions have been one of the pinnacles of space exploration since the beginning. In January 2006, a mission called New Horizons was launched on a ten year long journey to Pluto. On the 14th of July 2015, New Horizon made its closest approach to Pluto and became the first mission to explore a dwarf planet in the outer solar system. Come and find out how this mission is changing our understanding of Pluto in this planetarium show.
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 January 28th at noon)
Organized by: Graduate Astronomy Students Association. The AstroTours are generously financed by the Department of Astronomy & Astrophysics and the Dunlap Institute for Astronomy and Astrophysics.
Location: University of Toronto, McLennan Physical Laboratories (MP 103), 60 St George St., Toronto, ON M5S 1A7
http://www.astro.utoronto.ca/astrotours/?page_id=392