UofT AstroTour: Simulating the Universe

The life of a single galaxy is an extremely complicated affair and understanding the origin and evolution of the roughly 100 billion galaxies in our universe is even more so. But through heroic telescope surveys and state-of-the-art computer simulations, cosmologists have been progressing on this problem at an ever increasing rate. In this talk, George Stein will discuss current efforts to create realistic galaxies using some of the largest supercomputers on the planet, and will show what these simulations mean for future observations. Along the way he will discuss the key telescopes that have allowed us to observe 500 million of these galaxies already and the ambitious future projects that will observe billions more, all to unravel the mysteries of our cosmos.

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 103), 60 St George St., Toronto, ON  M5S 1A7

http://www.astro.utoronto.ca/astrotours/?page_id=392
https://www.facebook.com/events/356460024841968/