UofT AstroTour: Stargazing from Chile: Exotic Supergiants at the Magellan Telescope

Much of modern astronomy research is performed at our computers; even observations at telescopes are now often controlled remotely. However, there are still observatories around the world where astronomical discoveries are made in-person. At Las Campanas Observatory, high in the mountains of Chile, astronomers and observatory staff are making new discoveries about our Universe every night. Anna O’Grady will walk you through her two visits to Las Campanas and the Magellan Telescopes, telling you how an average ‘night’ in the life of an observing astronomer goes, showing what the night sky really looks like from a place isolated from city lights, detailing the challenges we encounter while observing, and showing you the cute animals that also make the observatory their home. She’ll also tell you about her research into massive star evolution and go through the science behind the exotic subjects of her observing runs: Thorne-Zytkow Objects - the strange and fascinating result of a collision between a red supergiant and a neutron star.

Anna O’Grady is a 3rd-year graduate student at the Department of Astronomy & Astrophysics and Dunlap Institute at the University of Toronto. She received her BSc from Memorial University of Newfoundland. The primary focus of her research is on massive star evolution, with a particular interest in how eruptive and variable behaviour in massive stars influences their fates as supernovæ. She also enjoys photography, plays in the department Dungeons and Dragons group, and loves cats.

After the talk, join us for telescope observing (weather dependent), planetarium shows, and other astronomy activities! This portion of the event will be in McLennan Physical Laboratories (60 St. George Street).

Due to limited seating, tickets for the planetarium shows will be available outside the auditorium before the talk on a first-come first-served basis.

Who can attend: Everyone
Fee: Free
Registration: Not required
Organized by: U of T Graduate Astronomy Students Association. AstroTours are generously supported by the Department of Astronomy & Astrophysics at the University of Toronto.
Location: University of Toronto, Bahen Centre for Information Technology (Room 1160), 40 St. George St., Toronto, ON

https://www.astro.utoronto.ca/~gasa/astrotours/
https://www.facebook.com/events/937779936613853/