ILR Astronomy: A Cosmic Perspective
February 4 @ 1:30 pm
Exciting discoveries have made news about our stars and galaxies. Yet
many of us don’t fully appreciate the impact of these advances. In this
course, we will gain a basic understanding of our night sky and beyond.
We’ll explore Earth's place in the universe. And we’ll discover the stunning
forces that drive the lives of our celestial orbs.
January 7 - Starship Voyage: Come Soar Across the Universe
Speaker: Jane Wood, Ancient City Astronomy Club
On our starship journey, we will discover: Our true address in the uni-
verse. How a cave wall carving in Chaco Canyon shows a supernova explo-
sion from 1054. How our Tropic of Cancer is heading south. Why astrolog-
ical sun signs are no longer what astrologers say. And how Earth’s Milky
Way Galaxy is on a collision course with our closest neighbor galaxy, An-
dromeda. Come along for this authentic, fun, cosmic ride.
January 14 - The Lives of Stars
Speaker: James Albury, Planetarium Manager, Kika Silva Planetarium
Dr. Albury will introduce the lives of stars and some recent exciting finds. He will also discuss some upcoming ce-
lestial events this coming year.
January 21- Where Do Stars Come From?
Speaker: Adam Ginsburg, Ph.D., Associate Professor, Department of Astronomy UF
The luminous matter in galaxies, like the Milky Way, is made of stars and gas. New stars constantly come into be-
ing. Dr. Ginsburg will give a tour through our Galaxy, showing how modern telescopes have changed our view of
our home galaxy and have taught us where stars come from. He’ll describe recent discoveries, showing how there's
still a lot we don't know (but are learning) about the cosmos.
January 28 - From the Big Bang to the Elements of Life: A Story of Stars and Explosions
Speaker: Avrajit Bandyopadhyay, Ph.D., Post Doc Associate, Department of Astronomy, UF
From hydrogen and helium formed in the aftermath of the Big Bang to the complexity of gold and oxygen created in
explosive stellar deaths, the universe has acted as a master alchemist. The first stars that lit up the universe produced
heavier elements in their cores and ejected them through explosions as supernovae. By studying the light from ancient
stars, astrophysicists can unravel how the universe evolved, tracing its fingerprints back billions of years. This jour-
ney uncovers the origins of the elements and highlights our deep connection to the cosmos —
a narrative composed of starlight and stardust.
February 4 - Decoding the Universe: Cosmos
Today we will show an exceptionally interesting film (Nova Film from PBS) that discusses the history of some re-
cent discoveries in Astronomy. These amazing discoveries have transformed our understanding of the universe since
the 1970s, shedding light on everything from exoplanets to black holes to the mysterious dark matter and
energy that rules the cosmos.
February 11 - The Scale of Stars and Exoplanets
Speaker: Corin Marasco, B.Sc, Research Assistant, Department of Astronomy, UF
Giant stars are unimaginably large, making them the most luminous and impressive objects in the Milky Way. In this
talk Corin will give an overview of a star’s life cycle to show how they become giants, explain the different types of
stellar giants, point out some that you can observe yourself, and discuss the unique history behind studying these
stars. She will also explain asteroseismology, which is a new method used to determine a giant star’s age, size, com-
position, and more.Win