Public Lecture & Stargazing: "The Zombies in the Sky: What happens when stars die?" with Shifra Mandel (April 14)

[Columbia Astronomy Public Outreach]

Hi everyone,

Thank you so much to those who came to our event on March 31 -- we had record-breaking attendance!! We hope to see many of you again at our upcoming event next Friday, April 14, at 6:30pm (note the time change)! Join us in Pupin Hall at Columbia University for a full night of astronomy.  

Columbia Astronomy PhD candidate Shifra Mandel will be giving a public talk titled "The Zombies in the Sky: What happens when stars die?":

"Stars are powered by the nuclear fusion that occurs deep in their interiors, under conditions of immense temperature and pressure.  But what happens when a star inevitably runs out of fuel?  The death of a star can be explosive and cataclysmic, or slow but spectacular.  Supplied with a close companion star, the end-stage remnant of a dead star’s core can be revived into a “zombie” version of itself - radiating energy supplied not via nuclear fusion, but through the gradual cannibalization of its companion."

We'll kick off the evening at 6:30pm with some astronomy trivia, followed by Shifra's talk and Q&A. From 7:40-8:40pm, we will be outside stargazing on College Walk (weather permitting).

The main event will take place in Pupin Hall 301. Signs will be posted to direct you to the lecture hall, and general directions to Columbia and Pupin Hall can be found here. Outdoor observing/stargazing will take place on College Walk, the portion of 116th street crossing through Columbia's main campus; we will walk down to College Walk as a group following the lecture and Q&A. Telescopes and binoculars will be provided by Columbia Astronomy (but you are absolutely welcome to bring your own observing equipment).

This event is free and open to all -- stay only as long as you want. If you plan to attend this event, please fill out the RSVP form at tinyurl.com/columbia-astro-april14.

Looking forward to seeing you in Pupin Hall next week!

Very best,

Columbia Astronomy Public Outreach

[Columbia Astronomy Public Outreach]

Hi again everyone!

A reminder that our next public astronomy event is this Friday (April 14) at 6:30pm! Looking at the forecast for Friday, we may actually have clear skies on Friday night! Fingers crossed that we'll be able to do some stargazing on Friday....

Even if we don't end up stargazing, we'll still get to hear Shifra Mandel's wonderful talk on "The Zombies in the Sky: What happens when stars die?" We may even be raffling off a star-related prize or two to event attendees...

As usual, if you plan on attending the event on Friday, please fill out this RSVP form!

Hope to see many of you on Friday!

Columbia Astronomy Public Outreach

[Columbia Astronomy Public Outreach]

Hi everyone!

A reminder that our public astronomy event featuring Shifra Mandel is tonight, starting at 6:30pm! All logistical details can be found in the emails below. This event is free and open to all (no Columbia affiliation necessary and no ticket necessary) -- bring whomever you'd like! 

Unfortunately, it's hard to tell at this point whether the skies will be clear enough for stargazing at 7:40pm. We'll make a final call at 7pm.

Hope to see many of you tonight!!

Columbia Astronomy Public Outreach

[Columbia Astronomy Public Outreach]

Event happening now! If you can't make it in person, we're streaming live on YouTube!!

[Columbia Astronomy Public Outreach]

Unfortunately, it's still a bit too cloudy to stargaze tonight :( . Next time, though! See you all on April 28!