General Meeting: “Observing the Early Universe” w/Dr. Elizabeth Fernandez
August General Membership
Meeting Agenda:
- Opening Poem by DAS Poet Laureate David Levy
- Introduction of new members and guests
- Announcements and business
- Astronomy Minute
- Presentation by Dr. Fernandez
- Observing reports
Presentation: “Observing the Early Universe” w/Dr. Elizabeth Fernandez
Millions of years after the Big Bang, the first stars and galaxies formed. These stars and galaxies, however, are hard to observe because of their tremendous distances from Earth. So how do astronomers learn about how star formation began in our universe? Dr. Fernandez will discuss some of the main ways to observe the first few generations of stars and galaxies, whether by observing stars and galaxies directly or by more creative methods, like looking for cosmic clues of their existence. Using these observations, can we deduce what these stars were like, and how did they shape the universe into what we see today?
Our Speaker:
Elizabeth Fernandez has a Ph.D. in astronomy from the University of Texas, where she studied the first stars and galaxies that formed in the universe. After that, she worked on how various observations from various telescopes, from Herschel to Hubble to LOFAR, can tell us about star formation in the early Universe. She currently is a science writer, writing for a variety of places like Sky and Telescope, space.com, Discover Magazine, Physics Magazine, and many others. She loves telling the stories of astronomy, geology, physics, and mathematics, as well as how science impacts our society. You can see her work at sparkdialog.com
= = = = = = =
Open to members and non-members alike, the Monthly General Meetings feature club announcements, member observing reports, and a headline guest speaker. Typically hailing from one of Colorado’s many science or technical organizations, speakers share their experiences on a wide range of astronomy topics.
Location: In-person at Regis University’s Peter Claver Hall, Room 315.
Meeting attendees can arrive at Regis starting at 6:30 p.m.
* Park in Lot 4, Lowell Boulevard between 52nd and 53rd Avenue
The meeting will also be available via Zoom for those unable to attend in person. The Zoom link will be posted closer to the event.