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Tuesday, April 8, 2025
7 pm
Calculating the age of celestial objects in our galaxy has long posed a challenge, as has comprehending the vast timescales involved. But what can we learn from the lifetime of stars? Join postdoctoral researcher in the Department of Astrophysics Mark Popinchalk as he explores time and measuring age in the universe, using OpenSpace, the Museum's planetarium visualization software.
He will connect our daily understanding of time with its astronomical origins, present the cosmic speed limit of light, and discuss how we know the ages of objects in our galaxy. This includes his own research measuring light—and the absence of light—of populations of spinning stars, allowing him to distinguish between young, active clusters and those nearing the end of their life cycle.
This program utilizes OpenSpace software supported by NASA under award No NNX16AB93A. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration.