Speaker Series: Astrophysics, Speaker: Rob Coyne, University of Rhode Island
*The event has already taken place on this date: Sat, 11/09/2024
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Speaker: Rob Coyne, University of Rhode Island
Saturday, November 9
5:00 pm – 5:45 pm
The New Frontier in Astronomy
Since the first days that humans have gazed up into the sky we have depended on a single cosmic messenger to learn about the universe: light. But that changed in 2015 when, on September 14th, the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory (LIGO) made the first direct observation of gravitational waves from a pair of black holes that spiraled into each other and merged. In the time since, the use of multiple cosmic messengers has opened a brand new frontier in astronomy. In this talk, we’ll learn all about gravitational waves, how we detect them, and how they are empowering new discoveries that early astronomers could have only dreamed of.
Rob Coyne is an Associate Teaching Professor of Physics at the University of Rhode Island. He earned his doctoral degree at the George Washington University in 2015 for work on searches for gravitational waves associated with gamma-ray bursts. He has been a member of the LIGO Scientific Collaboration since 2013, and has contributed to numerous publications in the field of multi-messenger astronomy. Rob also has a keen interest in science education and communication, and is looking forward to working with the EcoTarium for this event!
Tickets & Important Information
Time: Second Saturday of every month, 5:00 pm
Duration: Approximately 30 minutes
Cost: $6 for members, $7 for non-members (per person). General museum admission will not be charged for members or guests arriving after 4:30 pm on Speaker Series days.
Location: Alden Planetarium
Age Range: Guests of all ages and backgrounds are welcome!
*Times, dates, and prices of any activity posted to our calendars are subject to change. Please be sure to click through directly to the organization’s website to verify.