Black holes are nature’s most extreme and exotic objects. They stretch our understanding of space and time to its limits and, in a cosmic irony, are responsible for some of the most energetic phenomena in the Universe. On 13th March, Plumian Professor of Astronomy, Christopher Reynolds describes the nature of black holes, the role they play in the Universe and how future research may yet again change our view of reality in The universe of black holes.
Speaking ahead of his event, Professor Reynolds commented: “What do I find most interesting or surprising about black holes? It's that these bizarre, exotic, amazing objects exist out there – the hard data show that nature actually makes them in abundance. Moreover, in a remarkable act of cosmic Jiu-Jitsu, black holes power the most luminous phenomena in the Universe and seem to be major players in the story of how stars and galaxies form. In a very real sense, we now understand that they are an essential ingredient that must be understood if we are to comprehend the Universe around us.”
From influencing religious beliefs and architecture, to defining societal norms and marking calendars for agriculture, stars have inspired philosophers, beckoned travellers and now help us navigate the Galaxy and grow our knowledge of the skies. Stars are the dynamo of the Universe. They live eventful lives then fade away and die, donating matter back to the Universe. How do we learn about these heavenly bodies and what secrets do they hide? That is a tale Dr Ghina Halabi, Institute of Astronomy, tells in Lives of stars: adventures out of this world on 20th March. During her talk, Dr Halabi explores why it is important to study stars, what happens inside them, and the most baffling mysteries stellar scientists are now trying to reveal.
Dr Halabi works with a research group in the UK and US to develop novel and more realistic computer models that simulate a rotating star in order to answer many unresolved questions. During her talk, she presents the latest research from this group: “Stars rotate around their axis, just like most of their celestial buddies. They inherit this rotation from the clouds they are born in. This rotation can be fast or slow and it varies over time during the star's life. Rotation affects the properties of stars such as their lifetimes, brightness, and temperature hence their colour. It can also change the chemical make-up of their surfaces. However, rotation is so complex that we still don’t fully understand how it affects the evolution of a star during its different life stages. Scientists have developed many theoretical and observational methods over the past years, yet many questions remain unresolved.”
We are on the verge of finally getting to know our celestial neighbourhood. With new missions mapping our surroundings in unprecedented detail, this is an excellent time to ask whether there is anything notable about our home galaxy. On 22nd March, Dr Chris Lintott, University of Oxford, draws on cutting-edge research and results from his own Galaxy Zoo project to compare the Milky Way to the other galaxies that surround us in Is the milky way special? He asks whether we are living in a special time in its history.
Other space-related events at the Cambridge Science Festival include:
- History of astronomy at the Institute of Astronomy (13 March). An evening dedicated to the history of astronomy. Featuring a lecture, an exhibition provided by the Whipple Museum and (weather-dependent!) stargazing.
- Perhaps under stars that would stretch forever (an idiot explains the universe in under an hour) (14 March). What’s the point of all this? (Life.) Are there parallel universes? Want to learn everything you ever needed to know about the Universe from an idiot? (Yes.) Is the world ending? (Probably.) Joey Page is a boy with a washing machine-esque brain. Watch him make sense of the entire Universe in 59 minutes.
- Moonwatch at the Institute of Astronomy (16 March). Join us and observe the moon with a range of historical and modern telescopes. Celebrating the first moon landing 50 years ago.
- Andrew Chamblin memorial lecture: Professor John Ellis (20 March). John Ellis is the Clerk Maxwell Professor of Theoretical Physics, King’s College London. His research focuses on phenomenological aspects of elementary particle physics and connections with astrophysics, cosmology and quantum gravity. Much of his work relates to experiment: interpreting results of searches for new particles and exploring the physics that could be done with future accelerators.
- Einstein, general relativity and gravitational waves (21 March). Professor Malcolm Longair describes the essence of what Einstein did, the way in which the general theory leads to the inevitability of black holes, the evidence for them, the nature of gravitational waves and the great importance of the recent LIGO results.
- Cosmic quest: from Babylon to the Big Bang (23 March). Spanning over 40,000 years of astronomy, this lavish presentation features the personalities – including poet Omar Khayyam and golden-nosed nobleman Tycho Brahe – who have laid bare the mysteries of the Universe. With Professors Heather Couper and Nigel Henbest, Fellows of the Royal Astronomical Society.
- Open afternoon at the Institute of Astronomy (23 March). The Institute of Astronomy opens its doors for an afternoon of hands-on activities, demonstrations, talks and displays.
- The sound of space exploration (23 March). An opportunity to find out about the NASA Voyager 1 mission and a unique piece of music created by translating 40 years of data into melodies using a process called sonification. Presented by Dr Domenico Vicinanza, Anglia Ruskin University.
Download the full Cambridge Science Festival programme here.
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