MIT: Independent Activities Period: IAP

IAP 2014



Exploring the Universe from Near to Far with the Chandra X-ray Observatory

Dr. Michael Nowak, Research Scientist, MIT Kavli Institute

Jan/09 Thu 02:00PM-02:30PM 37-252

Enrollment: Unlimited: No advance sign-up
Prereq: none

In the summer of 1999, NASA launched the third of its great observatories -- the Chandra X-ray telescope. Like the Hubble Space telescope which preceded it, Chandra is designed to have an unprecedented ability to create images and spectra of astrophysical objects, except working with high energy X-rays instead of optical light. This means that Chandra views some of the universe's most exotic and energetic phenomena: supernovae, neutron stars, black holes, jets traveling at nearly the speed of light emanating from near the center of clusters of galaxies. In this talk, we'll take a tour of the discoveries made by the Chandra X-ray telescope, starting with studies of our own solar system, moving outward to nearby stars, to the center of our own Galaxy where a black hole 40 millions times the mass of our Sun lurks, to distant clusters of Galaxies where the most massive black holes, billions of times the mass of our Sun, reside.

No enrollment limit, no advance sign up.

PLEASE NOTE:  Following this talk there will be a tour of the Chandra Space Telescope ACIS CCD Lab by
Dr. Steve Kissel (MIT Kavli Institute)
 
Tour will be limited to max 15 people, advance sign-up required starting at 1:55 pm in 37-252.
Prerequisites: Attendance of talks preceding the tour

For a complete listing of all IAP Events sponsored by MIT's Kavli Institute for Astrophysics and Space Research, please look at our IAP website.

Sponsor(s): Kavli Institute for Astrophysics
Contact: Debbie Meinbresse, 37-241, 617 253-1456, MEINBRES@MIT.EDU