Events

Comets: The Rosetta Stone of the Solar System

Just as the Rosetta Stone was the key to cracking the ancient Egyptian hieroglyphic code, comets are the key to understanding the origins of the solar system and, perhaps, life on Earth. Join us on Tuesday, March 22nd, 2022 at 7 pm CST via Zoom where Professor Gehrz will be describing the formation of comets, their structure, and contents, and their relationship to the formation and evolution of the solar system.  Dangers posed by comet debris strikes on Earth and strategies for mitigating them will also be discussed.

Find out more about the MIfA Public Lecture Series

It’s the month of love! Join the Bell Museum as we jump around the sky visiting our favorite sights—Caroline’s Rose Cluster, Lepus, Bode’s Galaxy, The Intergalactic Wander, and more! There’s something for everyone to love. For those interested in objects closer to home, stay tuned for updates on the Artemis 1 mission to the Moon!

Tune in to the Bell Museum Facebook Live on January 25 at noon to access this event. It will also be recorded and posted on the Bell Museum YouTube channel. Don’t forget to bring your questions, as we’ll save time for Q & A.

Recommended for all ages. Download the current Minnesota Skies Guide to explore on your own!

Irregular Galaxies

What are irregular galaxies and why are they important to astronomy? In this presentation, we will discuss the fascinating science of irregular galaxies and why we should pay more attention to them!

Exoplanets

In this event, we will give an overview of exoplanets and the current census of their discoveries. We will also talk about the transit and radial velocity methods of detection of exoplanets.

Moons

Like Earth, many planets in our solar system have moons, from Mars all the way out to Neptune. In this event, we will explore these moons, discussing their many interesting characteristics, including their formation, atmospheres, and potential to host life.

New Science from Merging Neutron Stars

From the generation of gold to the expansion rate of the Universe: With the detection of compact binary coalescences and their electromagnetic counterparts by gravitational-wave detectors, a new era of multi-messenger astronomy has begun. In this talk, Professor Coughlin will describe how GW170817, our first example in this new class, is being used to study a diverse variety of dense matter in the Universe and how fast the Universe is expanding. He will then discuss how we are using telescopes to look for more of them and developing models to test what we find. Professor Coughlin will close with future prospects for this new field.

Find out more about the MIfA Public Lecture Series

The Death of Stars

Presenters: Derek Perera and Tyler Barna

Supernovae, violent explosions that occur at the end of stars' lives, are some of the most energetic, transient processes in our universe. Despite being such important events, they are still not completely understood. We will explore the two main types of explosions in this event.

The Drake Equation and Extraterrestrial Life

Presenters: Sarah Taft and John Miller

We will start this semester's Universe @ Home events by talking about the Drake equation, a famous method used to analyze and estimate the number of extraterrestrial civilizations that could exist in the Milky Way Galaxy. Aspects of this equation include star formation, stars that host planets, and what planetary conditions are necessary to host life.