Red supergiants are massive stars at the end of their lives. Theoretical predictions about how they go supernova have not matched observed data. In this podcast, Dr. Emma Beasor discusses recent research that attempts to explain the red supergiant problem.
Feb 8th: Encore: Obscured Black Holes
Black holes power the most luminous objects in the universe. Active galactic nuclei (AGN) are powered by supermassive black holes. In this podcast, Dr. Stephanie Juneau discusses recent research on obscured black holes.
Jan 11th: The Latest OIR Lab News From AAS
NSF’s Optical Infrared Astronomy Research Laboratory launched on October 1, 2019. Rob Sparks talks about three press releases from the meeting that involved OIR Lab facilities.
Dec 14th: Comet Borisov Imaged By Gemini
Recently the Gemini Observatory imaged Comet Borisov. In this podcast, Dr. Meg Scwhamb discusses Comet Borisov and the recent imaging campaing
Nov 9th: NEID: A Precision Spectometer For Exoplanet Research
NEID will search for exoplanets by using the Doppler, or Radial Velocity (RV), effect. As a planet orbits its star, it exerts a tiny gravitational pull on the star, causing the star to “wobble.”
Oct 12th: The Launch of NSF’s National Optical-Infrared Astronomy Research Laboratory
The National Science Foundation has merged all of its ground based astronomy facilities as of October 1, 2019. In this podcast, NSF’s OIR Lab Deputy Director Dr. Beth Willman discusses the launch of the new organization.
Sep 14th: New Instruments at the Gemini Observatory
In this podcast, Dr. Scott Kleinman discusses the new and upgraded instruments currently under development to keep Gemini Observatory at the forefront of astronomical research.
Aug 10th: SMASH and the Local Group Cluster Search
In this podcast, Dr. Knut Olson describes the SMASH survey & the citizen science project to analyze data from the SMASH Survey.
Jul 13th: The Eddington Experiment: Eclipse Day
On July 2nd, a total solar eclipse passed over Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory in Chile. A team of students from the University of La Serena attemped to recreate the Eddington Experiment that provided the first experimental evidence for Einstein’s General Theory of Relativity.
Jun 8th: 100 Years Since the Eddington Experiment
Einstein published his general theory of relativity in 1915. Four years later, Arthur Eddington led and experiment to observe the deflection of starlight during a total solar eclipse providing critical evidence supporting Einstein’s Theory. Nearly 100 years later, a team of astronomers and students is attempting to recreate his experiment in Chile during a total solar eclipse on July 2nd.