Unravelling the mysteries of globular clusters, dwarf galaxies, and dark matter

Come join us for our monthly Astronomy talk!
7:30pm-8pm: Social time with snacks
8pm: Talk begins

Title:

Unravelling the mysteries of globular clusters, dwarf galaxies, and dark matter

Abstract:

The visible grandeur of the Universe, with galaxies clustered into vast structures, is understood to originate in smaller components that are difficult or impossible to see. These components include dwarf galaxies, star clusters, and dark matter particles -- all of them presenting major mysteries about their nature and origins. I will discuss ongoing research in these areas, primarily focused on nearby galaxies using new observatories and tools both from the ground and from space, and including the contributions of students to making significant discoveries.

Bio:

Aaron Romanowsky grew up in the Bay Area, went on to a B.S. in physics from the UC Santa Barbara College of Creative Studies, then a PhD in astronomy from Harvard. He held postdoctoral fellowships in the Netherlands, England, and Chile, before returning to California as a researcher at UC Santa Cruz and professor at San José State. He teaches physics, astronomy, computation, and machine learning, and carries out research on star clusters, galaxies, and dark matter, with an emphasis on spectroscopy from the Keck telescopes in Hawai'i.

He also co-directs the Cal-Bridge training program for California students from underserved backgrounds to obtain PhDs in STEM fields.

About the event:

Many of SJAA’s events, like this one, are public and free to attend, but if you’re enjoying what SJAA has to offer, consider becoming a paid member for only $20 per year: https://www.sjaa.net/membership/benefits-of-membership-2/