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Black Holes and Other Dark Matters

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Black Holes and Other Dark Matters
Marc Kamionkowski of Johns Hopkins University

In February 2016, the Laser Interferometer Gravitational Wave Observatory (LIGO) announced discovery of the merger of two black holes, each of which weighed around 30 times the mass of the Sun. In addition to being the first detection of gravitational waves, it was also the first observational evidence of stellar mass black holes above 25 solar masses. Shortly thereafter, it was speculated that these black holes might make up the dark matter that has long been known to exist in galaxies (like our own Milky Way). Dr. Kamionkowski will discuss this possibility and explain why this hypothesis may or may not work.

Host: Dr. Frank Summers

Recorded live on Tuesday, December 4, 2018 at the Space Telescope Science Institute in Baltimore, Maryland, U.S.A.

More information: http://hubble.stsci.edu/about_us/public_talks/

Tonight’s Sky: December 2018

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In December, look for Saturn’s iconic rings, and Mercury and Venus’s appearances. Eta Cassiopeiae, a double star, is visible with binoculars or a small telescope—look for its gold and blue hues. Finally, don’t miss the mid-December Geminid meteor shower, which boasts as many as 60 colorful meteors per hour.

“Tonight’s Sky” is produced by HubbleSite.org, online home of the Hubble Space Telescope. This is a recurring show, and you can find more episodes—and other astronomy videos—at http://hubblesite.org/videos/science

From Scientific Idea to Published Results (and Everything in Between!)

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From Scientific Idea to Published Results (and Everything in Between!)
Bill Blair of Johns Hopkins University

When an astronomer has an idea for a Hubble observation, what has to happen for that research to become a reality? This talk will give a “behind the scenes” look at what astronomers need to do to pursue science with Hubble, and what STScI has to do to turn accepted programs into actual data for the astronomer. There are myriad steps and hurdles along the way, and everything has to pan out properly to get to the finish line. When all goes to plan, the data will address the original question, or maybe provide new and different insights than anticipated, spawning ideas for new observations. The next time you see a stunning Hubble press release, this talk will provide a better understanding of what had to transpire to make it happen!

Host: Dr. Frank Summers

Recorded live on Tuesday, November 13, 2018 at the Space Telescope Science Institute in Baltimore, Maryland, U.S.A.

More information: http://hubble.stsci.edu/about_us/public_talks/

Tonight’s Sky: November 2018

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In November, look for Pisces, Aries, and Triangulum in the night sky. Also be sure to catch the Taurid meteor shower, which features 5 to 10 meteors per hour on its peak night of November 5 to 6, and for meteors radiating from the constellation of Leo in the evening of November 17 and early morning of November 18.

“Tonight’s Sky” is produced by HubbleSite.org, online home of the Hubble Space Telescope. This is a recurring show, and you can find more episodes—and other astronomy videos—at http://hubblesite.org/videos/science

Chasing Supernovae with Kepler

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Chasing Supernovae with Kepler
Gautham Narayan of the Space Telescope Science Institute

The Kepler spacecraft launched in 2009 with the goal of discovering exoplanets. However, its highly precise brightness measurements can be used for much more science. When Kepler was repurposed as the K2 mission, one team of astronomers decided to use it to hunt for supernovas. By catching the critical first few hours of an exploding star, scientists can learn more about these colossal blasts.

Host: Dr. Frank Summers

Recorded live on Tuesday, October 2, 2018 at the Space Telescope Science Institute in Baltimore, Maryland, U.S.A.

More information: http://hubble.stsci.edu/about_us/public_talks/