Science Under the Stars: How Black Holes Light Up Their Surroundings

Come to the planetarium for a free talk with guest speaker Zachary Gelles of Princeton University.

Black holes are the sites of extreme gravitational forces – they suck in matter and never let it back out. But under the right conditions, a black hole can actually power the reverse process, shooting matter outwards at incredibly high speeds and lighting up the black hole’s vicinity. These so-called “jets” are some of the brightest, most powerful objects in the universe and have been observed in numerous galaxies to date.

In this free lecture, join us to learn what black holes are and how they can be used as engines for these astrophysical jets. Zach will explain how we observe the jets and what we can learn from them. Finally, we will hear about future plans to upgrade telescopes and enable astrophysicists to see jets in the universe with unprecedented precision.

Reservation required.