THIS MONTH we will be joined by Dr. Bob Abel* who will answer the question “Where are the Martians?” as he delves into the history and current state of our nearby neighbor, Mars, and examines the possibilities of life in its past, present, and future. We will also be joined by University of Victoria PhD student Benjamin Gerard** who will discuss his research on “Imaging Worlds Beyond Our Solar System.” Come prepared to see pictures of other worlds, and learn how we use the most powerful telescopes and specially designed optical systems to distinguish an exoplanet from the overwhelming glare of its host star.
*Dr. Bob Abel is a Professor of Applied Physics at Olympic College and a Collaborator with the University of Washington’s Large Synoptic Survey Telescope Group. He holds a Ph.D. and M.S. in Atmospheric Sciences (Space Physics) from UCLA and an M.S. in Aeronautics and Astronautics (Fluid Mechanics) from the UW.
**Benjamin Gerard is a PhD student in Physics and Astronomy at the University of Victoria in British Columbia. He did his Bachelors in Physics and Astronomy at the University of Colorado at Boulder and is originally from San Francisco, California. His research, supervised by Dr. Christian Marois, focuses on instrumentation techniques and image processing algorithms to image extrasolar planets.
This month we are excited to again be hosted by Peddler Brewing Company in their large beer garden. Bring lawn chairs if you’d like to to make your own front-row seating! There will be a food truck at the event, but outside food is also welcome.
Each FREE Astronomy on Tap event features accessible, engaging science presentations on topics ranging from planets to black holes to the beginning of the Universe. Most events have games and prizes to test and reward your new-found knowledge! There is always lots of time to ask questions and interact with the presenters and other scientists who inevitably stick around for the beer.
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