Astronomers to Hold Public Lecture on Dark Energy in Universe Friday
By: Press Release
Updated: January 25, 2013
The West Texas Science Center and the Abilene Chapter of the Texas Exes, have joined forces to host Dr. David L. Lambert, Director of Austin's McDonald Observatory, Dr. Karl Gebhardt, Herman and Joan Suit Professor of Astrophysics at the University of Texas and Joel Barna, to Abilene for a captivating series of lectures on their work exploring the role of Dark Energy in the Universe.
Recently, astronomers have used the Hobby-Eberly Telescope at The University of Texas at Austin's McDonald Observatory to measure the mass of what may be the most massive black hole yet - 17 billion times our sun's mass - in galaxy NGC 1277. The work was slated to appear in the journal Nature on Nov. 29.
"This is a really oddball galaxy," said team member Karl Gebhardt of The University of Texas at Austin. "It's almost all black hole. This could be the first object in a new class of galaxy-black hole systems."
Throughout the day on Friday, January 25, 2013 Dr. Lambert and Dr. Gebhardt will be speaking to students at ATEMS [Academy of Technology, Engineering, Math and Science], Abilene and Cooper High Schools, McMurry University and Hardin Simmons University.
A special lecture is open to the public and will be on Friday, January 25 at 6:30 p.m. at Walling Lecture Hall in the Foster Science Building on the campus of Abilene Christian University. The lecture is free and all interested parties are invited.
The West Texas Science Center is an Abilene 501(c)(3) non-profit organization dedicated to science education in Abilene and West Texas. The Abilene chapter of the Texas Exes are alumni who help promote the activities of the University of Texas at Austin.
Recently, astronomers have used the Hobby-Eberly Telescope at The University of Texas at Austin's McDonald Observatory to measure the mass of what may be the most massive black hole yet - 17 billion times our sun's mass - in galaxy NGC 1277. The work was slated to appear in the journal Nature on Nov. 29.
"This is a really oddball galaxy," said team member Karl Gebhardt of The University of Texas at Austin. "It's almost all black hole. This could be the first object in a new class of galaxy-black hole systems."
Throughout the day on Friday, January 25, 2013 Dr. Lambert and Dr. Gebhardt will be speaking to students at ATEMS [Academy of Technology, Engineering, Math and Science], Abilene and Cooper High Schools, McMurry University and Hardin Simmons University.
A special lecture is open to the public and will be on Friday, January 25 at 6:30 p.m. at Walling Lecture Hall in the Foster Science Building on the campus of Abilene Christian University. The lecture is free and all interested parties are invited.
The West Texas Science Center is an Abilene 501(c)(3) non-profit organization dedicated to science education in Abilene and West Texas. The Abilene chapter of the Texas Exes are alumni who help promote the activities of the University of Texas at Austin.
