Science Cafe – Supernovae: The Violent Deaths of Stars

Posted on January 8, 2009 by | 1 Comment

From: SCONC

Tuesday, Jan. 20
6:30 p.m.
Science Cafe, Raleigh – “Supernovae: The Violent Deaths of Stars”
Stephen Reynolds, professor of physics at NC State University, discusses the violent deaths of mega-stars … in space, that is. We are quite literally made of star stuff as a result. Reynolds and his colleagues recently made international headlines when they discovered the youngest-known remnant of a supernova in the Milky Way by tracking cosmic rays.
Tir Na Nog, 218 South Blount St, Raleigh, 833-7795.

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One response to “Science Cafe – Supernovae: The Violent Deaths of Stars”

  1. Coturnix's avatar Coturnix | January 8, 2009 at 10:54 am |

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    Hi Café Enthusiasts,
    Welcome back and Happy 2009! I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday. This month’s Science Café (description below) will be held on January 20th at Tir Na Nog. We will be meeting Dr. Stephen Reynolds from NC State University, who with his team of astronomers, discovered a new super nova last spring (http://news.ncsu.edu/news/2008/05/084-tpreynolds.php). I hope that you can come for an interesting discussion about the spectacular phenomena that scientists have recently discovered within our universe.
    Supernovae: The Violent Deaths of Stars
    Tuesday January 20, 2009
    6:30-8:30 p.m. with discussion beginning at 7:00 followed by Q&A
    Tir Na Nog 218 South Blount Street, Raleigh, 833-7795
    Massive stars end their lives in spectacular supernova explosions, visible across the Universe, that blast material into space that contributes to future generations of stars, produces cosmic rays, and stirs up interstellar gases. Many heavy elements, including the calcium in our bones and trace amounts of copper and zinc in our bodies, are formed only in supernovae; we are quite literally made of star stuff. Some supernovae can even be used to gauge distances to remote galaxies; from these we have learned the astonishing fact that the expansion of our Universe is actually picking up speed. Join us as we discuss ongoing work on supernovae, their remnants and related astronomical work.
    About the Speaker:
    Dr. Stephen Reynolds, professor of physics at NC State University, has been studying supernova remnants for almost 30 years. Reynolds’ research focuses on the generation of cosmic rays by supernova remnants, involving theoretical work and observations with
    national radio-astronomical facilities and orbiting X-ray observing satellites. Reynolds and his colleagues recently made international headlines when they discovered the youngest-known remnant of a supernova in the Milky Way.
    We’re looking forward to seeing everyone on the 20th at Tir Na Nog.