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San Francisco Amateur Astronomers

SFAA May Virtual Meeting

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SFAA Virtual Lecture Series

Imaging Extrasolar Planets

Join us on  Wednesday, May 18th, at 7:00pm  …

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  • Finished 5/19/2022, 5:00:00 AM
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SFAA Virtual Lecture Series

Imaging Extrasolar Planets

Join us on  Wednesday, May 18th, at 7:00pm  (PT) for our latest virtual lecture event –  Imaging Extrasolar Planets  – with Dr. Bruce Macintosh, a professor of physics at Stanford University and Deputy Director of KIPAC (Kavli Institute for Particle Astrophysics and Cosmology).

In the past two and a half decades, more than 4000 planets have been discovered orbiting other stars beyond our own Solar System. This has sparked a revolution in astronomy as we realize our Solar System is not alone. However, we still don’t know if our Solar System is rare or unique — the powerful techniques that detect extrasolar planets have discovered systems very different than our own. In recent years, advances in technology have allowed a handful of giant planets to be imaged directly.

Find out about the first-ever images of other solar systems — and the technology that has allowed us to discover them, such as the Gemini Planet Imager — as well as the future planet-hunting space telescopes. The ultimate goal is detection of a second ‘pale blue dot’ — an Earth twin where we could even see the biosignatures of extrasolar life. Such a discovery will truly complete the evolution of our view of the Universe.

Brief Bio

Bruce Macintosh is a professor of physics at Stanford University. His research focuses on the study of extrasolar planets using direct imaging and adaptive optics. He is the Principal Investigator of the Gemini Planet Imager, an advanced adaptive optics planet-finder for the Gemini South telescope.

He co-led the team that took the first-ever images of a system of extrasolar planets, for which he was awarded the Newcomb Cleveland Prize by the American Association for the Advancement of Science. He also leads a Science Investigation Team for the coronagraph instrument on the forthcoming Nancy Grace Roman Telescope, that will enable imaging and spectroscopy of even fainter extrasolar planets.

Bruce was awarded his PhD from the University of California, Los Angeles. He went on to Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, first as a postdoctoral researcher, then as a staff physicist. He helped found the National Science Foundation Center for Adaptive Optics and served as an associate director. In 2014 he joined the faculty of Stanford and is now deputy director of KIPAC. Bruce has contributed extensively to the astronomy community and is now serving on the steering committee for the 2020 Astronomy and Astrophysics Decadal Survey.

Webinar & Streaming Details

SFAA provides multiple viewing options. You may attend the virtual meeting “live,” which includes the opportunity to participate in any chat discussions and ask questions of the speaker -or- you may attend the live-streaming event on our YouTube channel or Facebook page.
To attend the virtual meeting “live” with the opportunity to ask questions: The virtual room will open at  6:30pm  on  Wednesday, May 18th  by clicking this Zoom meeting link:  https://zoom.us/j/95830904603?pwd=UDNKdm16US9wK1EremdJeGptdjNNdz09 . Club, welcome announcements, and the lecture will begin promptly at 7:00pm. Clicking the link may prompt you to install the Zoom virtual meeting app. Once installed, you will be able to join the meeting. If the app is already installed on your device, simply enter the meeting number  958 3090 4603  and password  116064  to join the meeting. Once joined, you can test your audio and video, and greet other members. Board members will join the meeting early to help troubleshoot any problems with audio or video. Alternatively, please visit the following channels to attend the live stream: SFAA YouTube channel:  https://www.youtube.com/channel/UChuBJGp_iJYZ11q_ayA-q3A SFAA Facebook group:  https://www.facebook.com/groups/152754481404310
Hope to see you on the 18th!

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Ticket Required: No

Languages: English

Provided to SNM by
Night Sky Network

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