Amateur Astronomers Association of Princeton present “LIGO and the Extreme Side of Gravity”

Calendar

When:

April 10, 2018 @ 7:30 pm

2018-04-10T19:30:00-04:00

2018-04-10T19:45:00-04:00

Where:

Peyton Hall on the Princeton University Campus
Princeton
N.J. 08544

Doylestown Observer Calendar Fairless Focus Calendar Langhorne Ledger Calendar Morrisville Times Calendar New Hope News Calendar Newtown Gazette Calendar Northampton Herald Calendar Southampton Spirit Calendar Warwick Journal Calendar Yardley Voice Calendar

Amateur Astronomers Association of Princeton Peyton Hall Princeton University Campus Professor Frans Pretorius “LIGO and the Extreme Side of Gravity”

The speaker this month will by Princeton University Professor Frans Pretorius regarding the “LIGO and the Extreme Side of Gravity.” Admission is free and the public is welcome. Ample free parking is available across the street from Peyton Hall.

The LIGO gravitational wave detectors have ushered in a new era of gravitational wave astronomy. Several signals consistent with the collision of two black holes have been observed, and one that we can infer was the collision of two neutron stars. These signals come from the most extreme regions of strong gravity we know of, and are providing the first direct evidence that black holes, as described by Einstein’s theory of general relativity, actually exist. In this talk Dr Pretrious will explain the basics of compact object collisions and gravitational waves, and how we are able to interpret the LIGO signals as originating from these cataclysmic events.