Nerd Nite Austin #176: Astronomy!

Thursday, November 20rd, 7:30pm at Barrel O’ Fun and on Twitch

This month we gravitate toward deep space with three PhDs giving astronomically nerdy talks!

 

“Exoplanet Weather Forecast: How do we study the climate and habitability of other worlds?” by Sven Kiefer

We now have discovered over 6000 planets outside our Solar System. Learn how scientists discover, investigate, and classify these distant worlds.

Sven is a researcher at the University of Texas at Austin studying the climate, clouds, and chemistry of exoplanets.

 

“Can we please have the Black Hole Origin Story?!” by Archana Aravindan

The origin story of the greatest super-entity in our universe is shrouded in mystery. Discover our best (and worst!) theories about how the first black holes formed, and how astronomers around the world are using cutting-edge telescopes to piece together the story.

Archana is a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Texas at Austin, studying black holes in small galaxies. She spends half her time thinking about how the first black holes formed and the other half figuring out the time-loop physics that turned Barry Allen into the Flash!

 

“Journeying Back to the Earliest Epochs of Cosmic History” by Tiger Hsiao

The first generation of stars are our cosmic ancestors. Using JWST, humanity’s most powerful time machine, we are uncovering the dawn of the universe and the very beginning of our story.

Tiger is a Cosmic Frontier Center Fellow at UT Austin, and his pipe dream is to uncover the first generation of stars and galaxies.

 

Nerd Nite happens at


the bar inside the
Alamo Drafthouse Mueller

  • Shows are (usually) the last Thursday of every month at 7:30pm.
  • The Barrel opens at 4pm. The show is free, so arrive early to get a good seat.
  • There will be an intermission between the speakers.
  • They have a full bar including beers on tap and a great food menu.
  • There’s parking in the garage behind the Alamo Mueller along McBee street. Barrel O’ Fun will validate parking for up to 4 hours. Look for the QR code at the ticket desk.
  • The Barrel O’ Fun website has menus, map and more.