An Astronomical Perspective on Globular Clusters, Binary Stars, and Planet Earth - Livestream

I will begin by sharing some results from my research on Globular Clusters, following a brief introduction to these fascinating and ancient structures.  In particular I will focus on the role that Binary Stars play in cluster dynamics and show some examples of how my students and I have been searching for these binaries using space-based observatories. I will also touch on some interesting connections between this work and the LIGO discoveries of binary black holes via gravitational waves.  Finally, I will describe ways in which the astronomical perspective can be harnessed in the struggle to preserve our planet's habitability, invite you to share your thoughts about this, and introduce Astronomers for Planet Earth, an organization that I helped to found in 2019.

Speaker: Adrienne Cool, San Francisco State University

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