Awake and Sleeping Supermassive Black Holes

Black holes have always been a fascinating topic of study in Astrophysics, and they are as exciting and mysterious as their name implies. They come in many ‘flavors', where size plays the leading role in determining their life’s journey. From primordial to supermassive or even ultramassive black holes, they all have a different story to tell about their birth, growth, presence and background. What is the difference between all types of black holes? Where can we find them and how can we 'see' them?  Focusing on Supermassive Black Holes, I will discuss how astronomers are able to identify them, locate them and trace their behavior in their evolution. Finally, I will put all this into perspective by discussing 'our' place in the Universe.

Speaker: Nectaria Gizani, UC Berkeley

Stargazing follows 9:00 - 10:30