Astronomy on Tap Santa Cruz: How We Built the Largest Optical Telescope in the Known Universe and What It’s Taught Us

Despite being initially dismissed as a “beyond ridiculous” idea, the W.M. Keck Observatory has been the largest optical telescope in the known universe for over three decades.

Come hear the story of how Keck was built and how it has gone on to revolutionize our understanding of the cosmos - from discovering the supermassive black hole at the center of our galaxy, to imaging worlds orbiting other stars.

Speakers: Mike Bolte, UC Santa Cruz; Steph Sallum, UC Irvine