Cosmic Mirages: seeing dark matter with gravitational lenses
Most
of
the
matter
in
the
Universe
is
dark
matter:
an
elusive
particle
that
is
completely
invisible.
But
we
can
“see”
this
matter
by
studying
how
it
distorts
the
light
from
galaxies
in
the
distant
Universe,
a
phenomenon
called
gravitational
lensing.
I
will
give
a
whirlwind
tour
of
gravitational
lensing’s
“greatest
hits”
showing
how
it
can
be
used
as
a
tool
to
understand
some
of
the
most
mysterious
things
in
the
Universe:
from
black
holes
to
the
“cosmic
web”
of
dark
matter
that
links
galaxies
together.
This is a family-friendly event, but if your kids will have trouble sitting through a lecture, you're welcome to join us on the Columbia Fields around 8:30pm for the stargazing portion of the evening.
Please note that if the skies are cloudy, the lecture will still take place on August 12th, but we will not gather on the fields for stargazing. Please register so that we can keep you updated: http://UWaterlooPerseids2019.ticketfi.com
Parking will be provided in Lot X, near the lecture venue, and in the OpenText lot on Frank Tompa Drive, north of Brubacher House. It is an easy walk between both parking lots, the lecture, and the fields. Please do not park in the small gravel lot adjacent to the field, as your car lights interfere with our stargazing.