On January 29, 2021, CIERA debuted its new public outreach event CIERA Astronomy LIVE to an audience of about 45 people. The YouTube live “open mic night” style event brings Northwestern astronomers to the public in an interactive online format. Trivia, short presentations and interviews, and plenty of opportunity to ask questions, make these events fun and accessible for everyone.
Chase Kimball hosted trivia sessions, Luke Kelley and Alex Gurvich gave presentations, and audience questions were moderated by Gretchen Oehlschlager. Luke discussed the scientific and cultural impact of the historic Arecibo giant radio telescope in Puerto Rico. Alex shared about all things extraterrestrial and answered the question “are we alone in the universe?” The audience engaged the astronomers with great questions sent via YouTube chat.
Stay tuned for more CIERA Astronomy LIVE events on the last Friday of the month. Each event will feature different CIERA astronomers and topics.
Background Image: NGC 457, an open star cluster in Cassiopeia about 7900 light years from the sun. Observed from Northwestern University’s Dearborn Observatory. Credit: Candice Stauffer & Cobi Rabinowitz