Two galaxies perform an intricate dance by swinging gracefully past each other in this 2007 Hubble Space Telescope image. The galaxies, collectively named Arp 87, are in the constellation Leo about 300 million light-years away from Earth. (Photo Credit: NASA, ESA and The Hubble Heritage Team)
For the monthly Cosmic Cocktail Hour Wednesday, Oct. 6, at 4:00 p.m. via Zoom, Dr. Ylva Götberg will discuss how the “dance” of stars, choreographed by gravity, can lead to a wide variety of fates, from extreme loss of stellar material to the creation of elusive helium stars.
Deep inside the internal cores of stars, intense pressures cause hydrogen atoms to convert to helium atoms. This conversion, called nuclear fission, creates the energy, heat and light that powers stars, including our sun.
A recent recipient of NASA’s prestigious Hubble fellowship program, Götberg is an astrophysics researcher at Carnegie Observatories. She grew up in Sweden and studied at Lund University where she intended to earn her bachelor’s degree in physics engineering. However, during exchange studies in Grenoble, France, she became interested in mysteries of outer space and eventually received her PhD in astrophysics at the University of Amsterdam.
The cost of Cosmic Cocktail Hour is only $7 for members of the Pasadena Senior Center and $10 for nonmembers. To register, visit www.pasadenaseniorcenter.org and click on Events, Clubs and Lectures, then Online Events or call 626-795-4331. Everyone who registers will receive an email link to access the Zoom event.
Then pour your favorite beverage, sit back and enjoy the astronomical trip.
In addition to online classes, onsite events and other activities, members and nonmembers of the Pasadena Senior Center are encouraged to visit the website regularly for a weekly blog, monthly magazine, COVID updates for older adults, ongoing activities throughout the year and more.
The center, at 85 E. Holly St., is an independent, donor-supported nonprofit organization that has served older adults for more than 60 years. During the pandemic, doors are open Mondays through Fridays from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. for social services and other critical services for older adults in need as well as limited occupancy for events, the library, fitness center and computer lab. Masks and social distancing are required. Rooms are sanitized after each use.
