Film & Animation

3D Spectroscopy and the Dynamics of Galaxies

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Most people are familiar with how a prism splits the light of the Sun into its component rainbow of colors. Research astronomers use instruments called spectrographs to split the light from celestial objects and measure its intensity at different wavelengths. These spectral observations can be used to determine temperature, composition, motion, and more. Imaging spectrographs extend the entire 2D view of an image into a third dimension of wavelength, and have greatly expanded the capacity to map the motions of gas and stars within galaxies. Dr. Law will present the history of this powerful type of instrument, highlight what it has taught us about the evolution of galaxies over the last 12 billion years, and discuss some of the exciting science that such instruments on board the James Webb Space Telescope are expected to deliver in the near future.... Read More

The Composition of Galaxies: Looking Beyond The Stars

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Stunning visible light images of galaxies show us vast collections of stars, gas, and dust arrayed in great spiral and giant elliptical shapes. But astronomers know that there is much more to a galaxy than meets the eye. Their true scale reaches well beyond their visible extent and raises the question of whether a galaxy ever really ends. Dr. Corlies will discuss how we measure the faint outskirts of galaxies and whether the findings match our expectations. Through studies of Hubble Space Telescope observations and modern computer simulations we can probe the nature of galaxy formation and advance our understanding of their development.... Read More