Space Oddities: Mars, Stars and Quasars

If there’s life beyond our solar system, it might bask under the glow of a red sun. Or maybe not! Red dwarfs are the most common stars in our galaxy, and despite being small they throw big tantrums. Join Katelyn as we explore stellar magnetic fields, space weather, and habitability.

We've all heard of black holes—the dense, matter-devouring shadows lurking throughout the cosmos. While we often picture them as dark pits skulking between the stars, some of the largest are, in fact, among the brightest objects in the universe. These "quasars" serve as cosmic distance markers that help astronomers peer into the distant past. In this talk, Hugh introduces the audience to what quasars are, how they work, and what they reveal about the universe we live in.

Mars InSight studied the interior of Mars using seismic waves (marsquakes). With Insight only at one location, some clever methods are needed to determine the marsquake location. Wayne will explain these methods, the instrumentation and show how the results have changed our understanding of Mars.