UChicago Astronomy Workshops: 2008

THE SLOAN DIGITAL SKY SURVEY: FROM ASTEROIDS TO COSMOLOGY
An International Symposium
August 15 - 18, 2008
Chicago, IL

Over eight years of observations, the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS-I, 2000 - 2005; SDSS-II, 2005 - 2008) has transformed many fields of astronomy, from the identification of asteroid families to the discovery of the most distant quasars, from substructure in the outer Galaxy to the large-scale structure of the Universe.

This broad-ranging symposium will review progress and prospects in these fields, including observational contributions from the SDSS and from other major surveys, theoretical interpretation of the results, and plans for the next generation of large astronomical survey projects. The program will include invited reviews, contributed talks, posters, and a symposium banquet on a cruise boat on Lake Michigan.

The symposium will take place in downtown Chicago at the historic Merchandise Mart Conference Center (2nd Floor), 350 West Mart Center Drive, Chicago IL 60654.
[more]
Cafe Scientifique: Juan Collar, "Searching for Cosmic Dark Matter in the Sewers of Chicago"
September 15, 2008
19:00, The Map Room (1959 N. Hoyne)

"Searching for Cosmic Dark Matter in the Sewers of Chicago"
The quest for a solution to the deepest cosmological mysteries (e.g., What is Dark Matter?) calls for extreme measures. Juan Collar, an ordained particle hunter, will share some of the tricks of his trade with anyone willing to listen. This conversation will range from the sophisticated detector technologies developed to catch particles that may or may not be there, to the exotic venues (including sewers, mines thousands of feet deep, and the crawl space under a nuclear reactor), to the sheer quiet desperation of it all.

Subscribe to the Café email list at
https://cfcpwork.uchicago.edu/mailman/listinfo/cafe
Wendy Freedman (Director Carnegie Observatories), Brinson Lecture: "Astronomy in the New Millennium: New Windows on the Cosmos"
October 2, 2008
19:00, Assembly Hall, Thompson Center 100 W Randolph St (intersection Clark & Randolph)

Dr. Wendy Freedman is the Director of the Carnegie Observatories, the inaugural Brinson Lecturer at The University of Chicago, and currently in charge of building the world's largest telescope. However, she is perhaps best known for leading the team that determined rate at which our universe is expanding. Join Dr. Freedman for an exciting evening exploring the forefronts of astronomy, as we prepare to mark the 400th anniversary of when Galileo Galilei first turned a telescope to the sky. In the last few decades alone, we have discovered about 300 new planets outside of those in our own Solar System, detected massive black holes, and observed the entire universe to be expanding at an increasing rate, pulled apart by a cosmic force, unexplained by any of our current physical theories. Dr. Freedman will focus on recent astronomical discoveries, and show how giant new telescopes planned for both the ground and space will address some of the biggest mysteries in astronomy today.

Brinson Foundation

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