Astro Night
Thu, October 04, 2018
Title: Space Banshees: Hallowe'en Edition
Abstract: Wonder and reverence are common feelings drawn from the night sky. But, there have been moments in history when the night sky inspired fear. In preparation of Hallowe'en, Stephen Ro will share stories of demons, toxic clouds, and wrathful gods as well as a scientific explanation as to what happened. It should be warned that science does not always soothe a fearful heart. To demonstrate this, Stephen will introduce a theoretical model of 'shrieking banshees' in space.
Bio: Stephen Ro is a postdoctoral researcher in the UC Berkeley Astronomy Department. He grew up in Toronto, Canada where he received a PhD in astrophysics from the University of Toronto in 2017. Stephen's research includes mass loss from stars in the form of winds, eruptions and explosions as well as the physics of sound and shock waves.