University of Victoria professor Sara Ellison will be the guest speaker at a Sept. 11 meeting hosted by the Sunshine Coast chapter of the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada (RASC).
The topic will be “Galaxy Mergers in the Nearby Universe.”
“Despite the emptiness of space, mergers between galaxies are surprisingly common,” the Sunshine Coast RASC said in a press release. “Around one per cent of galaxies in the nearby universe are currently experiencing an interaction of some kind.”
Ellison will describe research that uses both observations and computer simulations to trace the dramatic effect of these interactions on a galaxy’s history: how the interaction can lead to massive bursts of star formation, alter the interstellar chemistry and even provide fuel for the central supermassive black hole.
The meeting is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. at the Sunshine Coast Arts Centre, 5714 Medusa St.
Donations are gratefully accepted at the door.
For more information, check out the Sunshine Coast RASC site at: http://www.coastastronomy.ca/.
– Submitted
