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Talk for October 24th |
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Kicking Neutron Stars through the Galaxy
Professor Evert Meurs of Dunsink Observatory
Professor Evert Meurs from Dunsink Observatory will be discussing neutron stars which are moving through the galaxy at very high speed. Neutron stars are the remnants of stars which have exploded as supernovae. Occasionally, they are observed to be moving with very high proper velocities. This has been hypothesized to be the result of explosion asymmetries in the supernova. The talk will centre on the evidence for these asymmetries, as well as their consequences for observation.
Professor Meurs is the Director of Dunsink Observatory, and is a Honorary Professor of Physics at Trinity College. He specializes in Observational Astronomy.
Professor Meurs' talk will be held on Tuesday, October 24th, at 7:30pm in John Hume 4. All are welcome to attend, and we'll have the usual treats-and-drinks reception afterwards, followed by observing, weather permitting.
Pictured above:RX J185635-3754 - The Nearest Neutron Star to Earth. [Credit - Hubble]. This picture was taken by Hubble's Wide Field Planetary Camera. The shots show the star moving at a rate of 1/3 of an arcsecond per year. There is a small, invisible parallax shift in the photographs, which puts the star at a distance of 200 light years from Earth.
Click here for more information on RX J185635-3754, and here for an introduction to neutron stars in general.
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