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SAAO Cape Town Open Night

March 23 @ 8:00 pm - 10:00 pm

This week’s speaker: Dr Christian Hettlage

The SAAO Open Nights in Cape Town take place on the second and fourth Saturday of every month at 20:00.

All Open Nights will start with a presentation on topics of astronomy or physics. Then, visitors will be given an introduction to the historic McClean telescope, the observatory museum, and the library. If the weather is clear, there will be a chance for stargazing using telescopes set up for the night.

Please email enquiries@saao.ac.za if you have any queries regarding bookings and tours for Cape Town Open Nights.

Speaker: Dr Christian Hettlage

Christian Hettlage is a software engineer at the SAAO, developing tools for the Southern African Large Telescope (SALT). He came to Cape Town in 2006 after completing his Ph.D. in astronomy at the University of Göttingen, Germany.

Abstract: Black holes are among the most fascinating objects in the universe, and they feature in many a science fiction movie. But what are they, where can we find them, and how do we know they really exist? The talk outlines the science behind black holes, explaining along the way what Einstein’s Theory of Relativity is all about and what this all has to do with a famous Italian dish. It then turns to the question how black holes have been discovered by astronomical observations. It concludes by highlighting how in recent years colliding black holes were found and how an actual image of the gigantic black hole at the centre of our Milky Way was taken.

 

 

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Details

Date:
March 23
Time:
8:00 pm - 10:00 pm
Event Category:

Organizer

SAAO

Venue

Cape Town
Observatory Rd, Observatory
Cape Town, 7925 South Africa + Google Map
Phone:
021 447 0025