redShift

Week of February 28th, 2012

2012-03-02T12:15:00.001-05:00

I hope everyone's enjoying their last moments of freedom before midterms! Here's what's coming up in the Astro Dept. :

Featured Upcoming Events

To the Moon on a BudgetPublic Outreach Lecture by Arlin Crotts followed by Rooftop Observing
Friday 3/2, 7:00pm
Pupin 301

A wide array of national and international space agencies, private corporations and

consortia are preparing to send spacecraft to the Moon, some with people on

board, some with profits in mind. What will they do there, and what might others
do in the future? One more volunteer is needed! Please e-mail Summer Ash
summer@astro.columba.edu if you can help out. Lecture: 7:00-7:30 PM

Telescope Observation: 7:30-9:00 PM Astrophotography Slideshow: 7:30-9:00 PM

Astro Snippets

SIPA hosts science event Wednesday evening, "What is Science News and What's Not?". (Sundial)

The Herbert Deresiewicz Summer Research Fellowship is due March 5th! (CSA)

Kepler's latest data release introduces 1091 new planet candidates, bringing the total number of Kepler planet candidates to 2,321. (Astrobites)

Weekly Calendar

(Event Descriptions)

for the week of February 13th, 2012

2012-02-13T12:47:00.000-05:00

Upcoming Events

Big Apple Colloquium
with Professor Victoria Kaspi of McGill University

Friday 2/17, 3:00pm

Pupin 428

The Big apple colloquium occurs once every semester as a special
guest lecture to be attended by astronomers from all over New York
City. Last semester we went down to NYU to hear about Suppermassive
Black Holes and this time Columbia is hosting Victoria Kaspi. She'll
discuss her work on neutron stars and how their magnetic fields,
notoriously difficult to measure, play an important role in the different
flavors of neutron stars we see.

Our Human Search for Life in the Universe
Public Outreach Lecture by Maureen Teyssier followed by Rooftop Observing

Friday 2/17, 7:00pm

Pupin 301

We have only a very small idea of what alien life would look like, but we
have a pretty good idea of where to find it. Maureen, a current Ph.D. student,
will explain how we've used basic principles in chemistry, physics and biology,
to place limits on what kinds of life could exist in our universe, and even
better limits on where it could exist. From these basic ideas, we learn how
scientists have designed targeted studies to find life. Lecture: 7:00-7:30 PM
Telescope Observation: 7:30-9:00 PM Astrophotography Slideshow: 7:30-9:00 PM

Astro Snippets

Columbia graduate student, Jana Grcevich, finds potential hidden galaxies. (Space.com)

Do you ever wish you could do problem sets on an ipad? You need to use Latex and an ipad. (Astrobetter)

Stars can “capture” dark matter from their environment and boost energy output. (Astrobites)

Weekly Calendar

(Event Descriptions)

Astronomy Department Events for the week of February 5th, 2012

2012-02-13T12:00:00.003-05:00

Upcoming Events

NASA Internship Info Session
with Sam Grunblatt (aka yours truly)

Tuesday 2/7, 9:30pm

Pike House Common Room, 536 W 114th St

Besides NSF REUs, NASA internships are another great way to get quality research

experience with funding. There are many NASA Internships out there and the process

can be confusing. The deadline this year has been extended to March 1st so there is

still plenty of time to apply! Last summer, Sam Grunblatt did a summer internship at NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center where he researched gamma ray signals from neutron stars. Sam will share his experience and tips on how to apply. Snacks will also be provided.

Astro Snippets

The Sun is going through a period of high magnetic activity right now, which means solar flares and epic aurora. (BadAstro)

NASA's replacement for the spaceshuttle, Orion, goes on tour. (UniverseToday)

How do you measure a black hole’s rotation? Jets might be the answer! (Astrobites)

How to attend your first astronomy conference (Astrobites)

The American Museum of Natural History Unveils a Planetarium-Sized Video Game (NPR)

Events for Week of Feb. 5th

2012-02-13T11:58:00.002-05:00

Upcoming Events

Astro Department Events for Week of Jan 23, 2012

2012-01-26T15:10:00.003-05:00

We have plenty of events this semester to look forward to, including some great ones this Thursday: Columbia College alum, Dr. Beth Willman (CC '98), is an assistant professor of physics and astronomy at Haverford college and will be visiting the department this week. She is giving the department colloquium on Wednesday and on Thursday joining a handful of lucky undergrads like yourselves out for a group lunch. Also, if you have always wanted to help out the department with all the great outreach events we put on for the public, then this Thursday is your chance to get in the loop.

Upcoming Events

Undergrad Lunch Out
w/ Special Guest Dr. Willman

Thursday, 11:30

RSVP

We'll have the pleasure of taking Dr. Willman out to a local restaurant to enjoy lunch and chat about her successful career as an astronomer. This meal will be paid for, out of the generosity of the department, but our funds are limited so we can only guarantee seats for the first six students. Professor Willman used to be in your shoes as an undergrad at Columbia and she is very active in research with students at Haverford, so this is a great opportunity. To hear her research presentation, you are welcome to come to the Astronomy Department colloquium on Wednesday at 4pm in Pupin 1402.

Outreach Informational

Thursday, 4pm

Astro Library, Pupin 1402

The Columbia Astro Outreach team is made up of grad students, undergrads and other department members who volunteer for various events that we put on for the public. Please come to learn about how you can volunteer for our awesome events this semester. Refreshments will be served. Check out the outreach website at outreach.astro.columbia.edu

Astro Snippets

Columbia Prof. Johnston, "The Milky Way is not 1 galaxy. Formed from 1000 galaxies with different star formation histories, dark matter profiles." (Astrobetter)

Always discuss dark energy and exoplanets with people; this is still exciting and big news for non-astro people. (Astrobetter)

Columbia Prof. David Helfand “Why aren’t you more like fourth graders?” (New York Times)

Stars surrounded by debris disks are likely to harbor terrestrial planets (Astrobites)

Photos of Russian Cosmonauts for make benefit glorious nation Kazakhstan (Universe Today)

REU Apps - Due Feb. 1st

2012-01-10T15:51:00.000-05:00

REU Programs to Consider:


Due Date	Program Site	Recs	Details (link)	Application (link)	Other (link)
Feb. 1st	New York - AMNH	0	amnh.org	amnh.org	amnh.org
Feb. 1st	Harvard - SAO	2	harvard.edu	harvard.edu	harvard.edu
Feb. 1st	Haystack - MIT	2	mit.edu	mit.edu	mit.edu
Feb. 1st	Hawaii - IFA	2	hawaii.edu	hawaii.edu	hawaii.edu
Feb. 1st	Virginia - NRAO	2	nrao.edu	nrao.edu
Feb. 1st	Arecibo - NAIC	3	naic.edu	naic.edu
Jan. 30th	Kitt Peak - NOAO	2	noao.edu	noao.edu

Other Notables:

Caltech, U Chicago, UCLA, U Wisconsin, U Toledo, U Texas

Full Lists:

NSF Astronomical Sciences, NSF Physics, NSF Others

It is strongly recommended that current juniors andsophomores apply to an National Science Foundation Research Experiencefor Undergraduates program. Many of these sites are prestigious, wellpaid and competitive. In December we heard from current graduatestudents Munier, Ximena and Jenna about their experiences, so pleasefeel free to contact them or myself if you have more questions. If you haven't already, e-mail two professors requesting recommendation letters.Many students apply to around 4-9 programs and its ok if you don't getinto any (especially if you are a sophomore). In February we shouldhave an informational about how to get summer research here at Columbiabut it should be said that although summer research at Columbia can bejust as good if not better than a formal NSF REU, it is more difficultto get this research funded.

Last Public Outreach Lecture of the Year

2011-12-15T10:08:00.001-05:00

How I Discovered a Supernova
Friday 7:00pm
Pupin 301
On November 6, 2008 Caroline Moore spotted something odd in one of the data files of distant
galaxy UGC 12682, located in the constellation Pegasus. Seven days later, Caroline was recognized
by the International Astronomical Union for discovering Supernova 2008ha, possibly the least luminous
supernova ever observed. In this talk, Caroline will tell the story of how she became the youngest
person to discover a supernova at the ripe old age of 14.

REU Information Session

2011-12-08T14:49:00.001-05:00

Applying for an NSF REU (Research Experience for Undergraduates) is highly encouraged for students who are considering graduate school, a possible career in science or who just want to do research. There are over 20 Astronomy or Astrophysics related summer REU sites across the country including at Harvard SAO, Univeristy of Hawaii, and MIT. Hear from Columbia graduate students and alums who have done an REU in the past to get their inside perspective on the benefits of doing an REU and how to apply at our informational lunch tomorrow at noon!

A Conversation About Art and Physics with Ryoji Ikeda and Brian Green

2011-11-28T16:00:00.001-05:00

Columbia University School of the Arts in partnership with the Interdisciplinary Arts Council and the Donald Keene Center of Japanese Culture present:

ORDERS OF INFINITY: DATAMATICS

A Conversation About Art, Physics and Mathematics

Ryoji Ikeda (electronic composer and visual artist)

Brian Greene (Professor Mathematics and Physics, Columbia)

Benedict Gross (Professor of Mathematics, Harvard)

Friday December 9, 2011, 6.30pm

Columbia University, Prentis Hall, Room 101

632 W 125th Street (between Broadway and Riverside Dr)

RSVP

http://arts.columbia.edu/order-infinity-datamatics

Bwog reports on Fabric of the Cosmos Live Forum

2011-11-04T12:45:00.003-04:00

Life, the Universe, and Everything, With Brian Greene

from Bwog by Brian

Last night, Miller Theater was transformed yet again into a realm of mystique and wonder, courtesy of PBS, and Bwog’s favorite physicist, Brian Greene. A sizable crowd assembled to watch the premiere of the new NOVA special, The Fabric of the Cosmos, based on Greene’s book of the same title. The real treat, however, was a live webcast (jointly hosted by the World Science Festival) with Brian Greene after the showing as he answered questions about physics, space, and nearly everything else. Brian Wagner, Bwog’s passionate spacetime enthusiast, was on hand.

The NOVA special is based on Greene's book of the same name

Amber Miller, the Dean of Sciences, opened the evening on behalf of PrezBo, who was unable to attend due to his European vacation. After more remarks by folks from the World Science Festival and PBS’s obligatory five minutes of donor-thanking, the show actually began.
Episode 1 of the sciencey special is entitled “What is Space?” The show first asks you to consider all the “stuff” surrounding us in the world. Now what happens if you take away all the “stuff?” What are you left with? If you guessed nothing, you’re kind of right. But mostly wrong. You’re left with space. And though we don’t really know what space is, it’s definitely…something. It can bend and twist (but not shout). Taking a chronological tour (oh, by the way, time might not be real, but you’ll have to wait for Episode 2 for that one) through the history of scientific explanations of space, Fabric explains that space is not a passive “stage,” as Newton conceived of it. In the last century, Einstein discovered that space actually bends and stretches in order to keep the speed of light constant, and this is where gravity comes from. With the help of some fancy CGI Brian Greene explained that space is kind of like a pool table with a stretchy, elastic surface. When you put something heavy on it (i.e. a planet), it creates an indentation. Then when something smaller (like a moon) comes rolling by, it falls into the indentation and begins rolling along the edge of the curve, in effect rotating around the planet.
So space can bend. Got it. What’s actually bending then? At the subatomic level, space is a pretty crowded place, full of elementary particles whizzing around, with pairs appearing and then annihilating each other at an alarming rate. The interesting part is that these little guys have different masses, and we don’t really know why. Actually, we don’t really know what mass is. The current theory, proposed by Peter Higgs, is that space contains a “field,” which particles move through and pick up mass. Fabric invites you to picture it like a crowd of paparazzi. Lesser-known actors, in this case representing lighter particles, are able to move through the crowd without much effort. The George Clooneys of the particle zoo, however, attract rampant attention, and move slower and slower as they progress through the field, picking up more and more “mass.” But what makes some particles Alec Baldwins and others nameless part-time waiters is still unknown.
read the rest here

Three Public Events Coming Soon

2011-11-01T15:58:00.003-04:00

Live Forum: Fabric of the Cosmos

Wednesday, Nov. 2nd at 9pm
Miller Theatre, Dodge Hall
Premiere broadcast of the first episode of NOVA’s The Fabric of the Cosmos, followed immediately by a live Q&A hosted by Brian Greene, with special guests including renowned theoretical physicist Leonard Susskind and Saul Perlmutter, winner of the 2011 Nobel Prize in Physics. If you don't have tickets there will be a standby line or you can watch on-line.

Captain Cook and the Cosmic Yardstick
Friday, Nov. 4th at 7pm
Pupin 301 and Rooftop

Public Lecture by visiting Professor Martin Hendry on the topic of the first observations of Venus passing in front of the Sun (in 1769 on the other side of the world) and how it led to our determination of the distance to the Sun. As usual this event will be accompanied by stargazing if the weather cooperates.

Sidewalk Astronomy
Monday, Nov. 7th at 7pm
Adam Clayton Powell Jr. Plaza

Columbia students bring astronomy to the sidewalks of New York City for passersby to stop for a minute and take in the moon through a telescope. This event is weather permitting and will try for Tuesday if Monday doesn't work out.

Columbia Students at Tri-State

2011-10-31T10:23:00.000-04:00

Last Friday astronomers from the tri-state area all descended upon the Graduate Center of the City University of New York to hear several talks from new faculty and rising stars in the community as part of the Tri-State Astronomy Meeting 2011. Among them was Chambliss Prize winner Lia Corrales pictured here in front of her poster with Columbia College students Bryan Terrazas and Emir Karamehmetoglu.

Fabric of the Cosmos Premier and Panel Discussion at Miller Theater

2011-10-27T17:10:00.001-04:00


http://worldsciencefestival.com/fabric_info

The first episode of NOVA's Fabric of the Cosmos special is screening at Miller Theatre next Wednesday, Nov. 2nd at 9pm followed by a live Q&A with Brian Greene, Leonard Susskind and Saul Perlmutter (2011 Physics Nobel Laureate).

Astro Department Events for Week of October 17, 2011

2011-10-19T13:09:00.000-04:00

Weekly Events

Astro Dept. Colloquium
"White dwarf binaries, mergers, and explosions"
Marten van Kerkwijk, UToronto
Wednesday 4:15pm - Pupin 428

Astro Public Outreach Lecture and Observing
"Astronomy in Antarctica"
Ross Williamson
Friday 7:00pm - Pupin 428

Astro Department Events for Week of Sep. 19, 2011

2011-09-21T17:05:00.000-04:00

Weekly Events

Physics Colloquium

"Spin and Pseudo-Spin in Graphene"

Philip Kim, Columbia University

Monday 4:15pm - Pupin 428

Pizza Lunch
Weak Lensing, Amateur Astronomy Results
Zoltan Haiman, Joe Patterson
Tuesday 12pm - Pupin 1402

Astro Dept. Colloquium
"The First Stars and Galaxies"
Volker Bromm, University of Texas Austin
Wednesday 4:15pm - Pupin 428

Astro-ph Coffee
Thursday 10:30am - Pupin 1402

Astro Dept. Seminar
"Lifecycle of dust in galaxies"
Xander Tielens , Leiden University
Thursday 4:15pm - Pupin 1402

Undergrad Astro Event
Free Food/Meet and Greet/Study Break/Free Food
Sunday 8:30pm - Pike Lounge

Astrofest 2011 A Great Success

2011-09-19T20:41:00.002-04:00

Undergraduate Poster Session

Vivienne Baldassare
Hunter College
Studying Star Formation and AGN Activity in Ultraluminous Infrared Galaxies at z > 1.15

Daniel Feldman
CUNY College of Staten Island,
Searching for Faint Kuiper Belt Objects in HST Archival Data

Adam Greenberg
Columbia University
Properties of the Low Density Gas in the Outer Reaches of the Galaxy Group NGC 5044

Sam Grunblatt
Columbia University
Time Resolved Spectroscopy of Bright Bursts from the Soft Gamma Repeater SGR J1550-5418

Kay Hiranaka
Hunter College
Application of Mie Theory to L Dwarf Spectra

Daniel Horenstein
Columbia University
Finding the First Stars

Alejandro Núñez
Hunter College
Application of Stellar Flare Model to Solar Flares

Bryan Terrazas
Columbia University
Analyzing Data from the Large Hadron Collider (LHC)

2011-09-19T13:17:00.000-04:00

THE 3rd TRI-STATE ASTRONOMY MEETING @ CUNY

October 28, 2011 at the CUNY GRADUATE CENTER, 365 Fifth Ave. New York, NY

This one-day conference aims to bring together this community to build relationships between neighboring institutions and make faculty and students aware of the expertise that can be found in our community. The conference will consist of six review talks on various areas of astronomy and a quick-fire session of one-slide/one-minute poster summaries.

List of Speakers

Stan Metchev (Stony Brook)

Maryam Modjaz (NYU)

Daisuke Nagai (Yale)

Matthew O'Dowd (CUNY)

Rachel Somerville (Rutgers)

Lucianne Walkowicz (Princeton)

Registration is free, but required. Please register at www.astro.yale.edu/tristate/

L.O.C. M. Geha (Yale), J. Greene (Princeton), K. Johnston (Columbia), C. Keeton (Rutgers),A. Maller (CUNY), S. Metchev (Stony Brook), M. Modjaz (NYU)

Latest Advice from Astrobites

2011-09-15T19:17:00.005-04:00

In case you missed todays information session on the NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Astrobites has you covered:

Applying for the NSF Graduate Research Fellowship

by astroph

If you’re an undergraduate gearing up to apply to graduate schools in the Fall, don’t forget to look into applying for fellowships as well. Although in the US almost all graduate student positions in the physical sciences are funded (your tuition is paid for and you receive a cost-of-living stipend), there are a number of reasons why you should apply for external fellowships, as well. Below we will outline the NSF GRFP, which is perhaps the most prominent of these opportunities.
What is the NSF GRFP?
The National Science Foundation’s Graduate Research Fellowship Program (usually called an NSF) is a fellowship for science graduate students that provides three years of full funding at an accredited institution of your choice. There are numerous benefits to being an NSF fellow:

The freedom to work with a professor who wouldn’t otherwise be able to support you.
More time for coursework and research: while on NSF, you can’t be required to teach.
If you’re on a waiting list for a graduate school you’d really like to attend, bringing three years of your own funding definitely can’t hurt.
Financial gain: NSF pays more than most graduate programs, and departments may award you an extra bonus as an incentive for bringing in external funding.
Possibilities to access special research opportunities and a supercomputer.

read the rest here

Astronomy Memes

2011-09-12T11:18:00.002-04:00

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Percival_Lowell

NSF Graduate Fellowship Workshop

2011-09-10T10:06:00.001-04:00

NSF Graduate Fellowship Workshop

from Science and Engineering Libraries Blog by Amanda

What: NSF Graduate Fellowship Workshop
When: Thursday, September 15, 2011
9:30 a.m. – 11:00 a.m.
Where: Davis Auditorium, Shapiro Center (CEPSR)
West 116th Street and Broadway, New York, NY
Columbia University
Event Registration Form
Agenda:
9:30 a.m.              Welcome
Dr. Tiffany Simon, Associate Dean of Graduate Student Affairs
The Fu Foundation School of Engineering and Applied Science
9:35 a.m.              NSF Fellowship at Columbia University and Resources
Dr. Jan Allen, Associate Dean for Ph.D. Programs
Graduate School of Arts and Sciences
9:45 a.m.              Overview of the NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Application
Dr. Helen Lu, Associate Professor, Biomedical Engineering
The Fu Foundation School of Engineering and Applied Science
10:00 a.m.           Broader Impacts
Dr. Jack McGourty, Vice Dean for Corporate, Government, and Global Engagement
The Fu Foundation School of Engineering and Applied Science
10:05 a.m.           The Evaluation Process
Dr. Richard Robinson, Prof. of Pharmacology and Associate Dean of Graduate Affairs
College of Physicians and Surgeons
Dr. Helen Lu, Associate Professor, Biomedical Engineering
The Fu Foundation School of Engineering and Applied Science
10:20 a.m.           Student Perspectives: Panel of NSF Fellows
Easton Anspach, Anthropology
Genevieve Brown, Biomedical Engineering
Benjamin Frandsen, Physics
Venk Hariharan, Biomedical Engineering
David Szakonyi, Political Science
10:45 a.m.           Q & A
11:00 a.m.           Concluding Remarks
Event Registration Form

Maps of Astronomy Programs

2011-08-29T12:22:00.003-04:00

from AstroBetter by Kelle

Dimitri Veras, a postdoc at IoA-Cambridge, has created maps of Astronomy institutions in the US, Canada, andAustralia. Mousing over the symbols reveals the number of majors and grad students in the department and the population of the city the department is located in. The symbol meanings are different on each map, but the primary astronomy institutions are marked with red filled circles on all three. This could be a great tool to help graduate school applicants and job hunters scope out institutions!
Dimitri wants to create complete maps for as many countries as possible, so if you know of good sources/lists for data for relevant departments, please leave a comment below or get in touch with Dimitri directly:dimitri.veras@colorado.edu.

The Astronaut's Guide To Life In Space

2011-08-25T15:53:00.000-04:00

NPR (National Public Radio) put together this video from 1980s-era NASA video with commentary by astronauts of various missions. The edited footage comes from VHS tape (you do remember that, right?) and is a playful “instructional video” and a look at life in space on board the space shuttle.

The Astronaut's Guide To Life In Space from NPR on Vimeo.

Columbia Undergrad Research Featured on Astrobites

2011-08-22T13:32:00.000-04:00

http://astrobites.com/2011/08/21/undergrad-research-1/

Our very own Sam Grunblatt's research was recently highlighted in a new series on astrobites for undergraduate research:

I just finished my second year as an undergrad at Columbia University. This summer I was a member of the NASA Academy at Marshall Space Flight Center and did soft gamma-ray astrophysics with the Gamma-Ray Burst Monitor on board the Fermi satellite with Dr. Chryssa Kouveliotou.
Time Resolved Spectroscopy of Bright Bursts From SGR J1550-5418
Magnetars, slowly rotating neutron stars with tremendous magnetic fields (>10¹⁴ Gauss), are some of the most extreme objects in our Universe. Less than twenty of these objects have been discovered to date. The sources are dormant most of their lifetimes, but become randomly active, emitting multiple soft gamma-ray (SGR) bursts. This summer, I performed spectral analysis of bursts from SGR J1550-5418 emitted during a burst active episode between 2009 January 22 – 29. All bursts analyzed were recorded with the Gamma-ray Burst Monitor (GBM) on board the Fermi Observatory with a photon flux greater than 5 x 10^-6 erg/s/cm² or a fluence greater than 10^-6 erg/cm² in the 8-200 keV energy range. The time-integrated and time-resolved spectra of these bursts were fit to Comptonized, optically thin thermal bremsstrahlung (OTTB), and double black body theoretical models. From these models, we determined distributions of the temperature, peak energy, and surface area of emission, giving a clearer picture of what’s going on in the magnetar when we see these bursts, helping us to further understand the mechanism behind them.

Q&A with John Johnson: What should you do in graduate school? « astrobites

2011-08-15T22:38:00.000-04:00

Q&A with John Johnson: What should you do in graduate school? « astrobites

EBSCOhost E-books

2011-08-15T17:03:00.000-04:00

You can now find all of the e-books you used to access on the NetLibrary platform on EBSCOhost.

Key new features of the EBSCOhost platform include:

Browsing by subject, genre, language, & more.
Enhanced viewer for examining documents.
Easy drop-down list for choosing your checkout duration.
"Search-within" functionality to find specific terms within a book.
Personal folder to view downloaded, checked-out books, including the amount of time left on active check-outs.
Searching across eBooks and other EBSCOhost content for integrated results.

All of the content can be searched though the EBSCOhost ebook interface. All of the e-books are also searchable through CLIO, Columbia University Library Catalog.
Additionally, EBSCOhost e-books are now also available for download to select portable devices including the iPad, NOOK, and Sony digital readers. In order for an eReader device to be used with eBooks on EBSCOhost, it must be compatible with Adobe Digital Editions. See a complete listing of the compatible devices HERE.
Here are a few recent additions to the EBSCOhost e-book collections, click on the book cover to access the title:

Perseids August 12-13

2011-08-03T00:43:00.001-04:00

This year’s Perseid meteor shower, which peaks on August 12-13, will be a challenge for skywatchers, as the full Moon coincides with this normally bright and active event. But you will be able to see Perseids in the days leading up to the peak if your skies are dark. And you can share watching for the Perseids with the rest of the world via “MeteorWatch.” If you haven’t heard of MeteorWatch, it is a way to watch the shower with others, and share your experiences even if you are out there watching all alone

Summer Registration for Fall Semester

2011-08-01T15:12:00.001-04:00

You will be able to add and drop classes on SSOL from Monday, August 1st, through Friday, August 12th.

Two classes deserve shout outs that were missed the first time around:
ASTR 3103 GALAXIES & INTERSTELLAR MEDIUM (88196)
ASTR 3997 INDEPENDENT RESEARCH (13529) - If you are a Junior or Senior interested in the frontiers of astronomy research you should register for this class. This class will likely meet on Friday around noon to discuss the Astronomy Department colloquium and is a great way to get to know some of the hot topics in Astronomy in addition to getting to know Greg Bryan. After you find an area of research you might like to pursue, you can ask Prof. Bryan to put you in contact with a faculty member in the department to work with starting in the spring semester.

Study the Sciences in Hong Kong—Information Session

2011-05-04T02:13:00.005-04:00

Interested in learning more about the possibility of studying biology, chemistry, math, physics, and applied physics in Hong Kong? Choose from a broad range of course offerings in English related to your major as well as in the humanities and social sciences. No Chinese language is required. You are invited to attend the following information session that will be offered by the President of Hong Kong University of Science and Technology. Light refreshments will be served.

Date: May 13

Time: 11:30-12 noon
Place: 301 Philosophy

World Science Festival Call for Volunteers

2011-04-30T16:39:00.001-04:00

www.worldsciencefestival.com

This year's festival is June 1st - 5th and tickets are now on sale, with more events still to come... Please note that there will also be another star party this year, this time in Brooklyn Bridge Park.

Summer Outreach Meeting

2011-04-30T16:35:00.001-04:00

Thursday 3:00pm - Pupin 1402

Thursday, May 5 at 3 pm in the Astronomy Library (Pupin 1402), our
summer outreach meeting will be held. This summer we will
be showing science fiction movies with volunteers giving short
presentations on the science (or lack thereof) in the films afterwards.
Instead of opening the roof, a few volunteers bring telescopes down to
Low Plaza or the area in front of Pupin if the skies are clear.

In August and September, we will have three normal outreach nights with
speakers and roof access as usual. We'll need volunteers for all these
events.

Astro Department Events for Week of April 25, 2011

2011-04-25T16:11:00.002-04:00

Events are winding down for this year. Last week's movie (Dark Side of Oz) on Low Plaza got moved to Lerner Cinema so that took away some of our steam. Stay tuned for a possible spontaneous Low Plaza Astronomy event this Friday evening if the weather is nice.

Weekly Events:

Physics Colloquium
"The Search for Dark Matter with the XENON100 Experiment"
Prof. Elena Aprile, Columbia University
Monday 4:15pm - Pupin 428

Astro Dept. Colloquium
"A Big Dark Satellite Problem for Cold Dark Matter"
Prof. James Bullock, UC Irvine

Wednesday 4:15pm - Pupin 428

Summer Interns Living and Learning Program (SILLP)
Application Deadline Extended to Thursday, April 28, 2011

Doing summer research and plan to live on campus? Apply for the

Summer Interns Living and Learning Program (SILLP) to get discounted housingcheck out CCE’s SILLP website and apply now

Astro Department Events for Week of April 18, 2011

2011-04-18T00:58:00.004-04:00

No colloquia at all this week, so that means nothing but fun events! The good people at Bachannal are playing their annual movie on Low Steps and so as long as the weather is ok we will bring out some telescopes and do some observing, while just meters away people will be watching the scarecrow dance to some Pink Floyd. Our redShift lunch series continues on Friday and as if we couldn't have any other amazing events, our very own Laura Vican is presenting this week's public outreach lecture. Spoiler alert: there will be sound effects.

- David
redShift Wiki
undergrad.astro.columbia.edu

Weekly Events:

Science Research Symposium
See info after jump
Monday 1:00pm - Low Library Rotunda

Science and Humanities Panel Discussion Event
See info after jump
Monday 4:30pm - Havemeyer 209

redShift Low Plaza Astronomy
"Dark Side of Oz" (weather permitting)
Wednesday 9:00pm - Low Plaza/Sundial

redShift Lunch Series
Special Guest: Prof. Jacqueline van Gorkom & Free Food
Friday 12:00pm - Pupin 1402

Public Outreach Lecture
"Our Eclipsing Universe"
Laura Vican, Columbia

Friday 8:00pm - Pupin 301

Science and Humanities Panel Discussion Event
Monday, April 18, 4:30-6 pm: 209 Havemeyer
Scientists and Engineers for a Better Society is holding a discussion panel event to explore the relationship between the humanities and sciences at Columbia. RSVP is required (Free with CUID) at TIC. Dean Michele Moody-Adams (Columbia College) and Professors James Valentini (Chemistry), Philip Kitcher (Philosophy) and Severin Fowles (Archaeology) will be this event's panel. Refreshments and snacks will be available at 4 pm in 328 Havemeyer. Check out the Facebook event here.
To enhance the quality of the discussion, we would like to be able to incorporate statistics on the issue from the Columbia student body. Please help contribute to this open event by filling out this brief and simple survey. We thank you in advance for your time.

Science Research Symposium for Columbia College Days on Campus 2011

The admitted Class of 2015 will be extremely excited to learn more about your research and work on campus. The Science Research Symposium will officially run from 1:00 to 2:00pm on April 18^th in the Rotunda in Low Library.

Prof. Aprile and Xenon Dark Matter Experiment in the Times

2011-04-15T10:30:00.000-04:00

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/04/14/science/space/14dark.html

On the morning of April 4, a dozen or so graduate students and postdoctoral fellows gathered in the offices of Elena Aprile, a physics professor at Columbia University, to get their first look at the data from an experiment on the other side of the world. In a tunnel deep under Gran Sasso, Italy, Dr. Aprile and an international team of scientists had wired a vat containing 134 pounds of liquid xenon to record the pit-pat of invisible particles, the so-called dark matter that astronomers say constitutes a quarter of the universe.

Register for Classes Next Fall

2011-04-13T18:19:00.003-04:00

ADI Schedule Builder - Directory of Classes - CULPA
Classes worth looking into:
Astronomy
ASTR C3601 - Relativity, Black Holes, Cosmology Janna Levin
Intro to General Relativity for a students with mixed background. Many students take concurrently with Mechanics 3003.

ASTR C2900 - Frontiers of Astrophysics Jacqueline van Gorkum OR ASTR C3997 Independent Research Greg Bryan
These are both seminar style astronomy classes that revolve around current research topics. Juniors and Seniors take Indp. Res.

Physics
PHYS G4021 - Quantum Mechanics I Brian Greene

Math
MATH E1210 - Ordinry Differential Equations Ovidiu Muneanu
MATH V2010 - Linear Algebra Elliott Stein
MATH V2020 - Honors Linear Algebra Patrick Gallagher
MATH V3027 - Ordinary Differential Equations Panagiota Daskalopoulos

Applied Math and Physics
APMA E3101 - Applied Math I: Linear Algebra Marc Spiegelman?
APMA E4200 - Partial Differential Equations Adam Sobel
APMA E4204 - Complex Variables Lorenzo Polvani

Computer Science
COMS W1005 - Intro to Comp Sci w/MATLAB Paul Blaer (son of Alan Blaer!)
COMS W3203 - Discrete Math Jonathan Gross
COMS W3251 - Comp. Linear Algebra Anargyros Papageorgiou (gold nugget)

Statistics
STAT W1211 - Intro to Statistics with Calc Ivan Zorych

Manhattan to get Space Shuttle Enterprise

2011-04-12T20:36:00.000-04:00

Rendering of Shuttle at Intrepid

This year NASA is decommissioning the space shuttle program but every dark cloud has a silver lining. The Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum was recently announced to be the new home for Enterprise and land one of only four shuttles now retired. The New York Times' City Room reports:

Intrepid museum officials have said they plan to house the shuttle in a building they will construct on Pier 86, next to the decommissioned aircraft carrier that houses the museum. They have estimated that the shuttle could draw as many as a million sightseers to the city.

Astro Department Events for Week of April 11, 2011

2011-04-11T00:11:00.002-04:00

A Matinée with Liszt by Joseph Kriehuber (1800-1876)

The francophones tell me a matinée is like a soirée but in the afternoon, at 2:30pm, in Pupin room 1332. So if you are free then on Tuesday come to the Major Planning Matinée to discuss classes you are planning on taking next fall semester and enjoy snacks. Free food at the Bampton lecture on Thursday so a group of us are definitely going. We also hope to take advantage of the prospective students here for days on campus, so this Saturday we will have Low Plaza Astronomy, which is just what it sounds like.

redShift Wiki
undergrad.astro.columbia.edu

Weekly events:

Physics Colloquium
"Viscosity, quark gluon plasma, and string theory"
Prof. Dam Thanh Son, University of Washington
Monday 4:15pm - Pupin 428

redShift Major Planning Matinée
"Should I take Brian Greene's Quantum Class?"
Tuesday 2:30pm - Pupin 1332

The Bampton Lectures in America
A Runaway Universe
Tuesday, April 12, 6:30pm
Davis Auditorium at Schapiro Hall

Giant Telescopes of the 21st Century
Thursday, April 14, 6:30pm
Davis Auditorium at Schapiro Hall
reception will immediately follow this lecture

redShift Low Plaza Astronomy
"Dobs and Prospies" (weather permitting)
Saturday 10:00pm - Low Plaza

Bwog LectureHop: When Bad Things Happen to Good Galaxies

2011-04-10T22:47:00.000-04:00

Bwog’s resident Star Gazer Zach Kagan writes in with tidbits of information from Hugh Crowl‘s lecture, “When Bad Things Happen to Good Galaxies,” on doom and gloom for major galaxies. Behold the cosmic drama!

The Audience at the most recent Public Lecture and Stargazing, held in the bowels of Pupin (correctly pronounced “pew-PEEN”) Hall, spanned ages 8 to 88. The turn out was surprisingly high for 8 pm on a Friday. Assembled were families with kids, high school students scribbling down answers on their worksheets, bored NYU students, and a hodgepodge of NYC space lovers. The lecture, given by a cheery Columbia post-doc, was entertaining and not too technical, and enlivened with beautiful images and nifty 3D animations.

read the rest on the bwog here: Read more

Movie and a Lunch

2011-04-08T10:29:00.000-04:00

We had a great time screening galaxy quest last night. Just a reminder that we do have a lunch today at noon.

redShift Friday Lunch Series
"discuss astronomy, eat free food"
Friday 12:00pm - Pupin 1402

Mars Science Laboratory (Curiosity Rover) Mission Animation

2011-04-06T11:25:00.002-04:00

Here is a great new video showing Curiosity's mission to Mars, to be launched late this year and land in August 2012. Although this blog is focused on Columbia Astronomy happenings this video was too good to not share. Enjoy!

Astro Department Events for Week of April 4, 2011

2011-04-04T01:05:00.007-04:00

The outing to the IFC center was a great success last week. This Thursday we will be watching the movie Galaxy Quest. It has Alan Rickman, need I say more?

Weekly Events:

Physics Colloquium
"Viscosity, quark gluon plasma, and string theory"
Prof. Dam Thanh Son, University of Washington
Monday 4:15pm - Pupin 428

The Bampton Lectures in America
The Size and Age of the Universe
Tuesday, April 5, 7pm
Hayden Planetarium
American Museum of Natural History

Much More Than the Eye Can See
Thursday, April 7, 6:30pm
Davis Auditorium, Schapiro Hall

redShift Movie Night in Pupin
"Galaxy Quest"

Thursday 9:00pm - Pupin 1204 (Follow Signs)

redShift Friday Lunch Series
"discuss astronomy, eat free food"
Friday 12:00pm - Pupin 1402
Public Outreach Lecture
"When Bad Things Happen to Good Galaxies"
Hugh Crowl, Columbia

Friday 8:00pm - Pupin 301

Leaders Meeting for redShift - SUNDAY APRIL 3rd

2011-04-02T16:59:00.002-04:00

Ever wonder what it's like to organize redShift events? To mold the future of a club? Now's your chance to find out! We're having a leadership meeting this Sunday, April 3rd at 9 p.m. on the 20th floor of EC (lounge at the end of the hall). If you have any interest in being a leader of redShift next year, or even if you just have ideas for club events, please come by - there will be snacks provided!

See you there!

redShift Movie Outing

2011-04-02T16:41:00.005-04:00

Thanks to all who came out to Thursday's movie outing to see Nostalgia for the Light! What a great movie, even if, as Curtis mentioned "that movie left me feeling guilty, and I'm not sure why..." It was great to see so many redShift people braving the rain and the cold and trekking to Greenwich Village - I definitely think it paid off! See you all next time!

Movie Event Thursday March 31st

2011-03-30T19:19:00.003-04:00

Hope to see everyone at the movie event tomorrow - Thursday, March 31st. redShift is going to see Nostalgia for the Light at the IFC theater in Greenwich Village. All the information is on the poster above. Please buy your tickets ASAP if you want to come!

Columbia Outreach In the Times

2011-03-30T11:19:00.000-04:00

http://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/03/26/nocturnalist-a-night-to-peer-at-the-heavens

On the roof, the telescope chamber suddenly felt like a chapel; the stargazers stepping onto the dais one by one, their faces turned up at the heavens, like supplicants.

Astro Department Events for Week of Mar 28, 2011

2011-03-28T10:08:00.001-04:00

We are going to the movies this Thursday. Check it out below.

-David

Weekly events:

Physics Colloquium
"Space-Time, Quantum Mechanics and Scattering Amplitudes"
Prof. Nima Arkani-Hamed, Institute for Advanced Study
Monday 4:15pm - Pupin 428

Grad Student Pizza Lunch

Tuesday 12pm - Pupin 1402

Astro Dept. Colloquium
"Giant Exoplanets in the Stellar Mass-Metallicity Plane"
Prof. John Johnson, Caltech

Wednesday 4:15pm - Pupin 428

redShift Goes to the Movies
"Nostalgia for the Light"

Thursday
9:05pm meet at Pupin 13th floor elevator bankshow starts at 10:05pm IFC Center Theater

Paid summer research opportunity

2011-03-08T01:27:00.001-05:00

Application deadline is 12 Noon on Friday, March 25^th

Dr. Emlyn Hughes, Professor of Physics at Columbia University, seeks to recruit four Columbia College first-year students to take part in a summer research project on nuclear proliferation. The multi-disciplinary research will use science, social science and the humanities. You do not need to be a science student to participate – both science students and non-science students are encouraged to apply. If you are interested in questions around nuclear proliferation, have confidence in your high school calculus skills, and would like to work as part of a team – this project could be for you! Successful candidates will receive a stipend of $5,000 and will be expected to undertake full-time research for 10 weeks during the summer of 2011.

To apply, submit to Hazel May, Senior Associate Dean of Academic Affairs, Columbia College, the following:

1. A brief essay on why you are interested in the topic of nuclear proliferation

2. A description of an experience you have had working as part of a group and the key lessons you learned from the experience

3. CU official transcript

4. A letter of recommendation written by an instructor who has taught you since arriving at Columbia.

All application materials should be submitted electronically in .doc or .pdf format to Hazel May, Senior Associate Dean of Academic Affairs, hm2135@columbia.edu. All questions about the research or the application process should be directed to Dean May.

Big Apple Colloquium this Wednesday

2011-03-08T01:26:00.001-05:00

Our next Big Apple Colloquium is just about to happen! Please join us in this joint AMNH/NYU/Columbia Event

Next Wednesday March 9, 2011

Coffee from 3:00-3:45PM out side the Linder Theater

Colloquium 3:45-5:00PM

Reception in the Astor Turret 5:30-7:30PM

The flywheels of helios: making sense of how the Sun (and other stars) go round

Steven Balbus
Ecole Normale Superieure de Paris, and
Princeton University Observatory

A B S T R A C T
Helioseismology has become precision tool that has allowed the inner
rotation pattern of the Sun to be elucidated. While the radiative zone is
well modeled by solid body rotation, the turbulent convective zone shows
a regular pattern of differential rotation. Surfaces of constant angular
velocity are, roughly speaking, poleward-opening cones, coaxial with the
rotation axis. In this talk, I will show how a few simple physical
ideas and mathematical techniques are able to reproduce these observations
with striking fidelity. The inner and outer boundaries of the convective
zone exhibit strong deviations from the conical pattern; these "anomalies"
offer valuable clues to the stresses that are present in these regions.
If correct, the principles of the theory should be applicable to a
wide class of stars, including those with fully convective envelopes,
and possibly to the rotational dynamics of convective planets.

Access to the colloquium and Linder Theater can be gained through the 77th Street entrance to the museum. The Linder theater is on the first floor of the museum near the Hall of Human Origins. Guards can direct you when you come in. The Astor Turret is on the 4th floor adjacent to the Wallace Hall of Mammals and Their Extinct Relatives. For questions regarding access, please contact Gwen King at gking@amnh.org

Astro Department Events for Week of Mar 7, 2011

2011-03-08T01:22:00.000-05:00

@~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~@
Weekly events:

--> Monday 4:15pm - Physics Colloquium in Pupin 428

Speaker: Dr. Jonathan Sievers, University of Toronto

Title: Cosmology from 17,000 Feet: Results from the Atacama Cosmology Telescope

Physics Colloquia Spring 2011

--> Tuesday 12pm - Grad Student Pizza Lunch in Pupin 1402
Pizza Lunch

--> Wednesday ~~4:15~~ - Astronomy Colloquium in ~~428 Pupin~~

(Big Apple Colloquium see instructions below)

Speaker: Steven Balbus, ENS & Princeton

Title: The flywheels of helios: making sense of how the Sun (and other stars) go round

Astro Colloquia Spring 2011

--> Friday @ 7:00pm - Public Lecture in Pupin 301

Speaker: David Fierroz, Columbia

Title: IceCube:Extreme Cold & Extreme Astronomy at the South Pole

Outreach Lectures

Astro Department Events for Week of Feb 28, 2011

2011-02-27T18:55:00.001-05:00

If you missed Rene Ong last week at the outreach lecture you have another chance. This Monday he is giving the Physics Department Colloquium on the same Gamma Ray stuff (VERITAS) but at a more technical level.

- David

@~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~@
Weekly events:

--> Monday 4:15pm - Physics Colloquium in Pupin 428

Speaker: Prof. Rene Ong, UCLA

Title: Particle Astrophysics at the TeV Scale

PhysicscColloquiaSpring2011

--> Tuesday 12pm - Grad Student Pizza Lunch in Pupin 1402
PizzaLunch

--> Wednesday @ 4:15pm - Astronomy Colloquium in Pupin 428

Speaker: Ed Belbruno, Princeton

Title: Minimal Energy Transfers, Black Hole Dynamics, and Weak Stability Boundaries

AstroColloquiaSpring2011

@~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~@

Astro Department Events for Week of Feb 21, 2011

2011-02-21T13:56:00.000-05:00

For all you string theory fans you can try and brave this week's physics colloquium. For everyone else, I do recommend the outreach talk on Friday by Rene Ong. He is a renowned astrophysicist, a great speaker and he'll talk about how he and his team at UCLA observe in the gamma ray band using telescopes on the ground in Arizona.

- David

@~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~@

--> Monday 4:15pm - Physics Colloquium in Pupin 428

Speaker: Prof. Igor Klebanov, Princeton University

Title: String Theory and Strong Interactions

PhysicscColloquiaSpring2011

--> Tuesday 12pm - Grad Student Pizza Lunch in Pupin 1402
PizzaLunch

--> Wednesday @ 4:15pm - Astronomy Colloquium in Pupin 428

Speaker: Warren Brown, Harvard

Title: Black Holes and Hypervelocity Stars

AstroColloquiaSpring2011

--> Friday @ 7:00pm - Public Lecture in Pupin 301

Speaker: Rene Ong, UCLA

Title: Viewing the Universe in Gamma-Rays

OutreachLectures

Movie Night

2010-12-19T19:17:00.000-05:00

On Friday December 10th redShift celebrated the end of the semester by screening a movie. It was great times for all of those there and next semester we plan on pairing the screening with observing and or a discussion with faculty.

Last Colloquium of the Year - The Celestial Cartography of Grand Central Terminal's Sky Ceiling

2010-12-19T19:05:00.000-05:00

Last week Michael Allison took us on a wonderful adventure as he shared with us his research into the mystery surrounding the "backwards" sky ceiling of Grand Central Terminal, what he so elegantly dubbed "A meeting of Classical Astronomy and the Beaux Arts."

See his letter in the New Yorker here: RE: WINTER PLEASURES

Astronauts

2010-12-07T15:26:00.000-05:00

Over at the excellent blog Universe Today they took note of our amazing past pizza lunch and recently posted an entry on How Many Astronauts Does NASA Need? check it out!

There are only two (and a potential third) shuttle flights remaining on the current manifest.
Right now, NASA has 64 astronauts, which some might consider a bit much if very few will be flying to space. However, if three NASA astronauts are part of each 6-member, 6-month Expedition on the International Space Station from 2011-2017 (the projected time period when NASA will be unable to launch their own astronauts) that still is 36 astronauts with a mission to space.

Astronomers...in Space!!

2010-12-07T01:28:00.000-05:00

Last Friday we were delighted to have Prof. Laura Kak discuss the NASA space program along with graduate students Cameron Hummels and Erika Hamden.

We also discussed some astrobiology:

courtesy xkcd

Science Technology Engineering Program (STEP)

2010-11-21T15:48:00.000-05:00

Find a Science Related Internship
STEP Homepage

STEP PROGRAM OVERVIEW

The Science, Technology, Engineering Program (STEP) offers Columbia students high quality internship experiences in a diverse array of engineering fields including biomedical, civil, chemical, computer engineering, computer science, earth and environmental, electrical and mechanical fields throughout the country through alumni and employer partnerships developed by the Center for Career Education (CCE).

PROGRAM FEATURES

STEP provides students with full time work experience over the summer in locations throughout the United States, and opportunities to connect with Columbia alumni, network with professionals and learn about careers in engineering. Program features include the following:

Pre-program training which includes a program overview, speaker presentations, goal setting workshops
Summer internship, June 2011- August 2011 (dates to be finalized and determined based on employer requirements and needs)
Housing recommendations
Alumni mentoring which will provide personal and professional guidance and support throughout the summer.
Social and networking events with alumni and engineering professionals
End of program "Reflection Session" that includes evaluation of the internship experience, goal attainment analysis and larger career development discussion.

SEBS Research Fair

2010-11-21T15:45:00.001-05:00

Interested in obtaining an internship and finding out about all of the science and engineering research that is being conducted right here on campus? Join us on Sunday, November 21, from 1 to 5 pm in the Satow Room of Lerner Hall for a thrilling afternoon to learn about groundbreaking science and technology research from Columbia professors and their students. FREE FOOD will also be provided!

Final Schedule:
Time, Principal Investigator, Department
1:00 - 1:20, Prof. Gil Zussman, Electrical Enginnering
1:20 – 1:40, Dr. Milan Stojanovic, Columbia Medical Center
1:40 – 2:00, Prof. Ken Sheppard, Electrical Engineering
2:00 – 2:20, Prof. Itsik Pe'er, Computer Science
2:20 – 2:40, Prof. Szabolcs Marka, Physics
2:40 – 3:00, Prof. Kenneth Eisenthal, Chemistry
3:00 – 3:20, Dr. Shama Perveen, Earth Institute: Water Center
3:20 – 3:40, Prof. Lars Dietrich, Biological Sciences
3:40- 4:00, Prof. Vasilis Fthenakis, Earth and Environmental Eng.
4:00 – 4:20, Prof. Herbert Terrace, Psychology

The purpose of the fair is to raise awareness among the student body of current research projects being conducted right here on campus and also emphasize the opportunities students have to become involved in them. Don't miss your chance to hear about exciting research projects and meet personally with the professors that are working on it.

Co-sponsored by Scientists and Engineers for a Better Society (SEBS), Columbia Science Review (CSR), Columbia University American Medical Students Association (CU AMSA) and Columbia Undergraduate Science Journal (CUSJ)

Astronomy: A Labor of Love

2010-11-21T15:42:00.000-05:00

redShift Lunch

Special Guest: Joe Patterson

Friday Nov 19th

1:00-1:50 pm

1402 Pupin (Astro Library)

"If we weren't here at the university... Joe, Jules ... we would all be doing this for free."

- Professor Applegate during a cameo appearance at a recent redShift lunch

Talk to any astronomy buff and you will find that they rattle off ccd statistics like a proud parent and with the next breath tell stories about 16th century astronomers like it was yesterday. Many practice astronomy as a hobby but some are lucky enough to pursue it as a profession, leading a career full of serious research at the frontiers of astronomy while incorporating the activities that they have always loved. We were pleased to enjoy free pizza, great company, and excellent conversation with Prof. Joe Patterson, director of the Center for Backyard Astrophysics, astrophotographer and astronomy historian. We were also very happy to have Prof. David Schiminovich discuss images from Galex.

Josh Peek on Stardust: Beautiful and Complex

2010-11-17T18:25:00.000-05:00

Our very own Josh Peek was our colloquia speaker for today:

Josh Peek's Website

The Galactic Arecibo L-Band Feed Array HI (GALFA-HI) Survey is an ongoing survey of neutral hydrogen in the Galaxy. The development of the bulk of the data reduction procedures and software for GALFA-HI and the analysis of certain high-velocity clouds within the survey was the centerpiece of the my thesis.

The survey is conducted via a 'jigsaw puzzle' approach, in which all data are taken with the same spectrometer setup, but individual researchers are allowed to observe specific regions of interest. Using this approach, and also observing commensally with ALFALFA, AGES and GALFACTS, we have observed approximately 50% of the 13,000 square degrees available to the Arecibo 305m telescope at 3.5' resolution with a spectral resolution of 0.18 km/s.

CSR Research Panel

2010-11-17T13:44:00.000-05:00

There will be a research panel tonight at 8 pm in Lerner C555 hosted by the Columbia Science Review about how to get involved with research on campus. Free food and refreshments will be served!

Also, to celebrate the Fall 2010 issue, CSR will be hosting a launch party THIS Saturday at 6 pm at The Heights Bar and Grill (on Broadway and 110th Street). It's all right if you are under 21, as we'll be having dinner. We promise great times, so please join us this Saturday! We would appreciate it if you could please RSVP to csr.spreadscience@gmail.com by this Friday if you plan on coming to the launch party.

- Columbia Science Review

Observing Night!

2010-10-12T15:49:00.000-04:00

Come see the stars, the moon and Jupiter on the roof of Pupin!
Whether its cloudy or not we will be meeting on the 14th floor of Pupin to discuss astronomy at Columbia. If the sky is clear we will be able to observe some objects with a couple telescopes on the roof. This event is only for astronomy students or prospective majors and is hosted by redShift.

Thursday, October 14th
9:30pm-11:00pm
14th Floor of Pupin