Putnam Avenue Upper School eighth-graders Liam Mahari (left) and Viviany Barbosa Brito work with project director Patricia Udomprasert during a hands-on lab.

Harvard’s ThinkSpace brings hard science to Cambridge grade schools

November 15, 2017

"It’s impossible to miss when the seasons change. But do most people understand the science behind those changes? According to decades-old research by astronomers and educators at the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics (CfA), probably not."

RUIYI LI Professor Avi Loeb, chair of the Astronomy Department at Harvard, founded the Black Hole Initiative.

Breakthrough Star Shot

November 6, 2017

"Somewhere in the neighborhood of the red dwarf star Proxima Centauri—4.25 light years from Cambridge—a small, hyper-reflective spacecraft will home in on an unfamiliar planet." Full article in the Harvard Crimson

Cosmic alchemy: Colliding neutron stars show us how the universe creates gold

October 24, 2017

For thousands of years, humans have searched for a way to turn matter into gold. Ancient alchemists considered this precious metal to be the highest form of matter. As human knowledge advanced, the mystical aspects of alchemy gave way to the sciences we know today. And yet, with all our advances in science and technology, the origin story of gold remained unknown. Until now.

Read Full Article: The Conversation, by Duncan Brown, Syracuse University and Edo Berger, Harvard University

Interviews with Harvard Astronomers about the Joint Gravitational Wave and Electromagnetic Detection of a Binary Neutron Star

October 16, 2017

NSF Press Conference on the Joint Gravitational Wave and Electromagnetic Detection of a Neutron Star Binary Merger

October 16, 2017

Astronomers See Light Show Associated With Gravitational Waves

October 16, 2017

Marking the beginning of a new era in astrophysics, scientists have detected gravitational waves and electromagnetic radiation, or light, from the same event for the first time. This historic discovery reveals the merger of two neutron stars, the dense cores of dead stars, and resolves the debate about how the heaviest elements such as platinum and gold were created in the Universe.

Impact and Mitigation Strategy for Future Solar Flares

October 10, 2017

"If governments and their space agencies are serious about protecting Earth from solar storms, one team of researchers argues a giant space shield is the most logical solution."

... Read more about Impact and Mitigation Strategy for Future Solar Flares

Harvard's TEDx entitled Stargazing on October 14

September 21, 2017

Astronomy Department Chair Avi Loeb is included along with 6 other speakers and performers. He will offer a talk on Cosmic Modesty.

http://www.tedxharvard.org/speakers/

When: October 14, 2017 at 2 PM
Location: Sanders Theater

Great American Eclipse 2017

August 24, 2017

The Astronomy Department will be posting photos and videos from trips across the US to view the eclipse of August 21, 2017. Check this page for updates: https://astronomy.fas.harvard.edu/great-american-eclipse-2017

Image: D. Finkbeiner

Project Starshot, an initiative sponsored by the Breakthrough Foundation, is intended to be humanity's first interstellar voyage. Credit: breakthroughinitiatives.org

In Quest to Reach Alpha Centauri, Breakthrough Starshot Launches World’s Smallest Spacecraft

July 31, 2017

Press Release:

First Prototype ‘Sprites’ – Precursors to Eventual ‘StarChip’ Probes – Achieve Low Earth Orbit

San Francisco – July 26, 2017 – Breakthrough Starshot, a multi-faceted program to develop and launch practical interstellar space missions, successfully flew its first spacecraft – the smallest ever launched.

On June 23, a number of prototype “Sprites” – the world’s smallest fully functional space probes, built on a single circuit board – achieved Low Earth Orbit, piggybacking on OHB...

Department of Astronomy

Faculty

Harvard’s ThinkSpace brings hard science to Cambridge grade schools

Breakthrough Star Shot

Cosmic alchemy: Colliding neutron stars show us how the universe creates gold

Interviews with Harvard Astronomers about the Joint Gravitational Wave and Electromagnetic Detection of a Binary Neutron Star

NSF Press Conference on the Joint Gravitational Wave and Electromagnetic Detection of a Neutron Star Binary Merger

Astronomers See Light Show Associated With Gravitational Waves

Impact and Mitigation Strategy for Future Solar Flares

... Read more about Impact and Mitigation Strategy for Future Solar Flares

Harvard's TEDx entitled Stargazing on October 14

Great American Eclipse 2017

In Quest to Reach Alpha Centauri, Breakthrough Starshot Launches World’s Smallest Spacecraft

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