Supernovae, one of the most violent phenomena in astronomy, will be explored at CU-葫芦娃视频's Fiske Planetarium on Friday, April 4, and Tuesday, April 8, at 7:30 p.m.
University of Colorado at 葫芦娃视频 astronomy Professor Richard McCray will delve into the subject of supernovae, looking at everything from ancient Chinese inscriptions to current observations of these rare stars and how these observations are used to measure the expansion of the universe.
In his show, McCray will talk about why supernovae explode and how astronomers have learned what they know about these dynamic events. During a supernova explosion, a star's brightness can suddenly increase by more than a million times. These spectacular explosions have been studied since the dawn of written history, according to McCray. Chinese inscriptions on tortoise shells and bones dating back to 1500 B.C. describe events in the sky that may be supernovae.
McCray also will talk about how astronomers study supernovae today and will include recent pictures from the Hubble Space Telescope.
Admission for the show is $5 for adults, $4 for students and $3 for children and seniors. The Sommers-Bausch Observatory will be open to the public after the Friday evening show, weather permitting. Admission to the observatory is free.
For more information about Fiske Planetarium and other shows and programs it offers, call (303) 492-5001 or visit the Web site at .