Tune in to the Music of the Stars with UBC's Dr. Jaymie Matthews and the Sunshine Coast Astronomy Club, on April 25 at the Sechelt Legion, as Matthews tells the story of Canada's Microvariability and Oscillations of STars (MOST) space telescope.
MOST has been in orbit for more than four years and it's been a very versatile satellite. MOST has worked like an 'interstellar iPod' allowing astronomers to eavesdrop on the music of stars and seismically probe their interiors. It has been like an astro-medical instrument to perform ultrasound on stellar embryos and take the pulses of red giants, the senior citizens of the galaxy.
By studying stars from before birth to just before death, MOST is helping us write an improved biography of the sun. MOST serves as a remote weather station, telling us about the atmospheres, clouds and wind patterns on planets you can't even see around stars hundreds of light years away. And it's a modern-day Columbus, leading the search for earths around other suns.
Matthews will tell the story of MOST and how it is possible to listen to stellar sounds across the vacuum of space. He'll also act as a DJ and play for you the actual music of the stars recorded by the MOST satellite.
Matthews is an associate professor of astronomy in the department of physics and astronomy at the University of British Columbia. He is mission scientist and principal investigator for the Canadian Space Agency MOST Project, an officer of the Order of Canada, recipient of the UBC Killam Prize for teaching excellence as well as the 2002 Teaching Prize of the Canadian Association of Physicists.
During the presentation the astronomy club will make a special announcement. This is a free event, open to all ages. Donations are gratefully appreciated. The presentation is at 8, doors open at 7 p.m.
