Frontiers of Astronomy: Gamma Ray Bursts: The Biggest Explosions Since the Big Bang

Date: Thu. December 10th, 2015, 8:00 pm-9:00 pm
Location: Cleveland Museum of Natural History

Gamma Ray Bursts: The Biggest Explosions Since the Big Bang

Edo Berger, Harvard University

Representing Nature’s biggest explosions since the Big Bang itself, gamma-ray bursts were first accidentally spotted in the 1960s by Department of Defense satellites hunting for terrestrial nuclear blasts. Prof. Berger will describe the ensuing decades-long quest to decipher the origin and energy source of these mysterious explosions.

Edo Berger is a professor of astronomy at Harvard University.  He received his B.S. degree from the University of California, Los Angeles in 1999, and his Ph.D. from the California Institute of Technology in 2004.  His thesis was awarded the 2007 Robert J. Trumpler Award for an Outstanding PhD Thesis.  Prior to his arrival at Harvard, Prof. Berger was a Hubble and Carnegie/Princeton Postdoctoral Fellow from 2004-2008.

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These talks are held in partnership with the Cleveland Museum of Natural History at 8:00pm on Thursday nights. Admission is free to the general public; parking is available in the museum lot for a $6 charge.