Afternoon Astronomy Coffee Hangout on 9 March

"High-Speed, High-Powered Stars Create Bow Shocks in Space"
Afternoon Astronomy Coffee Hangout

Sometimes individual stars in our galaxy are seen to be zipping through space. The winds from the stars ram into the interstellar medium — the material between the stars in our galaxy — and a bow shock is formed. In general these bow shocks have the appearance of a bow wave from a boat, but the exact shapes depend on the interface between the star's wind and the interstellar material. Beautiful images of these bow shocks can be seen in data from the Spitzer Space Telescope in survey observations.

Join regular hosts Tony Darnell and Carol Christian on Thursday, 9 March, at 3:00 pm ET as they chat with Matt Povich (California State Polytechnic University) and William Chick (University of Wyoming) about how these bow shocks are made, how they were discovered, and why the stars are zipping around in space. The best place to hangout with us will be on YouTube, broadcast on the Deep Astronomy Channel. The direct link for this hangout will be posted to the Deep Astronomy Facebook page closer to the event. You can also take part in the live chat and join the conversation on Twitter with #AstroCoffee. An archive of previous hangouts in this series may be found in a Deep Astronomy YouTube playlist.

What Are Afternoon Astronomy Coffee and Future in Space Hangouts?

Future In Space” and "Afternoon Astronomy Coffee" Hangouts are part of a weekly series, held every Thursday, that also includes a segment on Footsteps to Mars. We bring the the latest research in astronomy, highlights from the future of space astronomy and astronautics planning, as well as updates on the exploration of Mars to you every week via Hangouts on Air. With the cooperation of both the American Astronomical Society (AAS) and the American Astronautical Society (the other AAS), our hosts Tony Darnell, Carol Christian, Alberto Conti, and Harley Thronson bring you topics that examine today's breakthroughs in research and look forward to peer into the unfolding possibilities of what we may learn about the universe and Mars exploration. We join with members of the American Astronomical Society to chat, in an informal online setting modeled after "science coffee" events held in universities and research organizations across the country. We will examine what we hope to learn about exoplanets, black holes, the early universe, quasars, and life in the universe along with what technologies might help us — and reflect upon the scientific endeavors occurring today that uncover amazing astrophysics and lay the groundwork for studies to come.

We will also explore the technology and engineering used today as well as possibilities for future space travel and research with members of both Societies, and probe what our future in space may look like and how we might get there. We will examine the underlying technologies of space telescopes, orbiters, landers, and human space vehicles now and in the years to come. We will delve into topics that help us understand the possibilities and limitations of human space flight and eventual human colonization of other worlds.

We hope you can join us each month as we bring experts from both Societies — people who think about and plan for our future in space — to your computer, tablet, or smartphone. We invite you to bring your questions and comments and get ready to learn about the amazing possibilities for the future of space astronomy and exploration.