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Speaker Event – Astrosleuthing an Aurora: Robin Metcalfe
March 22 @ 8:00 pm - 10:00 pm
Historical records as old as the first millennium BCE contain reports of mysterious glowing lights in the night sky, some of which have been attributed to aurorae. But how do we know that celestial phenomena described vaguely as an “unusual red glow”, “a pre-dawn rainbow” or “a five-coloured light” can definitively be connected to auroral activity? In this talk, I will explain the science behind the production of an aurora – from its origins at the Sun’s surface to the light show in Earth’s atmosphere – and in the process we will see how the evidence left behind by an aurora can be used to sleuth out its connection to ancient records.
Bio: Robin Metcalfe is a professor in the Division of Natural Science at York University, where she has been teaching physics and astronomy courses for over 20 years. Robin’s PhD research pertained to extragalactic astronomy but her current interests are in the search for life beyond Earth and the implications of such a discovery on humanity. Through her teaching, Robin shares her passion for the night sky and the outdoors. She teaches students to appreciate what the night sky has to teach us, to gain perspective from our place in the Universe, and to value our precious planet Earth.
This will be an in-person meeting only.