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A bit about me!

A bit about me!. Dr. Belinda Wilkes, Professional Astrophysicist (Astronomer) Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory, Cambridge, Mass., USA On contract to NASA to run Chandra X-ray Observatory (Hubble’s X-ray sister) English, BSc St. Andrews, PhD Cambridge In USA since 1982.

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A bit about me!

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  1. A bit about me! • Dr. Belinda Wilkes, Professional Astrophysicist (Astronomer) • Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory, Cambridge, Mass., USA • On contract to NASA to run Chandra X-ray Observatory (Hubble’s X-ray sister) • English, BSc St. Andrews, PhD Cambridge • In USA since 1982 BelindaWilkes

  2. Astronomers learn by looking BelindaWilkes

  3. Life Cycle of a Star The Sun: our nearest star BelindaWilkes

  4. Stars have different colors • B: blue – hottest • A: green – warm • C: red - cool What can we measure? BelindaWilkes

  5. Color, Brightness + Count them BelindaWilkes

  6. What makes the Sun Shine? BelindaWilkes

  7. Where are Stars Born?Clusters:Pleiades BelindaWilkes

  8. Stellar Nurseries Optical Infrared: 30 Doradus in LMC BelindaWilkes

  9. Circumstellar Disks Infrared • First image of dust disk, around 18th brightest star • 25 light years away • Disk thought to be debris left from planet formation BelindaWilkes

  10. BelindaWilkes

  11. Stellar Life • Star burns fuel in its core (fusion: H→Helium) • Initially fuel is H, star is on Main Sequence “Adult” (e.g. The Sun) • When H runs out, core heats up and He, burns: “Middle Age” (Giant star) • then He runs out, it burns heavier elements, e.g. Fe BelindaWilkes

  12. HR Diagram shows age and mass BelindaWilkes

  13. Death of a Star • When all fuel runs out, the core collapses • Outer regions of star explode outwards: Supernova • SN shine more brightly than a galaxy for a few hours/days BelindaWilkes

  14. We are made of stardust! BelindaWilkes

  15. Cassiopeia A: X-rays BelindaWilkes

  16. The Crab Nebula Chandra X-ray Observatory: X-ray Hubble Space T/p: Optical BelindaWilkes

  17. Chandra X-ray Observatory BelindaWilkes

  18. What are X-rays? BelindaWilkes

  19. Focusing X-rays BelindaWilkes

  20. Launch: 23 July 1999Space Shuttle Columbia BelindaWilkes

  21. STS-93 Shuttle Crew Commander: Eileen Collins Mission Spclst: Cady Coleman Astronomer: Steve Hawley BelindaWilkes

  22. Supernovae by Chandra BelindaWilkes

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