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SAAO Cape Town Open Night
October 26 @ 8:00 pm - 10:00 pm
The SAAO Open Nights in Cape Town take place on the second and fourth Saturday of every month.
All Open Nights will start with a presentation on topics of astronomy or related science fields. Visitors will then be given an introduction to the history of the observatory, library, museum, and the 120 year-old McClean telescope. If the weather permits, stargazing will take place with McClean and smaller telescopes.
Please email cptbookings@saao.ac.za or call +27 21 447 0025 if you have any queries regarding bookings.
Speaker: Dr. Christian Hettlage
Christian Hettlage is a software engineer at the SAAO, developing tools for the Southern African Large Telescope (SALT). He came to Cape Town in 2006 after completing his Ph.D. in astronomy at the University of Göttingen, Germany.
Abstract:
Black holes are among the most fascinating objects in the universe, and they feature in many a science fiction movie. But what are they, where can we find them, and how do we know they really exist? The talk outlines the science behind black holes, explaining along the way what Einstein’s Theory of Relativity is all about and what this all has to do with a famous Italian dish. It then turns to the question how black holes have been discovered by astronomical observations. It concludes by highlighting how in recent years colliding black holes were found and how an actual image of the gigantic black hole at the centre of our Milky Way was taken.