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THEME OF JANUARY 26 COSMIC COCKTAIL HOUR IS "SEARCHING THE DARKEST GALAXIES: ULTRA-FAINT DWARFS AS DARK MATTER LABORATORIES"

For the Carnegie Observatories monthly Cosmic Cocktail Hour hosted by the Pasadena Senior Center Wednesday, Jan. 26, at 4 p.m. via Zoom, Dr. Ethan Nadler, a postdoctoral fellow at Carnegie Observatories, will discuss the history of ultra-faint dwarf galaxies and describe how they provide unique tests of dark matter particle properties.

Ultra-faint dwarf galaxies are the least luminous, darkest-matter-dominated and least chemically evolved galaxies. Astronomers and astrophysicists perceive them as the best candidate fossils from the universe's early stages.

Dark matter cannot be seen directly. Its particles do not absorb, reflect or emit light. The only way we know dark matter exists at all is the effect it has on objects astronomers can observe directly.

At the Carnegie Observatories Theoretical Astrophysics Center, Nadler researches near-field cosmology – the detailed study of the formation and evolution of nearby galaxies, including the Milky Way in which we live – as well as dark matter and galaxy formation. He is member of the international Dark Energy Science Collaboration, which makes high-accuracy measurements of fundamental cosmological parameters using data from the Legacy Survey of Space and Time. He received his PhD in physics from Stanford University.

The cost of Cosmic Cocktail Hour is only $7 for members of the Pasadena Senior Center and $10 for nonmembers 50 and older. To register, visit www.pasadenaseniorcenter.org and click on Lectures & Classes, then Cosmic Cocktail Hour or call 626-795-4331. Everyone who registers will receive an email link to access the Zoom event. 

Then pour your favorite beverage, sit back and enjoy the astronomical trip. 

In addition to online classes, onsite events and other activities, members and nonmembers of the Pasadena Senior Center are encouraged to visit the website regularly for a monthly magazine, COVID updates specifically for older adults and more.

The center, at 85 E. Holly St., is an independent, donor-supported nonprofit organization that has served older adults for more than 60 years. During the pandemic, doors are open Mondays through Fridays from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. for social services and other critical services for older adults in need as well as limited occupancy for events, the library, fitness center and computer lab. Masks and social distancing are required. Rooms are sanitized after each use. 

In accordance with county public health guidelines, proof of COVID vaccination will be required for everyone who uses the fitness center or attends onsite activities indoors.  

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Photo caption: Carnegie's Las Campanas Observatory high on a mountaintop in Región de Coquimbo, Chile.

Photo credit: Carnegie Observatories