“Let’s Make a Spectroscope!” A Webinar featuring Astrophysicist Dr. Rosalie McGurk, PHDLet’s make a spectroscope! And what can we do with it? (You will need to have the following supplies ready for use during this webinar: paper towel tube, a CD or DVD, duct tape, scotch tape), Astronomers study the universe by doing spectroscopy, or spreading light into its component wavelengths/colors. Spectroscopy allows us to see what elements make up stars and galaxies, and measure the velocities of stars and galaxies. Unfortunately, most of our current spectroscopic instruments only show us a small part of most local galaxies, which limits our understanding of them. As an astronomer at Carnegie Observatories, I am building a new spectroscopic instrument that can display much larger views and will let us look at an entire galaxy in one observation. This will allow us to measure the inherent properties of galaxies such where their elements are located and how they are moving. Dr. Rosalie McGurk will teach you how to make a spectroscope, explain why she loves black holes, and describe her path to becoming an Instrumentation Fellow at Observatories of The Carnegie Institution for Science.
This series is free and open to all high school girls (and boys too) who want to know how one gets from taking science, computer, and math classes to choosing a career in STEM and getting a job after college. This webinar series is presented by AAUW-OML with a grant from the Bettelheim Family Foundation.