WOMEN IN SCIENTIFIC EXPLORATION (WISE) is a lecture series curated by Dr. Gary Blackwood, NASA/JPL, retired.
For these lectures, Sky's The Limit is offering free registration to young women 12-18 who anticipate a career in the sciences.
Binaries are everywhere. From the most massive galaxies to the smallest asteroids, astronomical objects of every size can be found in pairs. Stars preferentially form in groups, leading to mature systems containing multiple stars. However, these stellar companions can be difficult to detect through the tumultuous atmosphere, and the planets of these multi-star systems are even more camouflaged due to the signal from the secondary star. As a result, only a tenth of known planets have been found in multi-star systems. Luckily, astronomers have developed several clever methods for tracking down these Tatooines.
Dr. Catherine A. Clark grew up in Denver, Colorado, and moved to Ann Arbor in 2013 to pursue a degree in Astronomy & Astrophysics, as well as Spanish, at the University of Michigan. After graduating in 2017, she moved to Flagstaff, Arizona, to pursue a PhD in Astronomy and Planetary Science at Northern Arizona University. She completed her graduate research at Lowell Observatory, where she focused on high-resolution imaging of nearby, low-mass stars. During this time, she also completed a Graduate Certificate in Science Communication. After receiving her PhD in 2022, she started a postdoctoral position at NASA JPL in Pasadena, California, where she began studying the planets of multi-star systems. In September 2024, she began a staff position at the NASA Exoplanet Science Institute at Caltech/IPAC. When she is not tracking down Tatooines, she can be found cuddling her cats Europa and Enceladus.
Due to the overwhelming popularity of these programs, STL must limit the number of attendees by requiring reservations and a non-refundable donation of $25 per vehicle. NO WALK-INS OR BIKES.
In the event of cancellation – either by the ticket holder or due to circumstances beyond our control – the donation will be retained by STL. The donation is 100% tax deductible.
PLEASE NOTE: Night Sky Programs are held outdoors, and desert weather is unpredictable. Sky's The Limit will make every effort to provide a meaningful event, but rain, high winds, and other inclement weather may make a program impossible. In the event of cancellation for any reason, an alternative date will be offered, but there are no refunds.
Email us with any questions: contact@skysthelimit29.org
