Carnegie Observatories Lecture Series: A Century of Distance Measures

Abigail Polin, a postdoctoral research fellow at Carnegie Institution for Science and Caltech, discusses the history of astronomical distance measures, how we use them to map the universe, and open mysteries that puzzle us today. One hundred years ago, Carnegie astronomer Edwin Hubble made a discovery from Mount Wilson that would change how we think of our place in the universe forever. The discovery of a variable star in the Andromeda galaxy allowed Hubble to establish conclusively that Andromeda is indeed a separate galaxy from the Milky Way.

6:30 p.m. – Doors open

7 p.m. – Musical performance

7:30 p.m. – Lecture begins