Our Star the Sun: A History of Science in Boulder
An educational presentation on solar physics and the history of solar research in Colorado.
Our star, the Sun, brings light and life to the Earth. The Sun is not a boring star --- its surface is covered with magnetic fields, generated in the interior, that come and go over 11-year cycles of solar activity. We have studied the Sun for more than 400 years, and questions about the origins of solar magnetism remain amongst the most important in all of classical physics. The history studying this solar activity has deep ties in Colorado, and was central to Boulder becoming a world-renowned center of scientific research. Join Professor Ben Brown to learn how we know what we know about the Sun, from early telescope observations in the mountains of Colorado to cutting edge studies of the Sun from space and from the peak of Haleakalā on Maui. We will also learn what computer simulations and solar theory reveal below the Sun's surface, and how our full picture of our star the Sun is changing and evolving. Dr. Ben Brown is a professor in the Department of Astrophysical and Planetary Sciences here at University of Colorado, Boulder. Dr. Brown did his PhD studies at CU Boulder, exploring the dynamo physics that build the solar magnetic field. He spent time at University of Wisconsin and University of California Santa Barbara before returning to CU Boulder as a faculty member. He loves exploring fluid dynamics in our Sun and in planetary atmospheres, is passionate about helping communities adapt to climate change, and loves exploring our world.
