The formation and evolution of stars and planets and their connection to the origin of life on Earth will be explored at the University of Colorado at Boulder's Fiske Planetarium in September.
John Bally, a professor in the astrophysical and planetary sciences department, will present "The Birth of Stars and Planets" on Thursday, Sept. 1, and Friday, Sept. 2, at 7:30 p.m. Bally's talk is part of the planetarium's fall 2005 schedule of astronomy presentations given by CU-Boulder professors and guest lecturers.
Bally will show and discuss some of the discoveries scientists have made using giant ground-based telescopes, space-based instruments like the Hubble Space Telescope and Spitzer Space Telescope and computer simulations. Highlights will include new pictures taken by Hubble and other images from some of the world's best observatories.
The audience also will learn how the solar system may have formed, and why scientists have been looking to the stars to understand our origin.
To better understand how planets and stars are formed, Bally focuses some of his research on how gravity, turbulence and magnetic fields interact to produce the stars, clusters and planetary systems we see in the sky.
Admission is $6 for adults, $5 for students and $3.50 for children and seniors. Sommers-Bausch Observatory, adjacent to the planetarium, is open to the public following Friday shows, weather permitting. Admission to the observatory is free.
For more information about Fiske Planetarium and other shows and programs it offers call (303) 492-5002 or visit .