{"id":220240,"date":"2023-03-03T16:07:32","date_gmt":"2023-03-03T21:07:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.montclair.edu\/newscenter\/?p=220240"},"modified":"2024-02-07T14:34:18","modified_gmt":"2024-02-07T19:34:18","slug":"listening-for-cosmic-clues","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.montclair.edu\/newscenter\/2023\/03\/03\/listening-for-cosmic-clues\/","title":{"rendered":"Listening for Cosmic Clues"},"content":{"rendered":"

Under the cavernous dome of the Jennifer Chalsty Planetarium in the Liberty Science Center \u2013 the largest planetarium in the Western Hemisphere \u2013 Montclair State University Physics Professor Marc Favata<\/a> led an audience on a listening tour of the cosmos.<\/p>\n

In his Space Talk \u201cCosmic Clues from Gravitational Waves\u201d on March 2, Favata explained how he and other scientists \u201clisten\u201d to the ripples of gravity to learn more about colliding black holes and neutron stars.<\/p>\n

The Liberty Science Center\u2019s Space Talk lecture series<\/a> is billed as a \u201ccosmic conversation\u201d that shines a light on new areas of astronomy. The giant dome of the planetarium is described by the Liberty Science Center as being \u201cthe ideal venue for today\u2019s working astronomers to share their pursuit of answers to the Big Unanswered Questions of the universe, from the secrets of black holes, to life on other planets, to the mysteries of dark matter, and beyond.\u201d<\/p>\n

In the last year alone, Space Talks have been given by astronomers from Princeton, MIT,\u00a0 Columbia, Rutgers and CUNY as well as a member of the James Webb telescope team.<\/p>\n

\"Three
Mark Favata, right, discusses gravitational waves with astronomy fans after his Space Talk at the Liberty Science Center.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

While the Hubble and James Webb telescopes produce amazing images of our cosmos, Favata\u2019s \u201cCosmic Clues from Gravitational Waves\u201d talk explored the way scientists listen to the ripples of gravity to observe the mysteries of space and time. Using both images and sound, he explained that the gravitational waves \u2013 which evoke the image of a pebble being dropped into a pool of water, sending out gentle ripples through the universe \u2013 provide a kind of drumbeat that reveals more about colliding black holes and neutron stars than conventional telescopes.<\/p>\n

\u201cGravitational waves are cool,\u201d Favata says, \u201cand we can use them to explore the universe in a different way than we have before, in a way that’s more like listening than watching. I\u2019ll be talking about why they\u2019re exciting, and what we can do with these new observations.\u201d<\/p>\n

Favata contributes to this research as a member of the LIGO Scientific Collaboration. In 2015 the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-wave Observatory (LIGO) made the first-ever detection of gravitational waves <\/a>produced by the merger of two black holes.<\/p>\n

\u201cI want to help focus the public’s attention on that discovery,\u201d he says. \u201cIt’s a huge project with lots of people, including myself and two other Montclair faculty members who each contribute a small piece to the bigger puzzle.\u201d<\/p>\n

Physics and Astronomy Department Chair Marc Favata<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The research conducted by Favata, who is also chair of the Physics and Astronomy department, focuses on modeling gravitational-waves from colliding neutron stars and black holes, and using those waves to explore the properties of stellar collisions and test Einstein\u2019s theory of relativity.<\/p>\n

Favata worked with the Planetarium team to bring his research to life with images from the Webb and Hubble telescopes on the giant dome, which is 89 feet in diameter and fully digital.<\/p>\n

\u201cDr. Favata even used sound during the talk as a means of exploring the nature of gravitational waves and the massive, distant events (collisions of distant black holes and of neutron stars) that cause them,\u201d Planetarium Director Mike Shanahan said after the Space Talk. \u201cThe visuals on the dome helped to bring to life the collisions of these distant objects vividly, and the sounds provided a down-to-earth means of helping the audience grasp these deep-space ideas.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Three
Marc Favata, center, with Planetarium Director Mike Shanahan and Kathryn Roher, manager of AV Operations prior to Favata\u2019s Space Talk.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
After the talk, Favata spent 45 minutes answering questions in the LSC\u2019s Weston Family Lab for Earth and Space Exploration.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u201cIt was great fun giving a talk in the Liberty Science Center’s planetarium,\u201d Favata said afterward. \u201cIt’s a very impressive space. The staff there were very helpful in customizing my presentation to make full use of the dome. It was a great evening, and we had lots of questions afterwards in the Weston Family Lab for Earth and Space Exploration [funded by Montclair benefactor Josh Weston<\/a>].\u201d<\/p>\n

The Space Talk series is held on the first Thursday of each month and coincides with the LSC After Dark<\/a> events for patrons 21 and older, that include food, alcohol, dancing and exploration of the exhibits at night.<\/p>\n

Story by Editorial Director Laura Griffin<\/a>. Photos by University Photographer John J. LaRosa<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n

You might also like:<\/p>\n