How do we know the ages of stars, clusters, galaxies and the Universe? (Astronomy Talk)

Some ancient cultures believed that our world* has lasted forever; others believed it was created from nothing at some time in the distant past. Only in the last few centuries have we been able to reliably measure the ages of things using the tools of the physical sciences. But how can we know the ages of celestial objects that we cannot probe directly? I will show how physics and mathematics lead us to some answers — at least tentative ones — to the ultimate question of how and when our world came to be.

* By “world” I mean everything in existence — earth, moon, sun, the solar system, stars, galaxies, etc.

Because seating is limited in the planetarium, advance registration is encouraged! Sign up now to reserve your seats. If space is still available, we will admit walk-up attendees at the nature center at the time of the presentation.

Planetarium events are not recommended for kids under age 4.

Admission: $6/adult, $4/child.

About the speaker:

Galen Gisler was born in Clovis NM, and graduated High School there. With a PhD in astrophysics from the University of Cambridge, he eventually came to Los Alamos where he worked at the lab for 25 years. Then he and his wife Susan moved to Norway where he learned not quite enough geology at the University of Oslo, finally retiring back to their cozy mountain town. The PEEC planetarium is his favorite place to spend time.