Scribner Seminar Program
Course Description
Galaxies and the Cosmic Web
Instructor(s): Mary Odekon, Physics
A reflection on the upcoming 100th anniversary of the discovery of galaxies. Just 100 years ago, we did not know that galaxies existed. Now we have observed a fantastic array of them, from sedate spirals to enormous ellipticals with actively feeding supermassive black holes. In the 21st century, our picture evolved further as we found that galaxies are not isolated, but embedded in an immense cosmic web of gas and dark matter. In this course, we examine the history of these (sometimes controversial) discoveries, and we analyze these beautiful structures through original scientific papers and professional astronomical databases.