March 23, 2012 > Our place in the cosmos Our place in the cosmos Submitted By Brett Nelson, Principal The public is welcome to an evening of "Our Place in the Cosmos," Tuesday March 27 in the Warm Springs Elementary School Multipurpose Room. This is a free evening event in which Professor Raja Guha Thakurta from the University of California at Santa Cruz will take attendees on a fascinating journey through the Universe. "Our Place in the Cosmos" explains how we (and, for that matter, all complex life forms) are connected to the Universe around us. Our Milky Way and other similar galaxies play host to cosmic recycling processes; the formation of stars and their planetary systems inside nebulae (dense gas/dust clouds), nuclear fusion within stars, and the death of massive stars in explosions known as supernovae. To understand our origin, we must appreciate how galaxies form and evolve through the merger and destruction of small galaxies during which their stars are incorporated into larger galaxies. The talk will be illustrated with the latest astronomical images and state-of-the-art computer simulations. Time permitting, Professor Thakurta will talk about summertime research opportunities for students at UCSC. For more information about Raja Guha Thakurta, please go to: http://www.ucolick.org/~raja/ Our Place in the Cosmos Tuesday, Mar 27 5:30 p.m. - Appetizers/6:30 p.m. - Lecture Warm Springs Elementary School, Multipurpose Room 47370 Warm Springs Blvd., Fremont (510)-656-1611, ext. 45001 Open to the public and free of charge Food provided by Z-Pizza and Chennai Dosa