Evergreen talk will explore gravitational waves

A talk that will explore gravitational waves and how they are studied will benefit the Carlton Observatory at Evergreen.

Physics professor Shane Larson will present “Songs from the Stellar Graveyard: Probing the Cosmos in Gravitational Waves,” at 6:30 p.m. Sunday, July 23, at the Evergreen Aviation & Space Museum theater.

Over the past two years, Larson said, the first gravitational wave signals from the cosmos have been detected on Earth, “revealing a dynamic and energetic universe that has previously only been speculated about.”

Larson, a native of eastern Oregon, is a research professor of physics at Northwestern University. He is associate director of the school’s Center for Interdisciplinary Exploration and Research in Astrophysics.

He works in the field of gravitational wave astrophysics, specializing in studies of compact stars, binaries and the galaxy with both the ground-based LIGO project and future space-based observatory LISA.

Larson also is an avid amateur astronomer. He observes the sky with two homebuilt Dobsonian telescopes, a 12.5-inch named Equinox and a 22-inch Cosmos Mariner.

The event is recommended for ages 10 and older.

Tickets for his talk are $25, with proceeds going to the telescope and observatory project.

Tickets can be purchased at carltonobservatory.com.