Name: Astronomy on Tap: Close encounters of the fast kind
Start: 2026-02-16T20:00:00+01:00
End: 2026-02-16T22:00:00+01:00
Location: Galerie Cafe Leidse Lente

Astronomy on Tap: Close encounters of the fast kind

Astronomy on Tap Leiden

Astronomy on Tap features scientists and educators who speak of their passion for astronomy and research in an informal setting.

Galerie Cafe Leidse Lente

We are very excited for our next event, which will take place on Monday, February 16th at Culture Café Leidse Lente at 20:00 CET! This month, we will be focusing on high-speed encounters at the center of the galaxy! Manuel Cavieres will share a discovery of a star that’s been ejected from its system at an incredible speed, a so-called “hypervelocity star.” Bianca Sersante will tell us about what happens when a pair of black holes gets too close to the center of the galaxy (hint: it’s pretty epic). As always, there will be fun games with which you can test your knowledge and try to win cool science prizes!----------------------------------------------------------------------<ul><li>Manuel Cavieres: “Discovery of a hypervelocity star”</li></ul>Manuel Cavieres is a second-year PhD student at Leiden Observatory born and raised in Santiago, Chile. His research focuses on finding hypervelocity stars, the fastest objects in our galaxy that result from extreme encounters between stellar systems and the supermassive black hole at the center of the Milky Way. In his talk, he will explore how astronomers hunt for these extremely rare objects, and present the discovery of the second hypervelocity star ever detected.<ul><li>Bianca Sersante: "Binary systems in the grip of massive black holes: too fast to stay, too close to escape"</li></ul>Bianca Sersante is a third-year PhD student at Leiden Observatory whose research explores what happens in the crowded and extreme environments at the centres of galaxies. Her talk will focus on encounters between pairs of black holes that, while orbiting each other, get too close to the centre of our galaxy, where a much more massive black hole resides. The two smaller black holes can be separated, and one of them, or sometimes both, can end up being captured by the central one. Observing these events can help us better understand how our galactic centre formed, how it has evolved over time, and what kinds of objects are found there today.----------------------------------------------------------------------Logistical information: We start at 20:00 sharp, so please arrive earlier to enter the venue, save a seat, and grab a drink. We are not planning to stream the event live but will be uploading a recording of the talks on our YouTube channel after the event.Join us for an evening of astronomy and fun games where you can win cool science prizes! All ages and backgrounds are welcome!For more information check out <a href="https://aot.strw.leidenuniv.nl/" title="https://aot.strw.leidenuniv.nl/" target="_blank" data-msys-clicktrack="0" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">https://aot.strw.leidenuniv.nl/</a>

Our {communityGuidelinesLink} describe the sort of content we prohibit on Eventbrite. If you suspect an event may be in violation, you can report it to us so we can investigate.

To report other categories of prohibited or illegal content, submit {link}

Astronomy on Tap: Close encounters of the fast kind

More events from Astronomy on Tap Leiden

Discover more events from Astronomy on Tap Leiden, from Science & Tech to other experiences you might love.

Astronomy on Tap: Close encounters of the fast kind

More events from Astronomy on Tap Leiden

Discover more events from Astronomy on Tap Leiden, from Science & Tech to other experiences you might love.

You might also like...

Browse more events with different dates, prices, and formats to find your next great experience.