Astronomy talk: "Interacting binary stars: ’til death do them part" /media/reviews/photos/thumbnail/256x256s/86/19/11/6151-McClean20sunset20-20by20Anthony20Koeslag20-20201220032012-1-54-1444828575.jpg New

Using life partnership to explain the love life of binary stars.

Members of the public are welcome to an Open Night at the SAAO in Cape Town on 24 October 2015, starting at 20h00. Mokhine Motsoaledi (PhD student at UCT and SAAO) will present a talk entitled Interacting binary stars: ’til death do them part. This will be followed by a tour of the site and (weather permitting) star gazing.

Summary of the talk

What are stars and how do they evolve? The talk will give insight on main sequence stars and white dwarf stars, and what happens when they decide to form a life long interactive “partnership”. We study their very dynamic lifestyles not only to understand them but also many other phenomena that occur across all scales in the Universe. Mokhine Motsoaledi will take us on a journey of wonder and discovery as she welcomes us to the world of Cataclysmic Variables.