Atlas Obscura | From Stellar Cradle to Cosmic Grave: The Life of Stars

Astrophysicist Dr. Anand Thirumalai discusses the life and death of stellar objects.

When you look up in the night sky, do you ever wonder, how is it that young stellar objects, surrounded by wispy molecular clouds of hydrogen gas, fractionate and form protostellar objects in stellar nurseries? What’s the deal with stellar ignition? And really, how do stars evolve into the fascinating objects that we see floating in the limitless cosmic void? Well, Atlas Obscura and Dr. Anand Thirumalai have the answers!

And that’s just the beginning! During our 1-hour digital experience, you’ll learn the secrets of how stars form, see how they evolve during their bright lives, and finally, how stars end. Dr. Thirumalai will walk us through the endless cosmic cycle of collapse and rebirth, and the hard science that makes the stellar clockwork tick. He’ll also touch upon the topic of stellar remnants and look at white dwarf and neutron stars — the hot cinders left behind by erstwhile stars.

Join us on May 23 at 1:30pm PST/4:30pm EST, and discover just how exactly, a star is born. And what happens after that.


Dr. Anand Thirumalai is a faculty member at the Digipen Institute and an astrophysicist studying atomic and molecular structure in highly magnetized stars, as well as stellar winds.

Once registered, you’ll receive a password-protected link to participate in the Zoom experience in your confirmation email.

This online experience is part of Atlas Obscura’s Wonder From Home initiative.

$5











When: Sat., May. 23, 2020 at 4:30 pm - 5:30 pm
Astrophysicist Dr. Anand Thirumalai discusses the life and death of stellar objects.

When you look up in the night sky, do you ever wonder, how is it that young stellar objects, surrounded by wispy molecular clouds of hydrogen gas, fractionate and form protostellar objects in stellar nurseries? What’s the deal with stellar ignition? And really, how do stars evolve into the fascinating objects that we see floating in the limitless cosmic void? Well, Atlas Obscura and Dr. Anand Thirumalai have the answers!

And that’s just the beginning! During our 1-hour digital experience, you’ll learn the secrets of how stars form, see how they evolve during their bright lives, and finally, how stars end. Dr. Thirumalai will walk us through the endless cosmic cycle of collapse and rebirth, and the hard science that makes the stellar clockwork tick. He’ll also touch upon the topic of stellar remnants and look at white dwarf and neutron stars — the hot cinders left behind by erstwhile stars.

Join us on May 23 at 1:30pm PST/4:30pm EST, and discover just how exactly, a star is born. And what happens after that.


Dr. Anand Thirumalai is a faculty member at the Digipen Institute and an astrophysicist studying atomic and molecular structure in highly magnetized stars, as well as stellar winds.

Once registered, you’ll receive a password-protected link to participate in the Zoom experience in your confirmation email.

This online experience is part of Atlas Obscura’s Wonder From Home initiative.

$5

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