A bright light on dark matter

Sunshine Coast Chapter of the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada welcomes Prof. Julio Navarro to the Arts Centre in Sechelt June 9 at 7:30pm. His topic will be “Dark Matter and Dark Energy: the puzzling forces that shape our Universe”.

The universe is a puzzle still being solved. As a cosmologist, Prof. Navarro studies this mystery, its origins and its evolution. His research on galaxy formation and evolution, primarily using sophisticated computer simulations, has shaped our current understanding of how structures in the universe evolved.

Like an archeologist, Prof. Navarro digs through the properties of stars in our galaxy and beyond to work out how these clusters of solar systems first formed. One of the world’s leading astrophysicists, he is especially well known for his work on dark matter, a mysterious substance that holds galaxies together.

In his teaching, Prof. Navarro uses lectures to motivate and inspire his students. Instead of showing how to do complex problems on a chalkboard, he explains why those problems are important to the field of astronomy. He’s the only Canadian member of the Virgo consortium, an international team of astrophysicists who developed the largest computer simulation ever of the structure and evolution of the universe.

In 2011, Prof. Navarro was honoured to be elected a fellow of the Royal Society of Canada for outstanding scholarly and scientific achievement. The distinction is considered Canada’s highest academic accolade.

Admission is free; donations gratefully accepted at the door.

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