January 5, 1998

Preeminent astronomer to discuss Big Bang in January 8 lecture

Sandra Faber

By Barbara McKenna

One of the country's leading astronomers will present a public lecture discussing the Big Bang and the evolution of the universe.

The lecture, "How We Got Here: From the Big Bang to Now," will be presented by Sandra Faber, a professor of astronomy at UCSC. The talk is part of the 1997-98 Humanities Lecture Series, sponsored jointly by UCSC's Humanities Division and the Museum of Art and History. It takes place from 7 to 8 p.m. on Thursday, January 8, at the Museum of Art and History at the McPherson Center, 705 Front St., Santa Cruz. The talk is free and open to the public. A reception follows.

Faber's lecture will draw on her work as a member of the Hubble Space Telescope Wide Field Planetary Camera team, which detected evidence of massive black holes in galaxies. Faber has been involved in building, testing, and observing with the Hubble Space Telescope since the project's inception. Acting as the world's most powerful telescopic tandem, the Hubble Space Telescope and the Keck Telescope are being used to understand the evolutionary histories of galaxies dating back to when the universe was just 10 percent of its current age.

An astronomer at UC Observatories/Lick Observatory, Faber came to UCSC in 1972. She is now University Professor of astronomy and astrophysics, a position that signifies eminent research and teaching accomplishments. She also is a member of both the National Academy of Sciences and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.

For more information, call (408) 459-2696 or 429-1964.

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