Episode 34: The Life Cycle of Galaxies

with Dr Moses Mogotsi

This episode we hear from a familiar voice! SALT Astronomer Dr Moses Mogotsi was our first ever guest on The Cosmic Savannah. He joins us again to explain what it’s like to observe in the time of COVID and to tell us more about his research on galaxies.

Moses is an expert on the baryonic cycle – the passage of gas through galaxies over time. He explains how we can observe gas falling into galaxies, how it forms into stars, and where it goes when those stars die.

We learn about how observing galaxies at different wavelengths and with different telescopes can add to our overall understanding of how galaxies evolve.

Deep exposures of Galaxies using the 0.8m Schulman Telescope at the Mount Lemmon SkyCenter. Credit Line & Copyright: Adam Block/Mount Lemmon SkyCenter/University of Arizona

Today’s Guest

Related Links:

SAAO: http://www.saao.ac.za
SALT: http://www.salt.ac.za

Featured Image:

A Hubble image of the merging galaxies NGC 6240. Like other luminous mergers, this one hosts a rapid flow of molecular gas. Astronomers have now imaged the carbon monoxide gas in the central regions and found it forms jet-like outflows driven by activity around the black holes. NASA/HST