Welcome to the Astronomical Society of South Australia

Collapsars are literally Collapsed Stars which have gravitationally contracted at the end of their long lives into incredibly dense objects. In this session, we explore White Dwarfs, Neutron Stars and Black Holes.

Earth's encounters with comets has led to megafaunal extinctions and collapse of Chinese dynasties. Throughout history, comets have been seen as omens of change and disaster in many cultures. The legends of St Michael, feathered serpents, and celestial dragons are some examples of these encounters. Given that the 12,900 BP cometary impact event (called the Younger Dryas) created massive wildfires etc it also caused the extinction of numerous large animals like the mammoth (megafauna). Presented by Assoc Prof Vic Gostin, University of Adelaide.