Discovery of the galaxy

The Milky Way has a beautiful sight from a dark place. For centuries it has been admired and studied by humans. This led to many discoveries, also made by Dutch astronomers. The Milky Way contains many stories: about the life of stars, about movements of dust and gas or about a black hole hidden in its center. Our earth turns out to be part of this immense and complex system. And the Milky Way turns out to be an island in a vast cosmic ocean. The awe people had for the Milky Way in ancient times is entirely justified.

The lecture will be given by Jeffrey Bout, a graduate astronomer from Groningen, Netherlands. He gives many guest lectures, readings and courses.