Severson Offers a "Sharper View of the Universe"

New Physics and Astronomy Professor Dr. Scott Severson describes how astronomers use adaptive optics to gather high resolution images of the universe - from nearby planets to distant galaxies - at 4 p.m. on Monday, Oct. 8, in Darwin 103. Severson joined the faculty this year and will lead the effort to construct a state-of-the-art remote controlled telescope at the Galbreath Wildlands Preserve using environmentally friendly technology.

He works in the cross-disciplinary field of adaptive optics and will operate a laboratory on-site on campus. Severson joined the department from the University of California Santa Cruz, where he was an Associate Research Astronomer. He received his Ph.D. in Astronomy and Astrophysics from The University of Chicago and his B.S. from the University of Wisconsin.

His research has focused on experimental astrophysics, and he has built and used world-class telescopes and instruments, such as the Lick Observatory Adaptive Optics system, and the SPIREX near-infrared telescope located at the South Pole. His lecture is part of the What Physicists Do lecture series series.