Please join us for the Astronomy Public Talk series, where we host short, accessible talks on a wide range of astronomy and physics-related topics—free and open to the public! This event will feature a presentation by UI Physics and Astronomy undergraduate student Meredith LeFevre, who will discuss red supergiants: massive stars in a short-lived stage of their evolution. Studying these stars can help us understand how massive stars evolve, interact with companion stars, and end their lives in powerful supernova explosions. In this talk, Meredith will explore red supergiants in the Andromeda Galaxy and investigate evidence for hidden binary companions.

A public observing session at the Van Allen Observatory will immediately follow this talk, weather permitting.