This course will explore the film Interstellar from an astronomer’s perspective, examining how clearly and accurately the movie presents real space science. Participants will watch selected portions of the film, engage in discussion and analysis, and then continue viewing additional scenes throughout the course. The film's collaboration with physicist Kip Thorne helped ensure that ideas such as black holes, wormholes, and the slowing of time in a strong gravitational field were portrayed in a largely realistic way. The supermassive blackhole Gargantua is highlighted as one of the most scientifically accurate depictions ever created for cinema. Interstellar gives audiences a sense of the universe's scale and effective science and storytelling.

THIS COURSE WILL NOT MEET ON OCTOBER 16