In the beginning, the universe contained nothing more than hydrogen and helium. But how did we get from there to the universe we know now—one filled with a vast array of complex stars, planets, and galaxies? And how do these celestial bodies form, and from what? These questions form the basis of research done by Catherine Espaillat, a Boston University College of Arts & Sciences professor of astronomy and director of BU’s Institute for Astrophysical Research.In a way, everything in the universe is beholden to a life cycle, and that includes stars, moons, and planets. Espaillat’s research, which makes use of NASA’s ultra powerful James Webb Space Telescope, looks at how baby stars interact with regions of space dust and gas called protoplanetary disks to become celestial bodies like our Earth, sun, and moon.

Ver todos los episodios