We are delighted to welcome Dr. Elizabeth Jeffery, Associate Professor of Physics at Cal Poly. Dr. Jeffery studies variable stars and how their changing brightness reveals the life cycles of Sun-like stars as they evolve into white dwarfs. She leads student research on stellar populations and pulsating stars, providing insights into the history and structure of our galaxy.
Thursday, January 15th at 7pm
at 1515 Fredericks, San Luis Obispo
Dr. Jeffery is an astrophysicist whose expertise centers on variable stars, stellar evolution, and the final stages of life for Sun-like stars. Her work uses photometric and spectroscopic observations to understand how stars age, how they cool and fade into white dwarfs, and how subtle changes in brightness can reveal the hidden physics inside a star. At Cal Poly, she leads undergraduate research teams that study stellar populations, pulsating stars, and the clues they provide about the history and structure of our galaxy.
This will be a fascinating evening for anyone curious about how stars live and die, how astronomers decode starlight, or how Cal Poly students are contributing to active astrophysical research. All are welcome to attend.
Background: What Are Variable Stars?
Variable stars are stars whose brightness changes over time, sometimes in predictable patterns and sometimes in dramatic outbursts. These changes can be caused by stellar pulsations, rotation, star spots, eclipsing binary systems, or internal changes as stars evolve. Studying these variations allows astronomers to measure stellar masses, radii, ages, chemical compositions, and evolutionary states—making variable stars one of the most powerful laboratories in astrophysics.