Summary: Quasars are the enigmatic powerhouses of our Universe. From the deepest, inkiest depths of deep space, these galactic engines shine so brightly that astronomers once thought they were just single stars. We now believe them to be entire galaxies, lit brilliantly from within the internal nucleus, their intense light a result of gas and dust encircling and finally falling into the central behemoth.

This talk will introduce you to quasars, otherwise known as Active Galactic Nuclei, or AGN, why they remain a hot topic in astrophysical research, and also how they will help the newly launched James Webb Space Telescope to unlock secrets of the early Universe.

Bio: Clare Kenyon is an astrophysicist and science communicator (known as RedLippedAstro) with a flair for lifting the veil of the mysteries of the night sky, space and everything in it. She spends her days (and nights!) giving public talks, running telescope observation nights for schools and discussing interesting science topics on TV, radio and social media. She has a regular breakfast radio slot on ABC Radio Canberra Saturday Breakfast with Adrienne Francis and is co-host of the "Spaghettification" podcast. Her research takes her deep into the heart of very energetic galaxies called quasars, examining the behaviour and dynamics of gasses surrounding the central supermassive black hole and accretion disk. With over 15 years’ experience teaching in university and secondary school settings, she loves to help brighten up people’s perceptions of one of the darkest of sciences.