Sunshine (2007)
Introduced by Harvard University solar astrophysicist Dr. Katharine Reeves.
Cillian Murphy, Michelle Yeoh, and Chris Evans star in this mind-twisting 2007 sci-fi film, written by Alex Garland (Ex Machina) and directed by Danny Boyle (Trainspotting). Before the film, Harvard astrophysicist Dr. Katharine Reeves will discuss her research on solar flares.
About the Film
In the not-too-distant future, Earth's dying sun spells the end for humanity. In a last-ditch effort to save the planet, a crew of eight men and women venture into space with a device that could revive the star. However, an accident, a grave mistake, and a distress beacon from a long-lost spaceship throw the crew and its desperate mission into a tailspin.
About the Speaker
Dr. Katharine Reeves is an astronomer and solar physicist who works at the Center for Astrophysics | Harvard & Smithsonian (CfA). Her research focuses on how thermal energy is transported during solar flares and coronal mass ejections. Dr. Reeves is the Director of the Solar Physics REU program, which brings a diverse group of undergraduate students to The Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory every summer to work on data analysis, modeling, and instrumentation projects related to solar physics. The Hinode and IRIS teams, of which Dr. Reeves is a member, have been awarded numerous awards by NASA for telescope performance and scientific output. In 2016, she was awarded the AAS/SPD Karen Harvey Prize, an early-career award honoring significant contribution to the study of the Sun “for her work elucidating the energetics of solar flares and coronal mass ejections, for her leadership within the multi-national Hinode/X-Ray Telescope project, and for her strong role in scientific education and public outreach.”
