Astronomical researcher Dr. Wil van Breugel will speak on “Our Universe: Watch Out!” at the Science on Saturday program April 28 at California State University, Fresno.

van Breugel, who has more 25 years of experience in conducting astronomical research using a wide variety of telescopes on earth and in space, will address how stars and planets form, dangers to the Earth and other planets, the collision of galaxies, active black holes and the effects of jets colliding with interstellar gas.

Science on Saturday is a series of free programs in the Central Valley targeted at middle and high school students to present science and technology research in a variety of disciplines.

The Fresno State program will be held from 9:30 to 10:30 a.m. in the Satellite Student Union, 2485 E. San Ramon Ave.

van Breugel has been a research astronomer for the last 15 years with Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory. He uses the world’s largest optical, twin 10-m telescopes of the Keck Observatory in Hawaii as well as the Hubble Space Telescope, the Spitzer Space Telescope and the Chandra X-ray Observatory to study the formation and evolution of the most massive galaxies and clusters of galaxies in the early universe.

Science on Saturday is sponsored by Fresno State, the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory Science and Technology Education Program, high school districts and colleges in the Valley.

For more information on the Fresno State program, contact Dr. David Andrews 559.278.5174 or Jaime Arvizu 559.278.5173.

Related link: http://education.llnl.gov/students/science-on-saturday/