Exploding Stars and the Expanding Universe

Abstract

The nature of dark energy and dark matter is an enigma that has long puzzled scientists. To further explore their mysterious nature, the Large Synoptic Survey Telescope (LSST) was assembled and observations begin in October 2020. LSST will conduct a deep sky survey at a frequency that enables imaging of all parts of the visible sky, every few nights for ten years. Our research goal is to provide spectroscopic follow-up of transients (particularly type 1a supernovae) with the North Georgia Astronomical Observatory in June 2020. In preparation, we are developing a spectroscopic data reduction pipeline in Python and calculating the expected number of transients accessible to our observatory. Type Ia supernovae are commonly used for measuring cosmic distances; they are known as “standard candles” in modern cosmology. They were the tool used for the discovery of the accelerated expansion of the universe and provide constraints on the nature of dark energy.