For over a century now we know there is material in between the stars that absorbs their light, but has so far eluded identification. The carriers of these so-called `diffuse interstellar bands' are believed to be carbon-based molecules and they could be related to prebiotic chemistry. In any case, they appear to be a useful tracer of the conditions in the space between stars, something that is often very difficult to determine. We'll explore what we know of this mysterious material and how we might find out more about it."
Jacco van Loon is an astronomer at Keele University and Director of Keele Observatory. After PhD research done at the European Southern Observatory and the University of Amsterdam, they carried on with research at the University of Cambridge before taking up tenure at Keele. Jacco's research focusses on the processes that govern galaxy evolution, from the life cycle of stars and interstellar matter to the gas dynamics around central black holes. They have a keen interest in the Philosophy of Science and the Human Mind.
