Galaxies are often described as a grouping of billions and billions of stars, however, it they can also be thought of as machines for turning gas into stars. Just as other machines, galaxies can turn on or turn off their star formation in processes that are currently being heavily researched. Green valley galaxies are a population that represent the transition between star forming or not and are also the topic of much research. In this talk we will discuss the basics of star formation in extragalactic astrophysics and discuss the exciting new missions and surveys that will provide the clearest and deepest views of our Universe ever seen. Answering the questions surrounding galactic star formation will provide answers about the processes that ultimately result in new stars, new planets, and (at least in one case) new life.

Speaker: Kyle Cook, University of Louisville