Dr Seth Shostak, speaker at the Astrobiology Australasia Meeting 2018
Dr. Seth Shostak
What is life? The Universe | Astrobiology – Documentary HD
I really enjoyed seeing this newest movie made by ‘The Universe’ in which astrobiologists, discuss how life might have originated on Earth, based on the range of conditions where life survives today and the conditions that existed on the early Earth. Then we can only look for those conditions, past or present, that may exist on other planets or moons.
a – May – zing! The Space & Science Festival is back!
The Space & Science Festival is back for 2017! Now with three amazing events across three weekends in the month of May. Saturday, May 6th – Space & Science Festival @NIGHT Evening event focused on Astronomy with the Wellington Astronomical Society, Bioluminescent Bug Art with Dr Siouxsie Wiles, Science Talks and fun with Physics. Plus […]
AbSciCon 2017
The Astrobiology Science Conference 2017 (AbSciCon 2017) will be held April 24–28, 2017 in Mesa, Arizona at the Mesa Convention Center (263 N Center Street, Mesa, AZ 85201) and the Phoenix Marriott Mesa (200 North Centennial Way, Mesa, Arizona 85201).
The theme for AbSciCon 2017 is “Diverse Life and its Detection on Different Worlds.” Mars and icy worlds in our solar system are increasingly recognized as habitable, even as increasing numbers of exoplanets in their stars’ habitable zones have been discovered. The focus is shifting from identification of habitable worlds, to detection of life on them.
What’s up Pluto?
Fame, neglect, demotion and love. What a dramatic decade it has been for Pluto. From its discovery in 1930 way out in the Kuiper belt, this dwarf planet has been on quite the roller coaster. Last year it revealed its heart and stole ours back.
Professor Kathleen Campbell is appointed Fellow of the RSNZ
Nineteen top New Zealand researchers and scholars have been announced as Fellows of the Royal Society of New Zealand an honour which recognises true international distinction in research and scholarship. Astrobiologist and Professor Kathleen Campbell, University of Auckland is among them. Congratulations and thank you for the support and dedication to New Zealand astrobiology.
SOFIA in New Zealand
SOFIA, the mighty space telescope, the most wonderful machine ever invented by humankind is back in New Zealand for it’s 2015 deployment.
Flying at 13.7 km, SOFIA Looks at the Universe, our Milky Way galaxy, young stars, star-forming regions and supernova remnants in the southern Milky Way, the Magellanic Clouds, and several nearby galaxies. Surprisingly, this year it also looks at Pluto!
A first encounter with SOFIA
I cannot perceive the scale of the universe, but I can perceive the scale of a jumbo jet as I stand beneath it. I’m on the tarmac, surrounded by fuel trucks, wearing a high-vis vest and Aviation Security Service identification tag that says “escort required”. I want to touch something, perhaps a wheel, but I don’t think I should.
Exoplanet atmospheres and the possibilities of finding life.
We’re getting good at finding exoplanets, but trying to find evidence of life is a little bit more complicated than I thought. It fabulously integrates the different sciences; bringing together people with various expertise to scratch their heads collectively as they try and figure out how to solve the next step in this massive conundrum. […]
Why imagination is more important than knowledge
My daughter asked me why imagination is more important than knowledge… Whilst I have, at the time, tried to explain to her the concept using the “Star Trek” doors (initially pulled by people so they look like they open by themselves), last night, after hearing that David Bowie changed back into stardust we both watched […]