Search for alien life in the Solar System

Acclaimed astronomer Dr Fred Watson will present a Physics Public Seminar entitled ‘An Alien like you’ at the University of Wollongong on Thursday 21 October.

Dr Watson is Astronomer in Charge of the Anglo-Australian Observatory at Coonabarabran, where his main scientific interest is gathering information on very large numbers of stars and galaxies.

He is also an Adjunct Professor at the Queensland University of Technology, the University of Southern Queensland and James Cook University.

Despite all the astonishing things discovered about the Universe in recent years, we still have no firm evidence of living organisms anywhere other than here on Earth.

But Dr Watson will address how new knowledge about the way life permeates every corner of our planet is fuelling optimism that life will soon be discovered elsewhere in space.

In what promises to be an entertaining and provocative talk, Dr Watson will look at the search for alien life in the Solar System and beyond – and will ask where (and what) are they?

Dr Watson is the author of ‘Stargazer’, the life and times of the telescope and is a regular broadcaster on ABC radio.

His new book, Why is Uranus upside down?, is based on listener questions and was published in October 2007. It won the 2008 Queensland Premier’s Literary Prize for Science Writing.

In 2003, Dr Watson received the David Allen Prize for communicating astronomy to the public and in 2006 was the winner of the Government Eureka Prize for Promoting Understanding of Science.

This year, Dr Watson was awarded an Order of Australia for his promotion and popularisation of science particularly astronomy.

Dr Watson has an asteroid named after him (5691 Fred Watson) but says that if it hits the Earth it won’t be his fault!

The public lecture is being held from 6.30pm to 8.30pm on Thursday 21 October in the Communications Building (Bldg 20) Lecture Theatre 1, University of Wollongong.

No bookings are necessary. Further enquiries to Dr Susanna Guatelli on 4221 4374.