markarian

Talk by Les Johnson With known exoplanets now numbering in the thousands and initiatives like 100 Year Starship and Breakthrough Starshot advancing the idea of interstellar travel, the age-old dream of venturing forth into the cosmos and perhaps even colonizing distant worlds may one day become a reality. Physicist, author, and NASA technologist Les Johnson will describe the physics and technologies that may enable us to reach the stars. He will discuss the latest exoplanet discoveries, promising interstellar precursor missions on the not-so-distant horizon, and exciting new developments in space propulsion, power, robotics, communications, and more. Johnson will take us on a journey through the harsh and forbidding expanse of space that awaits us as he addresses the daunting challenges—both human and technological—that we will need to overcome in order to realize tomorrow’s possibilities. Nature is telling us that traveling to the stars will be difficult, but not not impossible, and certanly not for the faint of heart.

Talk by Mary McIntyre Throughout history astronomy has been very male dominated. There have been many trailblazing women, such as Caroline Herschel, who have worked to change that, but in addition there were countless women working in astronomy before Caroline. This talk tells their story and discusses some of the challenges women have faced historically and still face today.

Talk by Dr. Richard J. Goodrich In 1705, Edmond Halley liberated humanity from the belief that comets were portents of doom; two centuries later, in 1910, as Halley’s Comet returned to perihelion, newspapers and magazines, religious leaders, misguided theorists, and shameless grifters managed to rekindle that fear. When astronomers announced that the earth would pass through the comet’s tail, opportunists exploited human anxiety—often with fatal consequences. Join Dr. Richard J. Goodrich, author of Comet Madness: How the 1910 Return of Halley’s Comet (almost) Destroyed Civilization, for an entertaining lecture about the comet’s 1910 return and the reasons that many believed the earth would not survive the encounter.

Talk by John I. Davies, Senior Researcher & Principium Editor, The Initiative for Interstellar Studies i4is Project Glowworm – near term low earth orbit demonstration of laser push technology Visitors are welcome at our meetings, but because of the popularity of our talks, visitors must register for a free ticket as visitor spaces are limited. Visitors can also leave after the main talk or are welcome to stay on for the rest of the meeting. Tickets will go live 1 month before the event. https://www.astronomyedinburgh.org/event/first-steps-to-interstellar-probes/ Also at our meetings: What’s in the night sky this month Overview of astronomy and space news Occasional member presentations

Talk by Dr Richard A. McCracken, Research Fellow Heriot-Watt University Institute of Photonics and Quantum Sciences The discovery of an planet orbiting a Sun-like star in 1995 sparked a quarter-century of research. In this talk we will look at how we hunt for exoplanets, some of the incredible systems observed so far, and what the future holds for this exciting field. Visitors are welcome at our meetings, but because of the popularity of our talks, visitors must register for a free ticket as visitor spaces are limited. Visitors can also leave after the main talk or are welcome to stay on for the rest of the meeting. Tickets will go live 1 month before the event. https://www.astronomyedinburgh.org/event/25-years-of-exoplanet-discoveries/ Also at our meetings: What’s in the night sky this month Overview of astronomy and space news Occasional member presentations