Searching for life on alien planets.

It is easy to forget that a mere 100 years ago it was believed that our galaxy was the entirety of the Universe- about 50,000 light years wide. It is hard to believe that it was less than 30 years ago that we discovered evidence for a planetary system other than our own. Then, only 25 years ago, 51 Pegasi B was discovered and thus started the dawn of the Exoplanet Era.

Now we actively hunt for these new worlds in search for greater knowledge and understanding of Universe. But how exactly do we do this and what can we expect from these discoveries?

Professor Jonti Horner has been an astronomer his entire life, joining his local astronomical society at the ripe old age of eight! Today he remains a member and honorary president of the West Yorkshire Astronomical Society, and is one of the leaders of the Minerva-Australis Project, which uses a dedicated, state-of-the art facility on the Darling Downs in Southeast Queensland to search for exoplanets. Join us as Jonti takes us on a journey into outer space with his talk, The Search for Alien Worlds.