Invited

Presenter(s): Colin Bembrick Affiliation(s): Sutherland AS, Central West AS Session details: Saturday, 2024-03-30 04:30:00, STAR Abstract From a 50mm refractor to a 40cm Schmidt-Cassegrain; from visual observing of Sputnik I to Lunar grazing occultations, Jupiter satellite phenomena, minor planet occultations and astrometry of supernovae; from home-built photoelectric photometer, kit-built photometer; to CCD photometry of variable…

Presenter(s): Ray Johnston Affiliation(s): AAQ Session details: Saturday, 2020-04-11 10:30:00, LEAGUES Abstract ”Looking Back at Looking Up” is a retrospective that covers the more than eight decades that Ray has enjoyed as an amateur astronomer. It started as a young child making patterns from the stars and later with his wife, Libby, operating a tropical…

Presenter(s): Stephen Russell Affiliation(s): NACAA, ASNSW, CWAS Session details: Saturday, 2018-03-31 04:30:00, MCON Abstract I’ve been involved with NACAA since I attended my first event in Wollongong in 1970. In this talk, I would like to reflect on two phases of NACAA’s history: the early years where attempts to create a national body failed, and the formation…

Session details: Saturday, 2016-03-26 09:30:00, REF Biography Professor Fred Watson is an astronomer at the Australian Astronomical Observatory, where he is Head of Lighting and Environment. Fred is best known for his radio and TV broadcasts, talks, and other outreach programs, which earned him the 2006 Australian Government Eureka Prize for Promoting Understanding of Science. He has also written…

Presenter(s): Andrew Prentice Affiliation(s): Monash University Session details: Saturday, 2014-04-19 10:00:00, Ballroom Abstract The huge bounty of new data about the structure of our Solar system that has been acquired by NASA’s fleet of interplanetary spacecraft over the past 4 decades has greatly sharpened our understanding of the physical and chemical processes that were at…

Presenter(s): Martin George Affiliation(s): International Planetarium Society, IAU, ASA, A. Soc. Tas Session details: Sunday, 2012-04-08 01:00:00 Abstract Grote Reber (1911-2002) was the world’s first radio astronomer. In 1937, he constructed the very first dedicated radio telescope, near Chicago in the USA. This telescope was used to produce the first radio map of the sky….

Presenter(s): Dr Daniel Shaddock Affiliation(s): Australian National University, Jet Propulsion Laboratory, NASA Session details: Sunday, 2010-04-04 01:00:00 Abstract Practically all observations of the universe use some form of electromagnetic radiation. Only recently has a new window on the universe been opened, using a completely different type of radiation: gravitational waves. These gravitational waves, first predicted…

Affiliation(s): Deputy Gemini Scientist, Anglo-Australian Observatory Session details: Saturday, 2010-04-03 02:30:00 Abstract In the 18 years since the first planets were discovered outside our Solar System, exoplanets have been discovered in all manner of environments, orbiting everything from pulsars to Sun-like stars to cataclysmic variable binaries. In this time the field of exoplanetary science has…

Presenter(s): Dr Charley Lineweaver Affiliation(s): Australian National University, Mount Stromlo Observatory Session details: Saturday, 2010-04-03 09:00:00 Abstract I will discuss the question “Are We Alone?” and review progress in trying to figure out what this question means. Who is “we”? Homo sapiens? “intelligent life”? Life in general? What is life? And what does life have…