About

Join the Royal Observatory Greenwich for a rare opportunity to hear astrophysicists talk about the latest research in the fields of astronomy, physics, planetary geology and space exploration.

Programme: 
A Tale of Dwarves and Giants: Can Giant Planets Form Around the Smallest Stars? (27th March)
Astronomers have discovered thousands of exoplanets - planets which orbit stars other than the Sun - over the past 30 years. However, the exact puzzle of how these planets form is one we are yet to fully solve. A key piece of this puzzle is understanding whether the smallest stars can form planets similar in size to Jupiter, and if they can, then how do they do it? 

To answer these questions, Ed has been searching for these exotic planets and measuring how common, or indeed how rare, they are. This talk will explain how Ed looks for exoplanets, present the new exoplanets found during this search, and explain what they can teach us about the extremes of giant planet formation.

In Dust we Trust: How Dust Shapes Us and the Universe (24th April)
Dust is the building blocks upon which stars, planets, galaxies and everything in between is formed. Dust also shapes how we see the Universe. It blocks our view in visible light but shines bright in the mid-infrared, revealing objects that would otherwise be invisible to the human eye. Dust is also essential to life as we know it. Without it, we wouldn’t have many of the raw elements we have today, including water! In a nutshell, dust is us and we are dust. 

In this talk, you will explore the various ways dust shapes some of the greatest wonders in the Universe, and by default, influences our understanding of it. Join Houda to uncover some of the latest dusty discoveries and how they impact life as we know it.