From New Worlds to the Infinite Universe at Maynooth University

Welcome to From New Worlds to the Infinite Universe at Maynooth University! Join us for an exciting journey into the mysteries of the universe. This in-person event will take place at the TSI Building, where experts will discuss the latest discoveries in space exploration. From exoplanets to cosmology, we'll delve into the wonders of the Universe. Don't miss this opportunity to expand your knowledge and explore the unknown with us!

The format of the event is that there will be two talks (20 mins each) followed by a tea/coffee break followed by a final two talks. The event will last a total of 2 hours. The event is suitable for children above ~8 years. We'll also (hopefully) have some space themed goodie bags for our younger attendees!

Programme:

18.30 Welcome

18.35: Colm Bracken - Is There Anybody Out There? - Searching for Aliens with Modern Astronomy

In this talk I will explain how we are living in an extremely exciting time, especially if you are interested in astronomy or alien life. Within the next few years, we will have the ability to image newly discovered worlds around distant stars and examine their atmospheres for signs of life. Exciting new cameras and instruments being planned at Maynooth University and the Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies (DIAS) which will enable the most accurate images of alien planets, while allowing us to measure the types of gases in their atmospheres. When we combine these new cameras and instruments with the huge new telescopes currently being built, we will have the power to zoom-in on these worlds with unprecedented detail. I will briefly discuss some other techniques being used around the world, where we are listening out for possible alien radio transmissions. I will also explain how the public can get involved with helping out with this work via "citizen scientist" programmes, which can be done at home. I will conclude the talk with how I found myself working in this exciting field of research, and I will discuss the super-exciting possibilities that exist in Ireland and abroad for the next generation of astronomers and instrument scientists.

18.55: Matthew Birney - The Cosmic Dance: How Stars and Planets are Born Together

The question of “How are stars and planets made?” is one of the oldest questions in astronomy and astrophysics, and yet it remains one of the main topics driving current research. The story of our cosmic origins is a fascinating tale of dust, gas, and gravity. In this talk, we will explore the current understanding of how stars and planets form. We will uncover how these processes are not separate but intrinsically linked, shaping entire solar systems outside of our own. I will present information gained from state-of-the-art observatories, such as the James Webb Space Telescope and the largest optical telescope in the world, the Very Large Telescope (VLT). I will also discuss current theoretical models that try to explain the weird and wonderful things we see with these observatories. Analysing these forming stars and planets across the night sky at various stages of evolution will tell us a great deal of how our very own Sun and Solar system formed, allowing us to better understand our place in the Universe.

19.15: Tea & Coffee Break

19.45: Aoibhinn Gallagher - The Dark Universe

There is so much in our universe which is unknown to us, most of it in fact. What is dark matter, what is dark energy? We will go on a journey during this talk through the history of our universe and the history of cosmology (the study of the universe) itself to try and arrive at answers to these questions. Also I will talk about the real life science happening at Maynooth university on these very topics.

20.05: Peter Coles - The Universe according to Euclid

Two of the greatest mysteries in modern science concern the nature of the dark matter and dark energy we think dominate the Universe. In this talk I will explain how the European Space Agency's Euclid mission, launched last year, is designed to shed light on the "dark side" of the cosmos, present some of the early results, and show how you can get involved in analyzing Euclid data.

20.30: Finish