Are we alone in the universe?
This question has been asked for over 2,000 years, and now we possess the tools and techniques necessary to answer it. Thomas Beatty, assistant professor of astronomy at UW-Madison presents a Badger Talks presentation on the search for life in distant planets using powerful telescopes. Beatty has discovered nine new exoplanets. You can join this free presentation on Friday, Nov. 1 at UW-Stevens Point main campus in the Chemistry Biology Building.
Biography: Beatty grew up sailing off the coast of New England. He has a bachelor’s degree from Harvard University, a master’s in physics from MIT, and a PhD in astronomy from Ohio State University. Before moving to Wisconsin, he worked as an instrument scientist on the James Webb Space Telescope, where he helped build one of Webb’s cameras and helped to operate it once Webb reached space. Beatty’s research focuses on measuring the atmospheres of exoplanets – planets around other stars – to figure out what they are made of and what their climates are like, to understand how planets form, and search for life elsewhere in the universe.