Free Astronomy Public Lectures

Presented by Prof. Sarah Russell on 11 September 2015.

2015 has been decreed the International Year of Light by the United Nations, and in recognition of this we expand our public astronomy lecture series from telescopes to microscopes. Our immune system protects us from infections and cancer when it works well, and caused autoimmune diseases when it goes wrong. Understanding how immunity is regulated has enabled the development of vaccines, immunosuppressive drugs, and cancer immunotherapies, but gaps in our understanding have prevented development of vaccines to all infectious agents, and mean many autoimmune diseases are still difficult to manage. By linking the expertise in physics at Swinburne with the immunological proficiency at PeterMac, we have developed novel approaches to watching the immune response as it unfolds. These studies are beginning to highlight new paradigms by which immunity is regulated. In this talk, I will describe the challenges and rewards of this interdisciplinary research, and highlight how our work reveals the fascinating mechanisms by which we tread the fine line between too much and too little immunity.

Presented by Prof. Roger Davies on 4 September 2015.

Using exceptional data from Hubble Space Telescope astronomers have discovered supermassive black holes, with masses ranging from millions to billions times the mass of the Sun, at the very centre of massive galaxies. Intriguingly the mass of this central black hole scales with many of the properties of the host galaxy, for example the total mass of the galaxy is about five hundred times the mass of the black hole. However the direct gravitational influence of the black hole extends to only a minute fraction of the volume of the galaxy (about one billionth of the total volume). So, how are these connections established? I will explore this question and reveal an unexpected twist in the story of galaxy evolution.

Celebrate the International Year of Light and National Science Week 2015 with Assoc. Prof. Chris Fluke, as he hosts his fifth annual review of the State of the Universe. This year, the focus is on the visual Universe. No supercomputers. No radiotelescopes. Just good old fashioned astronomy with images. Taken from spacecraft. Which needed radio telescopes to collect the images on Earth. And computers to process them. Presented by Chris Fluke on 14 August 2015.

Presented by Emily Petroff on 19 June 2015.

Most things in the Universe happen over millions or even billions of years but some things change on the timescales of human life and can be seen to change in a matter of months, days, or even seconds. These sources are called transients and are some of the most extreme events in the Universe, things like the collapse of a dying star, or a collision of two massive objects. Humans have been observing astronomical transients for centuries, from supernovae to gamma ray bursts, but recent advances in telescope power and technology mean we're observing more and more transients each year and even finding new types such as the discovery of fast radio bursts in the past decade. This talk will focus on these elusive and ephemeral objects, how they are found, and where they are coming from.

Presented by Prof. Jeremy Mould on 7th May 2015.

The skies of northern Chile are considered the best in the world for astronomy at visible through millimetre wavelengths. Most of the observatories are in the Norte Chico and Atacama regions. Cerro Paranal Observatory is the largest in the world. The Atacama Large Millimeter Array is an international astronomical facility composed of a group of up to 66 radio antennae working together 5000 meters above sea level in the hghlands (Llano de Chajnantor) of the Andes Mountain Range, 50 kms from San Pedro de Atacama. ALMA is the most global astronomical project. Under development is the LSST - Large Synoptic Survey Telescope. The project, which brings together 19 universities and laboratories is under construction on Cerro Pachon and will be able to view, weekly, the entire visible Universe using a digital camera of 3000 million pixels. Cerro Armazones, 3,060 meters in height, situated in the Atacama desert some 130 km south of Antofagasta, Chile, is the site chosen for the largest telescope in the world -known as European Extremely Large Telescope (E-ELT). Las Campanas observatory is operated by Carnegie Institution of Washington, and its location is 2,500 meters above sea level. It will host the Giant Magellan Telescope. Australian astronomers are participating in its construction.

Presented by Prof. Karl Glazebrook on 10th April 2015.

The Universe began in the Big Bang now firmly established at 13.7 billion years ago. But then what? How did the hot expanding hydrogen of the early Universe turn in to the magnificent tapestry of the Universe we see around us? In this lecture I will tell the story of the galaxies, the building blocks of our Universe and how modern observations from large telescopes on the ground and in space have literally let us see how the galaxies have grown up from small wisps to the beautiful structures in which we live today, and revealed their ultimate future.

Presented by James Benford on 13th March 2015.

Messaging to Extra Terrestrial Intelligence (METI) is an issue dividing those who want to announce our presence to the cosmos by broadcasting to the nearer stars and those who advocate international consultations on the societal risk of such transmissions. METI is the opposite of searching (SETI). METI transmissions to date are faint and very unlikely to be detected. If we do send messages, who should speak for us and what should they say? Should individuals and groups capable of announcing Earth civilization to the galaxy talk it over first? Recent development for starship probes to visit the stars will be briefly discussed

Presented by David J. Wilner on 13 February 2015.

Where did the Earth come from? How can we know? How can particles no larger than those in smoke come together to make a planet thousands of kilometers wide? Amazingly, radio telescope observations of material surrounding infant stars are starting to show us signs of planet formation in action. This talk will introduce some of the basic ideas and open questions of planet formation, starting with naked eye observations and proceeding to the latest images from giant radio telescopes, including the new international Atacama Large Millimeter Array of 66 antennas sited at 5000 meters altitude in northern Chile.

Presented by Dr Katherine Mack on 7th December 2014.

Everything humanity has ever seen or experienced represents a tiny speck in a vast and mysterious Universe. What else is out there, and how are we figuring it out? What puzzles still wait to be solved? Come with your questions about dark matter, dark energy, black holes, or the ultimate fate of the Universe as we delve into some of cosmology's most fundamental questions.

Presented by Assoc Prof. Virginia Kilborn on 7th November 2014.

Hydrogen gas is one of the main components in a galaxy like our own Milky Way - but we can't see it when we gaze into the night sky. I will take you on a journey of the unseen parts of our Galaxy - and others like it - using sensitive observations taken with Australia's best radio telescopes. I will explain how astronomers use observations of hydrogen gas to determine the history, and predict the future, of galaxies in the universe.

Presented by Prof. Sheila Rowan on 17th October 2014.

The information carried by these signals will give us new insight into the hearts of some of the most violent events in the Cosmos - from black holes to the beginning of the Universe. A global network of gravitational wave detectors is in now reaching the final stages of construction, with first data expected in 2015. The nature of gravitational waves, how the detectors work and what the data from the detectors can tell us about the Universe we inhabit will be discussed. Recorded on 17 October 2014.

Presented by Dr Pamela Gay on 7th October 2014.

Scientific literacy is required if we want our global society to succeed, but for a variety of reasons, science isn't a passion for most people, and most of the people in science are stereotypical white men. This is particularly true in the field of astronomy. In order to build a future that is more inclusive, we need to celebrate the successes of diverse researchers, and we need to use many different pathways to bring people to astronomy. In this talk, Dr. Pamela L. Gay will talk about the heroes of astronomy who inspired her, and how modern women in science are discovering our universe. She will also discuss how scientists and educators are working to inspire popular engagement in science through communications, citizen science, and helping people live more scientifically every day. Learn how inspiration can be used to potentially leverage the entire world to aid in science.

Scientific literacy is required if we want our global society to succeed, but for a variety of reasons, science isn't a passion for most people, and most of the people in science are stereotypical white men. This is particularly true in the field of astronomy. In order to build a future that is more inclusive, we need to celebrate the successes of diverse researchers, and we need to use many different pathways to bring people to astronomy. In this talk, Dr. Pamela L. Gay will talk about the heroes of astronomy who inspired her, and how modern women in science are discovering our universe. She will also discuss how scientists and educators are working to inspire popular engagement in science through communications, citizen science, and helping people live more scientifically every day. Learn how inspiration can be used to potentially leverage the entire world to aid in science.

Presented by Associate Professor Darren Croton on 19th September 2014.

Black holes are amongst the most bizarre objects predicted by Einstein's theory of General Relativity. Many people may not realise that our own galaxy hosts a supermassive black hole at its centre that is three million times more massive than our own Sun! In this talk Associate Professor Darren Croton discusses the physics of black holes and their formation, how they can grow to become so massive, active black hole 'quasars' in the distant universe and the unexpected impact that a supermassive black hole can have on the evolution of an entire galaxy. We will finish by side stepping into the exotic world of wormholes, the black hole's tormented cousin.

Presented by Dr Jeff Cooke, Mark Durre and Associate Professor Michael Murphy on 18th July 2014.

Swinburne University of Technology astronomers will share their stories of discovery using twin 10-metre telescopes at the W M Keck Observatory atop Mauna Kea, Hawaii at a free public lecture on 18 July. Each year since 2008, Swinburne astronomers have had 15 nights' exclusive access to the world's leading optical/infrared telescopes. Using the observatory's cutting-edge instrumentation, astronomers have produced amazing discoveries about the Universe. Over the past three years alone, direct access to the Keck Observatory has enabled Swinburne astronomers to make discoveries such as the diamond planet, the emerald-cut galaxy, an ultra-compact dwarf galaxy, and more recently the discovery of a new supernova located in the outskirts of a galaxy some 100 million light years away. Some of these discoveries are now being made via a remote control room in the middle of Swinburne's Hawthorn campus, more than 9000 kilometres away from the Keck Observatory.

Presented Assoc. Prof. John O'Meara on 6th July 2014.

Through the combination of large telescopes, advanced computer simulations and advancing theory, cosmologists have made significant progress in describing the universe on the largest scales and over cosmic times. However, many questions remain. Amongst these is a fundamental question underpinning the formation of galaxies - how do galaxies get the gas they need to fuel stars? In this talk, Assoc. Prof O'Meara will describe the hunt for this "pristine gas", left unaltered since its creation shortly after the Big Bang, and explore its implications for galaxy formation, including the formation of our own Milky Way.

Presented by Dr Nick Lomb on 16th May 2014.

Melbourne is brightly lit at night. Some lighting is needed for safety, security and to make the city centre an attractive place, but is it all necessary? Why are we lighting the sky when no one lives there? In this talk we will discuss good and bad lighting and consider the effects of night-time lighting on safety, on the environment, on nocturnal animals and, most importantly, on our health. We will end by discussing what we can do individually and collectively to improve the night-time environment.

Presented by Dr Jeff Cooke on 11th April 2014.

In this talk, I will take you back to a time shortly after the Big Bang when the first stars emerged from the darkness. Many of these stars were much more massive than our Sun and ended their short lives as extraordinarily brilliant supernova explosions. Using new techniques and the power of the Keck telescopes in Hawaii, now controllable from Swinburne, we are able to detect supernova explosions that occurred more than 12 billion years ago and are hot on the trail toward detecting the deaths of the very first stars.

Presented by Dr Ivo Labbe on 21st March 2014.

The arrival of modern space telescopes, such as the Hubble Space Telescope have ushered in a true golden age in astronomy. We can now peer farther and deeper into the universe than ever before and are getting an astonishing glimpse of the distant past. The most sensitive astronomical picture ever taken, the so-called Hubble Ultra Deep Field, reveals a time long gone when galaxies like our Milky way were only just forming, bursting with explosive star formation and ultramassive black holes. Hubble's powerful successor, the James Webb Space Telescope, is now being build. Launched in 2018, it will allow astronomers to reach the ultimate goal: studying the entire cosmic history, from the very first exploding stars just after the Big Bang, to the rich universe filled with diverse populations of galaxies today.

Presented by Professor Duncan Forbes on 11th February 2014.

Ancient star clusters are the fossils of the astronomical world. They formed at early times in the Universe and many have survived to the present day. New discoveries made with the Keck Observatory have uncovered a host of previously unknown star clusters - some more massive than small galaxies. Join us for an engaging presentation by Professor Duncan Forbes from Swinburne University, Australia, as he shares his current research and asks us all to consider, "What is a galaxy?"

Presented by Dr Eyal Kazin on 8th November 2013.

Astronomers and Physicists have an interesting ongoing relationship. Normally, physicists explain natural phenomena, and tell astronomers what they should be probing in space. Once in a while, however, astronomers point out observations that cause the theorists to poke in the dark for interpretations. Dr. Kazin will bring the audience up to speed on the frontiers of these golden ages of cosmology and explain why scientists are still baffled about the mysterious dark nature of the Universe.