August 12, 2016 8-10PM

Event Type: Lecture and Stargazing
Title: You Can’t Spell Exoplanets without Ex(ecutions)
Lecturer: Jessie Christiansen
Position: Staff Scientist
Institution: IPAC
Abstract:
In our quest to conquer a species-wide loneliness in our own Solar System, we have pushed our thoughts, our dreams, and our technology ever further to find life on other planets. This has resulted in an astonishing era of discovery… but, not without some misadventures (including accusations of heresy and executions)! I will present a tour through 400+ years of wondering about, looking for, and ultimately finding planets around other stars. We will examine some of the more incredibly unexpected planets that populate our Galaxy, and finally, we will look forward to some possible surprises the Universe has in store for us.