http://cfa-www.harvard.edu/ep/lowell02.html IS ANYBODY OUT THERE?Artist's conception of the Milky Way Galaxy. (David Aguilar, Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics) Have you ever gazed into the night sky and wondered about life beyond the stars? [Beyond the stars? Who wrote that bit?] You are in good company. Today's astronomers are searching for answers to these perplexing questions: Are we alone in the universe? Do other worlds like Earth exist? Is there life on other planets and, if so, how do we find it? In this lecture series, explore the latest views about our place in the cosmos with astronomy's top minds. What you discover may surprise you.2002 Lowell Lecture Schedule October 9 Life on our Home Turf: Scanning the Solar SystemUrsula B. Marvin, senior geologist emeritus, Center for Astrophysics Is the Earth the only planet with life in our solar system? Mars once had abundant liquid water. Jupiter's moon Europa has an ocean under its icy surface. Saturn's moon Titan has a nitrogen atmosphere and abundant organic matter. Life has been found on Earth in the ocean depths near boiling hot vents, in the frigid wastes of Antarctica, and deep underground where sunlight is a distant memory. Is life strong enough to exist elsewhere in our solar system?October 16 The Search for New EarthsWesley A. Traub, associate of Harvard College Observatory, Center for Astrophysics Less than a decade ago, the only planets known to exist were the nine of our solar system. Now, astronomers have found more than 100 worlds around other MilkyWay stars. Most are Jupiter-sized, but Earth-sized orbs may be hiding nearby. Come learn how scientists succeeded in their quest to find these planets and what they have seen so far-and how we will look for life on these new worlds.October 23 Our Special Planet: A Cradle for LifePeter D. Ward, geologist and paleontologist, University of Washington Once life appears, it survives tenaciously. But how did the unique traits of our solar system help life to gain that initial foothold? How important is it to have a Jupiter to divert threatening swarms of comets, a large moon to provide nurturing tides, or a crust of moving plates to recycle the stuff of our world? Perhaps, despite the flood of newly discovered worlds, our planet is more precious than we ever realized. The Lowell Lectures are intended for general audiences and will be given in the Museum of Science's Cahner's Theater, Science Park, Boston, beginning at 7:00 pm. Free lecture tickets are available on a first-come, first-served basis the evening of each program, beginning at 6:00 pm. Parking is available in the Museum garage. Directions to the Museum can be found here. The Museum can also be reached by public transportation (Green Line to Science Park). The annual Lowell Lectures on Astronomy are cosponsored by the Hayden Planetarium of the Museum of Science and the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics with the generous support of the Lowell Institute.
