Extrasolar planet. (Image: NASA)
Leiden, May 5, 2024 at 1:52 pm by editors
The Leiden University Observatory is organizing a lecture for those interested about exoplanets and life in the universe, presented by Nobel Prize-winning Professor Didier Queloz. This free lecture in English is intended for non-scientists and will be held on the evening of Wednesday 19 June 2024 at the Stadsgehoorzaal in Leiden.
The many planetary systems discovered around other stars – exoplanets – have radically changed our view of our place in the universe. This creates a historic opportunity and an irresistible invitation to search for signs of life on these new worlds to explore our origins.
Nobel Prize laureate Professor Didier Queloz will share recent developments in this exciting field of research with the audience during this one-hour presentation. Known as a pioneer in exoplanetary research, Professor Queloz is Jacksonian Professor of Natural Philosophy at the Cavendish Laboratory at the University of Cambridge and part-time Professor of Physics at ETH-Zürich.
Those interested are welcome on Wednesday, June 19 from 7:30 p.m. The lecture starts from 8:00 pm to 9:00 pm, subject to prior notification To book a free ticket.
Professor Didier Queloz
Professor Didier Queloz was a pioneer in the “exoplanetary revolution” in astrophysics, when during his doctoral research in 1995 he announced the first discovery of a giant planet orbiting another star, outside our solar system. This astonishing discovery led to him receiving the Nobel Prize in Physics in 2019 and marked the beginning of exoplanet research.
Over the past 25 years, Professor Queloz has made progress in discovering and measuring exoplanetary systems, with the aim of obtaining information about their physical structure to better understand their formation and evolution and compare them to our solar system. He has been involved in numerous studies that have led to the discovery of hundreds of planets, including many groundbreaking findings.
More recently, his work has focused on the discovery of Earth-like planets, establishing a large-scale research program aimed at further advancing our understanding of the habitability of exoplanets and life in the universe.
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