This talk is part of the Texas Science Festival (Feb. 16-Mar. 26). Click here to register and to see a schedule of all the events.

We stand at an incredible time in human history. Within many of our lifetimes, we may discover answers to two age-old questions: “How did it all start?” and “Are we alone in the galaxy?”

Astronomers studying the early universe and exploring planets outside our solar system offer a peek into what they expect to see as humanity arrives, finally, at the cusp of revealing the nature of our cosmic beginnings and detecting traces of life beyond Earth.

Featuring:

• Dr. Steve Finkelstein, Department of Astronomy, whose research focuses on the discovery and characterization of the most distant galaxies in the universe, with an emphasis on studying their evolution from that distant epoch to today.
• Dr. Caroline Morley, Department of Astronomy, whose research focuses on understanding the properties of planets orbiting stars other than the Sun. She uses theoretical models to simulate the colors and spectra of planets with different properties, and compares those simulations with observed exoplanets to measure their compositions, temperatures and more.