Cruise from Chile to Peru

Speaker #1: Dr. Thomas Esposito, Research Astronomer, SETI Institute

Topics:

• Planet Family Portraits: Photographing Young Solar Systems
  Explore how advanced telescopes capture light from young exoplanets, revealing their formative years through dust left by asteroid belt collisions. Learn how this work aids the search for Earth-like planets. As we sail close to the European Southern Observatory in Chile, you’ll be near one of the key telescopes used in this groundbreaking research.
• Cosmic Cataclysms: Things That Go BOOM! in the Night
  Discover the most powerful explosions in the universe, from dying stars to colliding black holes. Learn how these cosmic events help us understand the origins of life’s building blocks, with data being collected from the backyards and rooftops of ordinary citizens.
• Planetary Defense to Planet Discovery: Citizen Astronomy in Action
  See how citizen astronomy empowers people to explore the night sky - and its contributions to key science. From confirming new exoplanets and defending Earth from asteroids, to tracking comets in a bid to unlock the mysteries of our solar system.

Speaker #2: Dr. James De Buizer, Research Scientist, SETI Institute

Topics:

• Is Anybody Out There? The History of the Search for Civilized Life in the Universe
  Trace humanity’s quest for intelligent life beyond Earth, from early philosophical musings to modern scientific efforts. Explore the pioneering work of the SETI Institute and how astronomers search the cosmos for signs of other civilizations.
• Exploring the Mysteries of the Universe from Chile
  Discover why Chile hosts over half the world’s astronomical telescopes. Explore its unique observatories, the conditions that make it ideal for astronomy, and the groundbreaking discoveries these facilities have enabled about stars, galaxies, and the universe at large.

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