12-03, 18:30–20:00 (Europe/Luxembourg), Banquet Room
Free Registration is required for this talk. To register, please visit: https://feis2024.uni.lu/register/seager.
Highlight Talk: Sara Seager, MIT, An Enduring Mystery of Astronomy: Can We Find Signs of Life Beyond Earth?
For thousands of years, inspired by the star-filled night sky, people have wondered what lies beyond Earth. Today, the search for signs of life is a key motivator in planetary exploration. Astronomers have discovered thousands of exoplanets, and the James Webb Space Telescope is studying gases in exoplanet atmospheres, including those that might indicate life. Closer to home, renewed interest in Venus has sparked investigations into the potential for life there, fueled by controversial phosphine detections and laboratory studies of organic molecules' stability in Venus’s sulfuric acid clouds. New discoveries in both exoplanets and Solar System bodies bring us closer to answering ancient questions about life beyond Earth. Professor Sara Seager will share the latest advances in this exciting field.
Professor Sara Seager, a Canadian-American astrophysicist and planetary scientist, finds inspiration in the vastness of space. Currently the Class of 1941 Professor of Planetary Science, Professor of Physics, and Professor of Aeronautical and Astronautical Engineering at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Seager pioneered numerous techniques for characterizing exoplanets, revolutionizing our ability to understand these distant worlds. From her pivotal roles in space missions such as the MIT-led NASA Explorer-class TESS and her CubeSat ASTERIA, to her leadership in conceptualizing astrobiology-focused missions to Venus, Seager’s innovative approaches have garnered global recognition, including a MacArthur Fellowship, the 2024 Kavli Prize in Astrophysics, appointment as an Officer of the Order of Canada, and has asteroid 9729 named in her honor. Beyond her scientific endeavors, she shares her journey in ‘The Smallest Lights in the Universe: A Memoir,’ offering a glimpse into the human side of scientific exploration.