Cosmic Quest: A History of Astronomy

Cosmic Quest: A History of Astronomy

FREE Public Lecture
Saturday July 17 - 7.00pm
Raye Freedman Arts Centre, Epsom Girls Grammar, Epsom

For thousands of years humankind has sought to find our place in the Cosmos.

The progress of astronomy has been lead by inspirational characters – and outright mavericks! - who have pushed our knowledge of the heavens forward, forever testing the limits of our imagination in the quest to understand the Universe.

Over centuries and millennia, astronomers have established the true nature of the Universe. At each stage, our planet Earth has seemed smaller and less significant. This changing perception has put astronomers at loggerheads with philosophers and priests alike.

World renowned astronomy broadcasters and authors, Heather Couper and Nigel Henbest, are visiting Auckland this week. Between them they have produced dozens of astronomy programmes for radio and television and have authored over 30 popular books on astronomy and science. They are both trained scientists who have devoted the last 20 years to explaining astronomy to the public. During their visit they are giving a FREE public lecture "Cosmic Quest: a History of Astronomy". In this presentation they will explore our understanding of the Universe and how this has been transformed over the millennia. The lecture, hosted by the Auckland Astronomical Society, will be held at 7pm on Saturday July 17th at the Raye Freedman Theatre, Epsom Girls Grammar School.

This presentation concentrates on the people and personalities who have asked questions about the Cosmos. Starting with the Greeks, humans have striven to understand the Universe. Does the Sun travel around the Earth; or the Earth around the Sun? What are fearsome-looking comets? How big is the Cosmos? With each question answered, dozens more appear as if from nowhere: black holes, dark matter, planets around other stars, the ultimate future of our Universe…… and, is there life out there?

Our glorious night sky is the ultimate landscape. But where do we fit in? Find out!

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