Guest Speakers

Expand Your Universe

Macarthur Astronomical Society organises the Macarthur Astronomy Forum as a platform for notable Australian and international astronomers to share their discoveries about the Universe with the Macarthur community – in a format understandable to non-scientists. 

Held at Western Sydney University (Campbelltown Campus) 1996 to 2020, we hope to return to WSU in 2023 but in the meantime the Forums will be held online for members only.

The Forums are held 7.30 pm – 9.30 pm on the 3rd Monday of each month (Jan to Nov) and an earlier Monday in December. Details of our next Forum can be found on our News & Events page.

Guest Speakers 2020-2023

A Historical Guest Speaker List for 2003-2019 is available > here <

Guest Speaker List 2023

DATE LOC SPEAKER TOPIC
16 JanZoom David Nelson (MAS member) Meteorites 101
21 FebZoomDr Jonty MarshallStirred But Not Shaken: Spilling The Secrets Of Exoplanets From Their Sticky Footsteps
20 MarZoomSarah Caddy (Macq Uni)The Huntsman Telescope at the AAO
17 AprZoomAGM followed by Prof Charley Lineweaver (ANU)The Galactic Habitable Zone
15 MayZoomProf Jonti Horner (USQ)The Search for Alien Worlds
19 Jun Dr Brad Tucker (ANU)Space Telescopes, Exploding Stars, and Dark Energy
17 JulProf Matthew Bailes (Swinburne)Exploring Einstein’s Universe
21 AugProf Joss Bland-Hawthorn (USYD)TBA
18 SepDr Doris Grosse (ANU)TBA
16 OctProf Geraint Lewis (USYD)TBA
20 NovDr Luke Barnes (WSU)TBA
04 Dec Dr Lucyna ChudczerTBA

Guest Speaker List 2022

DATE LOC SPEAKER TOPIC
17 JanZoom Dr Devika Kamath (MaqU) Unravelling the Chemical Diversity Shaping our Universe.
21 FebZoom Dr Brad Tucker (ANU) Shocking Supernova & discovering their progenitors.
21 MarZoom Prof Roberto Soria (UCAS)Revisiting the expansion of the universe.
18 AprZoom Dr Tayyaba Zafar (Macq Uni)+AGMDistant faint galaxies hunt, like an Easter Egg hunt.
16 May
Zoom
Prof Charley Lineweaver (ANU)The Origin of the Universe from ‘Nothing’.
20 JunZoom Prof Roberto Soria (UCAS)Sagittarius A* Black Hole.
18 JulZoomDr Simon Ellis (Macq Uni)MAVIS, for the Very Large Telescope in Chile.
29 AugZoomProf Joss Bland-Hawthorn (USYD)Giant waves across the Milky Way.
22 SepZoomDr Luke Barnes (WSU) Aristotle, Newton, Einstein.
17 OctZoomDr Emil Lenc (ATNF)ASKAP.
21 NovZoom Malcolm Ellis (MAS member)Neutrino Telescopes.
05 DecZoom Prof Geraint Lewis (USYD)Dark Matter & Dark Energy.

Guest Speaker List 2021

DATE LOC SPEAKER TOPIC
18 JanZoom Dr Devika Kamath (Maq Uni)Cosmic Alchemy: Origin of elements in the Universe.
15 FebZoom Dr Tayyaba Zafar (AAO)Dust: Wipe It Or Keep It, It’s Ubiquitous
15 MarZoom Dr Brett Addison (USQ)Exoplanets, TESS & Minerva-Australis Telescope.
20 AprZoom Dr Angel Lopez SanchezObserving with The AAT – LIVE!
17 MayZoom Dr Ashley Ruiter (UNSW Can) White dwarfs in close binaries: Type 1a supernovae to LISA
21 JunZoom Prof Geraint Lewis (USYD) Do I expand with the universe? Understanding cosmology
19 JulZoom Dr Jonty Marshall (ASIAA) Rocks fall, everything fries: the fate of comets around stars.
16 AugZoom Dr Emil Lenc (CSIRO) An ASKAP update – Episode II – Attack of the Pilots.
20 SepZoom Dr Kirsten Banks (UNSW) Diving deep inside stars.
18 OctZoom Prof Tim Bedding (USYD) Planets & starquakes: NASA’s Kepler & TESS Missions.
15 NovCancelledDr Devika Kamath (Maq U) Unravelling the Chemical Diversity Shaping our Universe.
6 DecZoom Prof Geraint Lewis (USYD) From the quantum to the cosmos.

Guest Speaker List 2020

DATE  LOC SPEAKER TOPIC
20 JanWSURic Forster (MAS)How radio telescopes create an image.
17 FebWSUProf Fred WatsonCosmic chronicles.
16 MarCancelledProf Tim BeddingPlanets & Starquakes: NASA’s Keppler/TESS Missions.
20 AprCancelledLes DalrympleAGM held on Zoom.
18 MayZoomDr Luke Barnes (UWS)Cosmic Revolutionary’s Handbook.
15 JunZoomDr Lucyna ChudczerInfrastructure for Australian Astronomers.
20 JulZoomProf Roberto SoriaGalaxies, Galaxy Clusters, Mass & Dark Matter.
17 AugZoomDr Emil Lenc (ASKAP)ASKAP Update – Let the Science Begin!
21 SepZoomProf Michael Wheatland (USYD)Solar Activity.
19 OctZoomProf Geraint Lewis (USYD)The Southern Stellar Stream Spectroscopic Survey (S5).
16 NovZoomProf Charley Lineweaver (ANU)Progress in the Search for Life Beyond Earth.
7 Dec*ZoomDr Brad Tucker (ANU)Ultraviolet Astronomy from High-Altitude Balloons.
A Historical Guest Speaker List for 2003-2019 is available > here <
“We are passionate about discovering the Cosmos.

Credit

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Macarthur Astronomy Forum and other outreach initiatives are made possible by collaboration with Western Sydney University and Campbelltown Rotary Observatory.