Lectures are held in the Mawson Lecture Theatre, Department of Earth Sciences, University of Adelaide Click here for map
Abstract: Each day the Earth is hit by thousands of pieces of dust and rock from space. What do we understand about this daily rain of cosmic debris? In this talk I will give you an overview of what we commonly call falling & shooting stars - meteors & meteorites. We will look at how meteorites have been used by humankind and where impact craters can be found and how they are formed. Also, what hazards do these rocks from space pose to the Earth and what is their connection to past extinctions of life? What actions could modern humans take if we found that an asteroid was on a collision course with the Earth?
Bio: Paul Curnow [B.ED] has been a lecturer at the Adelaide Planetarium since 1992. He was the recipient of the ASSA editor’s award for 2000; 2010; and then again in 2013. In 2002, he served as a southern sky specialist for visiting U.S. and British astronomers who were in Australia for the total solar eclipse. After nearly 30-years of research, he is regarded as one of the world’s leading authorities on Australian Aboriginal night sky knowledge; and in 2004, he worked in conjunction with the Lake Erie Nature and Science Center Planetarium in Ohio, on the creation of a show that features Indigenous Australian stories of the night sky. Moreover, in 2018, he served as a consultant on Indigenous Astronomy for the Australian Space Agency. In addition, Paul runs a number of popular courses for the general public that focus on the constellations, planetary astronomy, historical astronomy and ethnoastronomy, which primarily deals with how the night sky is seen by non-western cultures. He appeared as the keynote speaker at the inaugural 2010 Lake Tyrrell Star Party in Sea Lake, Victoria and in 2011 was a special guest speaker at the Carter Observatory in Wellington, New Zealand. Since 2012 Paul has taken the role of Lecturer for the ‘Astronomy & the Universe’ course (EDUC2066); and in 2019 for ‘Science’ (EDUC 2030) for the School of Education at the University of South Australia. Also in 2018, he was made an Honorary Life Member of the Astronomical Society of South Australia for his contributions to astronomy. Paul appears regularly in the media and has authored over 50 articles on astronomy.
Members and visitors are warmly invited to attend. We are obliged for security reasons to keep the front door of the building locked. Please note that latecomers will not be admitted after 8.00 pm, in order not to interrupt the lecture. Everyone is invited to supper following the lecture.
Workshop will start at 6.30 pm, but people are welcome to come in later, as everyone works independently or with a friend. The workshop will be held in the Sprigg Room. Go past the Tate Museum and take the next staircase on the right. The Sprigg Room is right at the top of the stairs. If you get lost, call Frances on 0403 153 726. Anyone who arrives after 6.30pm and can't get into the building can ring the FGC bell if it is in place, or phone 0403 153 726 and someone will let them in.
Cynthia Pyle