News Archive

The possibilities opened up by a new generation of telescopes will be the subject of a free public lecture on Saturday by The University of Western Australia's Premier's Fellow and renowned astronomer, Professor Peter Quinn.

Director of the International Centre for Radio Astronomy Research (a collaboration between UWA and Curtin University of Technology), Professor Quinn's lecture is entitled Astronomy in the 21st Century with the Square Kilometre Array .

The lecture is a highlight of UWA's free public open day during the Out There! Exhibition which features an operational radio telescope; scale model of the Square Kilometre Array; a timeline ribbon highlighting what we can see now in space and how the SKA will enable astronomers to ‘look back in time'; as well as Scitech's new portable Spacedome, iDome; and a ‘World at Night' astrophotography exhibit.

"When completed in 2020 the SKA will be the world's largest astronomical facility," Professor Quinn said. "WA is currently the front-runner in an international competition to host the SKA. In my talk, I will give a broad overview of our cosmic journey back in time - what we have found so far, what mysteries we have uncovered and what we hope to find with the new telescopes we hope to build."

What: Free public astronomy lecture and Out There! Exhibition

When: Saturday, 9 May

Time: Lecture at 12 noon, Exhibition from 10am to 3pm

Where: Molecular and Chemical Sciences (MCS) Building atrium, The University of Western Australia (park off Hackett Entrance 2)

Media references

Jenni Wallis (Life and Physical Sciences) (+61 8) 6488 3263 / (+61 4) 38 750 223
Janine MacDonald (UWA Public Affairs) (+61 8) 6488 5563 / (+61 4) 32 637 716