Halloween Special: Cosmic Catastrophes - The End of Earth and Beyond

🎃 Halloween Special Public Lecture: Cosmic Catastrophes - The End of Earth and Beyond 🌌

What, in the end, will signal the demise of our world? 🌍 It’s a question we’ve all pondered, but what could actually happen? Join Dr. Sara Webb as she unravels the mysteries of our planet’s potential end in her upcoming lecture, based on her new book.

In three gripping parts, Dr. Webb will explore:

1. What Makes Earth Special – We examine what makes Earth so extraordinary in the grand scheme of the universe. We’ll explore the birth of the universe, the fragile circumstances that led to our existence, and alternate realities—like if our sun had a twin or Jupiter turned into a threat rather than a protector.

2. Disasters Waiting to Happen – Dive into the heart-pounding possibilities of sudden disaster. From rogue black holes and asteroid impacts to gamma-ray bursts and alien civilizations, we’ll explore the science behind these theoretical events and what the odds are of them affecting us anytime soon.

3. The Inevitable End – We confront the inevitable fate of Earth and the universe. From the death of our sun to the collision with the Andromeda galaxy, we’ll consider how time itself might end.

It’s not all doom and gloom, though—there’s hope in humanity’s search for a new home, Earth 2.0. 🌠 This talk will leave you reflecting on the precious nature of our place in the cosmos.

📅 Date: Thursday, 31st October 2024

⏰ Time: 6:30 PM - 7:30 PM

📍 Venue: AMDC301, Swinburne University (In-person, recording available post-lecture)

Whether you’re a space enthusiast or just curious about the cosmos, this event promises to be both thrilling and thought-provoking!

Hands-On Fun for Kids!

Join us before the public lecture in the Sky Lounge for some hands-on fun for the kids!

⏰ Time: 5:30 PM - 6:30 PM
📍 Location: AMDC Sky Lounge, Level 3 AMDC Building

Activities and highlights:

• Badge Making: What is your favourite thing in space? Create a badge of your own design or use one of our designs to create your own unique badge to take home with you to remember this event!
• Activity Sheets: What happens when the coolest things in space meet your favourite puzzles? Space activity sheets! Come collect some activity and colouring sheets with mazes, word searches, and crosswords... all inspired by stuff in space!
• Dress Up for Halloween (Costumes Optional - but we would love to see them!)
• Giveaways and a costume contest – Sara will be giving away copies of new book and other goodies! You don’t want to miss it.
• Networking in the Sky Lounge *sort of under the stars

🎙️ Meet Our Speaker, Dr Sara Webb:

Dr Sara Webb is an Astronomer, Science communicator and author dedicated to exploring and sharing the cosmos. She is a cosmic detective looking for exploding stars and other mysterious events in the night sky. When she isn't researching, she is either leading the Swinburne payloads for the International Space Station or talking/writing all things space news!

Dr Sara Webb is the winner of the 2024 David Allen Prize for exceptional achievement in astronomy communication and the author of The Little Book of Cosmic Catastrophes (That Could End the World).

🎙️ Meet Our MC, Olivia Vidal Velázquez:

Olivia Vidal Velázquez is a PhD candidate at the Centre for Astrophysics and Supercomputing (CAS). Her research focuses on Type Ia supernovae and their correlation with host galaxies. Type Ia supernovae occur when a white dwarf star explodes in a binary star system, providing valuable insights into the expansion of the universe. And, after all, who doesn’t love a good explosion?

Olivia is passionate about science, particularly space and the universe, because there is still so much we don’t know—leaving plenty of exciting discoveries waiting to be made.

Acknowledgement & Understanding

*By registering to this event, you acknowledge and give consent that your email address will be added to the OzGrav database. In addition, you acknowledge and consent that photos will be taken on the day and your image may be used in future promotion of OzGrav events. If you do not consent, please let the photographer and event organiser know.

Code of Conduct can be found here:

If you have any questions, please email [email protected]

Event Venue & Nearby Stays

AMDC301 and Sky Lounge, Level 3, AMDC Building, 453 Burwood Road, Hawthorn, Australia