Ask an Astronomer: Searching for Aliens, Finding Ourselves

Dr. Jill Tarter, our guest speaker, is an award-winning astronomer renowned for her research on SETI, the search for extraterrestrial intelligence. Her work inspired the main character of Carl Sagan’s novel and movie Contact.

Are we alone in the universe? Humans have been asking this question throughout history. Dr. Tarter will talk about the tools we have used to permit us to embark on a scientific exploration to try to answer this old question. Over time our technologies and knowledge have improved. We have discovered that there are far more planets than stars out there. Although we haven’t yet found life beyond Earth, there is a vast amount of potentially habitable real estate to explore. The 21st century will be the century in which we will find some answers to this old question; there are many paths we will investigate.

As we look up and look out, we are forced to see ourselves from a cosmic perspective–a perspective that shows us as all the same, all Earthlings. This perspective is fundamental to finding a way to sustain life on Earth for the future.

Supported by The New Jersey Department of Community Affairs.