Astronomy Ireland Colm J. Cannon Memorial lecture: "Searching for Planets Around Other Stars - From Galway" by Gregg Hallinan, at 8 pm, Monday 13 October, in the Physics Building, Trinity College Dublin.
The existence of over 300 planets outside our own Solar System has been confirmed since the first extra-solar planet was discovered only 14 years ago. The techniques used to detect these planets requires the use of very sensitive and expensive equipment. Some astronomers have recently claimed to have photographed one of these planets directly. Now, Gregg Hallinan, an astronomer based in Galway, is using a technique based on what happens during "The Northern Lights" to detect billion watt beacons beaming powerful radio beams into space from these far away planets.