Hamptons Observatory (HO) is partnering with Suffolk County Community College to present a free, virtual lecture by distinguished Harvard astrophysicist, Dr. Avi Loeb.
Donna L. McCormick, the Executive Director of Hamptons Observatory, states: “Dr. Loeb is making a significant contribution to the systematic, scientific search for extraterrestrial life. In his work, he strives to answer such questions as: Is space trash from extraterrestrial technological civilizations lurking among natural interstellar rocks? New Galileo Project Observatories are monitoring millions of objects near Earth; are any of them Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena? We are deeply grateful to him for taking the time to share his expertise with us. We are also delighted to again be partnering with Suffolk County Community College on this special program.”
About the lecture:
Is space trash from extraterrestrial technological civilizations lurking among natural interstellar rocks? Over the past decade, the first four interstellar objects were discovered. They include the interstellar meteor, IM1, detected on January 8, 2014; `Oumuamua detected on October 19, 2017; and Borisov detected on August 29, 2019. Among these, the first two appeared anomalous relative to known solar-system rocks whereas the fourth appeared to be a familiar comet. IM1 exhibited the highest material strength among all meteorites in the CNEOS catalog of NASA, `Oumuamua exhibited a flat shape and non-gravitational acceleration with no detectable cometary evaporation. In June 2023, 850 spherules were recovered from the Pacific Ocean site IM1. A tenth of these submillimeter meteoritic spherules displayed a unique chemical composition, different from familiar solar system materials. Currently, new Galileo Project Observatories are monitoring millions of objects near Earth in the infrared, optical, radio and audio and analyzing their nature with machine-learning software. Are any of them Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena? Forthcoming data from the Rubin Observatory in Chile will offer additional clues on interstellar objects.
This free, virtual lecture will begin at 7:00 PM, ET, on Tuesday, March 11, 2025.
Admission is free but donations to help support the work of Hamptons Observatory are deeply appreciated.
Reservations are required: https://bit.ly/AviLoebTalk
More about Dr. Avi Loeb:
Dr. Abraham (Avi) Loeb, the Frank B. Baird, Jr., Professor of Science at Harvard University, is a best-selling author of eight books, most recently Interstellar: The Search for Extraterrestrial Life and Our Future in the Stars. He has also authored nearly a thousand scientific papers (h-index of 118). He led the first international project supported by the Strategic Defense Initiative and was a long-term member of the Institute for Advanced Study at Princeton. Dr. Loeb is the head of The Galileo Project, and the Director of the Institute for Theory and Computation within the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics. He was the longest serving Chair of Harvard’s Department of Astronomy and the Founding Director of Harvard’s Black Hole Initiative. He is a former member of the President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology. Since 2016, he has Chaired the Breakthrough Starshot Initiative. In 2012, TIME magazine named Loeb as one of the 25 most influential people in space and, in 2020, Dr. Loeb was selected as one of the 14 most inspiring Israelis of the last decade. In 2024, Scholar GPS ranked Loeb number 3 in publication record and impact of research among all astronomers worldwide over the past 5 years.
About Hamptons Observatory:
Hamptons Observatory (HO), a 501(c)(3) New York State nonprofit, has served the community since 2005. Its mission: to foster interest in science, particularly astronomy, through educational programs. Lectures, star parties, portable planetarium shows and other events are held frequently and often in collaboration with other nonprofit organizations. HO has an observatory in East Hampton that it is endeavoring to restore and to make accessible (in-person and remotely) to students, researchers, educators and the general public. Hamptons Observatory offers all of its public programs free-of-charge so that everyone can learn about and enjoy the wonders of their universe. HO is not endowed but operates exclusively through public donations. Visit www.HamptonsObservatory.org to learn more and to join our email list for news and event notices. To make a tax-deductible donation, please go to https://bit.ly/HO-Zeffy Thanks!
Mailing Address: P. O. Box 3095, East Hampton, NY 11937
DATE: Tuesday, March 11, 2025
TIME: 7:00 – 8:00 PM
LECTURE TITLE: The Search for Interstellar Objects of Technological Origin (A Free, Virtual Lecture)
SPEAKER: Dr. Avi Loeb, Harvard University
CO-SPONSOR: Suffolk County Community College
ADDRESS: ZOOM
ORGANIZER: Hamptons Observatory
ADMISSION: Free
TO REGISTER: https://bit.ly/AviLoebTalk
FURTHER INFO & QUESTIONS
www.HamptonsObservatory.org or HamptonsObservatory@gmail.com