Cosmology - its tortuous history, glorious present and bright future

The lecture will describe the remarkable history of our understanding of the origin and evolution of our Universe from the time of Newton to the present day. The story culminates with the announcement of the first results of the ESA Planck mission, which has provided the clearest image of the early Universe yet produced and a wealth of new results of cosmological importance. The results will be placed in the context of the historical development of the subject. The next great cosmological challenges will also be addressed.

The lecture will be delivered at a non-technical level and will be profusely illustrated by the most recent images, simulations and videos.

About the Helen Sawyer Hogg Lecturer

Malcolm Longair is the Emeritus Jacksonian Professor of Natural Philosophy, Director of Development, Cavendish Laboratory and Professorial Fellow of Clare Hall at the University of Cambridge, UK.

Prof. Longair has held many highly respected positions within the fields of physics and astronomy. He was appointed the ninth Astronomer Royal of Scotland in 1980, as well as the Regius Professor of Astronomy, University of Edinburgh, and the director of the Royal Observatory, Edinburgh. He was head of the Cavendish Laboratory from 1997 to 2005. His main research interests are in high energy astrophysics and astrophysical cosmology. He is author of several well-known books, including High Energy Astrophysics, Theoretical Concepts in Physics, and Galaxy Formation.

Date, Time and Location

Tuesday May 28, 7:30pm

Hebb Theatre, University of British Columbia

Free admission, Open to public.

About the Annual Helen Sawyer Hogg Lecture

The Helen Sawyer Hogg Public Lecture, is sponsored jointly by the Canadian Astronomical Society (CASCA) and the RASC. It is so named in recognition of the lifelong contributions of Helen Sawyer Hogg towards increasing public awareness and appreciation of the Universe around us, an aim that the  lectureship also seeks to further. It is held annually, usually in conjunction with the annual meeting of the sponsors, alternating between the two Societies (the RASC hosts in even-numbered years and CASCA in odd-numbered years).

For more information on the history of this important lecture series visit https://rasc.ca/hogg-lecture.