The Quest for an Extremely Large Telescope.
Join us for a presentation by professor Richard de Grijs.
Astronomy is in a golden age. In the past half a century, a new telescopes have delivered a wealth of remarkable new discoveries: quasars, black holes, gravitational waves, planets orbiting other stars, gamma-ray bursts, the cosmic microwave background, dark matter and dark energy have all been discovered through the development of a succession of ever larger and more sophisticated telescopes. This has created a new view of our Universe, one dominated by poorly understood dark matter and dark energy. In turn, this poses new, more fundamental questions. A small step in telescope size will not progress these fundamental questions. However, new telescopes with 30-metre diameters (or more) are currently under construction. They will soon provide astronomers with the ability to address the next generation of scientific questions which may well shake up our world view irreversibly.
Event Details
Date: 12 August 2025
6:30 – 7:00 pm: Welcome
7:00 – 8:00 pm: Presentation + Q&A
8:00 pm: Drinks @ Abode Bar and Bistro
Location: PARKROYAL Darling Harbour, 150 Day St, Sydney CBD, Darling Harbour
Tickets: $35 for General Tickets | $25 for Discounted Tickets
Welcome drink and nibbles included.
About the presenter
Professor Richard de Grijs is a prolific public speaker on topics ranging from astronomy and astrophysics to maritime history. Richard holds professional appointments as professor of astrophysics at Macquarie University and as Executive Director of the International Space Science Institute–Beijing. He recently published the first detailed biography of William Dawes, the astronomer assigned to the “First Fleet” from England to Australia (1787–1788). His academic accolades include the 2012 Selby Award from the Australian Academy of Science, a 2017 Erskine Award from the University of Canterbury (New Zealand) and the 2023 Excellence in Research Integrity award from Macquarie University’s Faculty of Science and Engineering. He also received the 2022 Blacktown Mayoral History Prize and the 2022 Hella Mannheimer Award (Hektoen International Journal of Medical Humanities).
