Searching for our cosmic origins

Only recently have we been able to measure the entire Universe with surveys at a wide range of wavelengths from orbiting and ground-based observatories, and look far back in time to the period when the Universe itself formed. This talk will review what we have leaned about the key questions about the cosmos including: “What is the nature of the matter and energy in the Universe? What happened at the dawn of time, when the first stars and galaxies formed?” and “How do planets evolve to create habitats suitable for life?” The talk also will discuss the ambitious plans for the future in attempting to understand the nature of dark matter and dark energy – investigations that can change the way we understand the Universe and our place in it.

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About Carol Christian

Dr Carol Christian is the Education Director for the National Virtual Observatory Project. She also is the Deputy of the Community Missions Office at the Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI), a unit that provides technical support from the Hubble Space Telescope to other astronomical observatories and data archives for various NASA missions. She also is a key member of the team who created Sky in GoogleEarth. Carol was previously Head of the Office of Public Outreach at STScI where she created the Amazing Space online curriculum materials program. Dr Christian received her PhD in Physics and Astronomy at Boston University and has worked at several observatories as well as on NASA missions.

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