BEGIN:VCALENDAR VERSION:2.0 PRODID:-//jEvents 2.0 for Joomla//EN CALSCALE:GREGORIAN METHOD:PUBLISH BEGIN:VTIMEZONE TZID:Australia/Sydney BEGIN:STANDARD DTSTART:20240806T193000 RDATE:20241006T030000 TZOFFSETFROM:+1100 TZOFFSETTO:+1000 TZNAME:Australia/Sydney AEST END:STANDARD BEGIN:STANDARD DTSTART:20250406T020000 RDATE:20251005T030000 TZOFFSETFROM:+1100 TZOFFSETTO:+1000 TZNAME:Australia/Sydney AEST END:STANDARD BEGIN:STANDARD DTSTART:20260405T020000 RDATE:20261004T030000 TZOFFSETFROM:+1100 TZOFFSETTO:+1000 TZNAME:Australia/Sydney AEST END:STANDARD BEGIN:STANDARD DTSTART:20270404T020000 RDATE:20271003T030000 TZOFFSETFROM:+1100 TZOFFSETTO:+1000 TZNAME:Australia/Sydney AEST END:STANDARD BEGIN:STANDARD DTSTART:20280402T020000 RDATE:20281001T030000 TZOFFSETFROM:+1100 TZOFFSETTO:+1000 TZNAME:Australia/Sydney AEST END:STANDARD BEGIN:DAYLIGHT DTSTART:20241006T030000 RDATE:20250406T020000 TZOFFSETFROM:+1000 TZOFFSETTO:+1100 TZNAME:Australia/Sydney AEDT END:DAYLIGHT BEGIN:DAYLIGHT DTSTART:20251005T030000 RDATE:20260405T020000 TZOFFSETFROM:+1000 TZOFFSETTO:+1100 TZNAME:Australia/Sydney AEDT END:DAYLIGHT BEGIN:DAYLIGHT DTSTART:20261004T030000 RDATE:20270404T020000 TZOFFSETFROM:+1000 TZOFFSETTO:+1100 TZNAME:Australia/Sydney AEDT END:DAYLIGHT BEGIN:DAYLIGHT DTSTART:20271003T030000 RDATE:20280402T020000 TZOFFSETFROM:+1000 TZOFFSETTO:+1100 TZNAME:Australia/Sydney AEDT END:DAYLIGHT BEGIN:DAYLIGHT DTSTART:20281001T030000 RDATE:20290401T020000 TZOFFSETFROM:+1000 TZOFFSETTO:+1100 TZNAME:Australia/Sydney AEDT END:DAYLIGHT END:VTIMEZONE BEGIN:VEVENT UID:42a0f10a572c3269e94c2c254a4bf597 CATEGORIES:Guest Speaker Night CREATED:20240527T154539 SUMMARY:Guest Speaker - Prof Jonti Horner - University of Southern Queensland LOCATION:: Teams Online and Green Point Observatory DESCRIPTION:A Comet's TaleThere are few things more spectacular than a Great Comet. Whi lst many comets continually grace our skies, the majority remain far too fa int to see with the naked eye. On average, a truly spectacular comet (a 'Gr eat Comet') will come along every decade, or so. But comets are like busses - you can wait thirty years, and then two come along at once!\nIn the last few months, our skies have been graced by two comets that might well be co nsidered to be the Great Comets of 2024 and 2025. Comet C/2023 A3 (Tsuchins han-ATLAS) put on a fantastic show in late September and through October la st year, whilst C/2024 G3 (ATLAS) was spectacular in January this year, des pite appearing to fall apart as humanity watched on.\nBut what ARE comets? Where do they come from? And how do they work? To learn the answers to thes e questions (and many more!), join UniSQ's Jonti Horner to hear the story o f "A Comet's Tale".\nProf Jonti HornerJonti first became interested in astr onomy at the age of five, after seeing the BBC TV programme ‘The Sky at Nig ht’, and soon became an enthusiastic amateur astronomer. He joined his loca l astronomical society in the UK, WYAS (the West Yorkshire Astronomical Soc iety) at the age of eight, and is currently honoured to serve as the societ y’s honorary president. To pursue his dream of turning his hobby into a car eer, Jonti studied a Masters’ degree in Physics and Astronomy at the Univer sity of Durham, before moving to the University of Oxford to undertake his doctoral studies. Once his PhD was complete, Jonti worked as a postdoctoral research fellow at the University of Bern and the UK’s Open University bef ore moving to Australia in 2010 to work at UNSW. In 2014, he moved to Toowo omba, to join the University of Southern Queensland, where he is now Profes sor of Astrophysics. His research ranges from the study of our own Solar sy stem to the search for planets orbiting other stars, as well as trying to u nderstand the different factors that could come together to make one planet more or less suitable as a target in the search for life beyond Earth.\nJo nti has a regular weekly slot on ABC Radio Queensland's Evenings show, talk ing about the latest in Space news, and has appeared in Australian document aries and on a variety of international podcasts. He writes regular article s for The Conversation (https://theconversation.com/profiles/jonti-horner-3 355/articles (https://theconversation.com/profiles/jonti-horner-3355/articl es)). In 2023, the International Astronomical Union (IAU) chose to name an asteroid after him: (32520) Jontihorner - a small and unusually reflective object moving near the middle of the Asteroid belt.\n \nNote: This will be an online presentation, but members and guests are invited to join us at th e Green Point Observatory to view on the big screen and engage in discussio ns over supper.\n X-ALT-DESC;FMTTYPE=text/html:

A Comet's Tale

There are few things more spectacular than a Grea t Comet. Whilst many comets continually grace our skies, the majority remai n far too faint to see with the naked eye. On average, a truly spectacular comet (a 'Great Comet') will come along every decade, or so. But comets are like busses - you can wait thirty years, and then two come along at once!< /p>

In the last few months, our skies have been graced by two comets that might well be considered to be the Great Comets of 2024 and 2025. Comet C/ 2023 A3 (Tsuchinshan-ATLAS) put on a fantastic show in late September and t hrough October last year, whilst C/2024 G3 (ATLAS) was spectacular in Janua ry this year, despite appearing to fall apart as humanity watched on.

But what ARE comets? Where do they come from? And how do they work? To lea rn the answers to these questions (and many more!), join UniSQ's Jonti Horn er to hear the story of "A Comet's Tale".

Jonti Horner PhotoProf Jont i Horner

Jonti first became interested in astronomy at the age of fi ve, after seeing the BBC TV programme ‘The Sky at Night’, and soon became a n enthusiastic amateur astronomer. He joined his local astronomical society in the UK, WYAS (the West Yorkshire Astronomical Society) at the age of ei ght, and is currently honoured to serve as the society’s honorary president . To pursue his dream of turning his hobby into a career, Jonti studied a M asters’ degree in Physics and Astronomy at the University of Durham, before moving to the University of Oxford to undertake his doctoral studies. Once his PhD was complete, Jonti worked as a postdoctoral research fellow at th e University of Bern and the UK’s Open University before moving to Australi a in 2010 to work at UNSW. In 2014, he moved to Toowoomba, to join the Univ ersity of Southern Queensland, where he is now Professor of Astrophysics. H is research ranges from the study of our own Solar system to the search for planets orbiting other stars, as well as trying to understand the differen t factors that could come together to make one planet more or less suitable as a target in the search for life beyond Earth.

Jonti has a regular weekly slot on ABC Radio Queensland's Evenings show, talking about the lat est in Space news, and has appeared in Australian documentaries and on a va riety of international podcasts. He writes regular articles for The Convers ation (https://theconversation.com/profiles/jonti-horner-3355/articles). In 2023, the International Astronomical Union (IAU) chose to name an aster oid after him: (32520) Jontihorner - a small and unusually reflective objec t moving near the middle of the Asteroid belt.

 

Note: Thi s will be an online presentation, but members and guests are invited to joi n us at the Green Point Observatory to view on the big screen and engage in discussions over supper.

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