Our galaxy is teeming with planets, with over 6,000 discovered in the last 30 years. These distant worlds are far stranger than those imagined by science fiction, ranging from scortching 'two-faced' gas giants that are half planet and half star, to mysterious super-Earths that are unlike anything found in our Solar System. Astronomers using the James Webb Space Telescope are now revealing the secrets of the exoplanet population by measuring the atmospheres of these worlds, finding many surprises along the way. This public talk will take you on a tour through some of the strangest exoplanets discovered to date.
About Dr Ryan MacDonald
Ryan MacDonald is a Lecturer in Extrasolar Planets at the University of St Andrews. He is an expert in the atmospheres of exoplanets, and leads multiple exoplanet observing programmes with the James Webb Space Telescope. His research focuses on measuring the chemical composition, clouds, and atmospheric properties and planets orbiting other stars, with the long-term goal of searching for signs of life beyond our Solar System. Dr MacDonald was previously a NASA Sagan Fellow at the University of Michigan, a Research Associate at Cornell University's Carl Sagan Institute, and obtained a PhD in astronomy from the University of Cambridge.
Accessibility information
Please note that this venue is currently not wheelchair accessible as the ramp is temporarily out of order, and step-free access is unavailable.
We apologise for any inconvenience and are working to restore full accessibility.
If you have any access requirements or questions, please contact us at events@ras.ac.uk or call us on 020 7734 4582.