The Discovery and Characterisation of Habitable Exoplanets(18/7)

 

Organized by Ho Koon Nature Education cum Astronomical Centre (Sponsored by Sik Sik Yuen) & Hong Kong Space Museum

Every time night falls and the clear sky is dotted with stars, it sparks infinite imagination. Is there an Earth-like planet out there in the distant reaches of the Milky Way? Does intelligent life exist there? These are the mysteries that humanity has been exploring for centuries. This lecture focus on the search for habitable exoplanets. Starting with the familiar characteristics of our Solar System, the talk transitions into the history and methods of detecting planets beyond our own, weighing the pros and cons of different technologies. It highlights the research being conducted at the Yunnan Observatories (CAS), specifically their work on transit surveys, radial velocity, and atmospheric characterization. A key highlight is the team’s innovative use of Transit Timing Variation (TTV) inversion as a new method for identifying habitable, Earth-like worlds. Beyond mere detection, the lecture addresses how a host star’s magnetic activity and Coronal Mass Ejections (CMEs) can impact a planet’s ability to support life. By examining current discoveries and future global projects aimed at finding “Earth 2.0,” the session provides a comprehensive look at how modern astronomy is moving closer to answering whether intelligent life exists elsewhere in the cosmos.

Date:	2026/7/18（SAT）
Time：	15:00 – 16:30
Venue：	Lecture Hall, Hong Kong Space Museum
	(10 Salisbury Road, Tsim Sha Tsui, Kowloon, Hong Kong)
Speaker:	Dr. Gu Shenghong
	Yunnan Observatories, Chinese Academy of Sciences
	To be conducted in Putonghua
	Free admission on a first-come, first-served basis

 

 

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