In August 2016 a planet was discovered orbiting the closest star to the sun, Proxima Centauri. Not only is the planet, Proxima Centauri b, the closest exoplanet, it is also likely to have a similar mass as Earth, and receive about as much starlight as Earth. These features raise the possibility that the planet may host life! Join renowned exoplanet researchers for a discussion of the discovery, the planet’s potential to support life, and future plans to explore the planet, including visits by human spacecraft.
Speakers include:
Guillem Anglada-Escude, lead discoverer of the planet
Vikki Meadows, University of Washington astrobiology professor and Virtual Planetary Laboratory PI
Rory Barnes, University of Washington astrobiology professor and Virtual Planetary Laboratory investigator
Olivier Guyon, University of Arizona professor and Project Scientist for the Subaru Telescope