What is a Planet? Science in the Pub Number 72 Part of the Warrumbungle Festival of the Stars With panellists Brad Carter and John Dawes Compered by Michael Burton and Fred Watson Friday, October 31st 2003, 7:00pm Imperial Hotel, Coonabarabran Must planets exist around a star, or are there "free-floating" planets? What's the difference between a "brown dwarf" and a "hot Jupiter"? Is there a difference in origin or is this just a matter of semantics? What are the tricks astronomers are getting up to in searching for planets? Find out from tonight’s guests, who include: Brad Carter, planet searcher extraordinaire of the University of Southern Queensland, and John Dawe, survey astronomer par excellence of the AAO. Compered by Michael Burton, aided and abetted by Fred Watson.   Brad Carter developed a boyhood interest in astronomy and as a teenager became an amateur astronomer He obtained a BSc and PhD in physics, graduating in 1988 from the University of Queensland in Brisbane. Brad's thesis was a study of young stars that exhibit intense solar-like flares From 1988 to 1995 Brad worked on the UNSW Automated Patrol Telescope at Siding Spring Observatory (a telescope used to study planets and other objects) Since 1995 Brad has lectured in physics and astronomy at the University of Southern Queensland, and maintains research interests in stars, planets and robotic telescopes Brad has been a member of the Anglo-Australian Planet Search team for the last few years. This search is detecting planets around other stars. The technique observes the motion of the star due to the star and its planet both orbiting a common centre of gravity. One recent finding is the detection of a Jupiter-like planet in a Jupiter-like orbit - evidence supporting the idea that our solar system is not unique. John Dawe is a legendary astronomer and raconteur based at the Anglo-Australian Observatory for half his time and Baradine for the other half. John’s career in astronomy has taken him to Leicester in the UK, Barbados in the Carribean, the Royal Observatory in Edinburgh, the UK Schmidt at Siding Spring (as Astronomer-in-Charge), the ANU at Siding Spring (as Observatory Manager) and now back to the AAO. His astonishing impersonation of Edmond Halley is still remembered with admiration in the corridors of power in astronomy.     Our compere tonight is Michael Burton, who is one of those astronomers who is not quite certain what he's doing, so he sits in the middle. He does infrared astronomy, which is a bit like, but different from, optical astronomy. And he does millimetre astronomy, which is also a bit like, but different from, radio astronomy. When not being confused by what he does he can be found at the University of New South Wales, where he lectures in Physics and Astronomy. He is aided and abetted tonight by Fred Watson. Fred is part alien. His name is an acronym for Forgotten Relic of Extraterrestrial Deportation. He is also Astronomer-in-Charge of the Anglo-Australian Observatory at Siding Spring near Coonabarabran, and a regular broadcaster on celestial topics. Sometimes, he tries to sing in public. Our poem tonight comes from Gibor Basri, who appeared at SciPub 71 on the same theme of what is a planet. Gibor has provided his poem as a circular argument: Science in the Pub™ is the Eureka Award winning endeavour in science communication. Regular sessions are generally staged 3-4 times per year, (generally 7-9pm on Wednesdays) at the Harlequin Inn, 152 Harris Street, Pyrmont in Sydney. Admission costs $5 worth of raffle tickets, your chance to win one of many excellent prizes! Visit our website at http://www.scienceinthepub.com/. Next Science in the Pub session
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