Dr. Franck Marchis, of the SETI Institute, presents a talk on the search for planets beyond our Solar System – referred to as exoplanets. In only two decades, scientists have gone from the mere speculation about exoplanets to being able to observe them through a variety of methods. Dr. Marchis will discuss new and sophisticated projects designed to provide images of these exoplanets. Future instruments could soon deliver an image of a cousin of Earth or another Pale Blue Dot - a planet similar to our own. 

The talk will be followed by a demonstration of the Unistellar eVscope, an innovative robotic telescope developed in partnership with the SETI Institute. The demonstration will take place on the campus of Sky’s The Limit Observatory & Nature Center at 9697 Utah Trail, a short drive south from the lecture hall. 

Dr. Marchis is a Senior Scientist at the SETI Institute and Chief Scientific Officer at Unistellar. Marchis earned his PhD in Astrophysics at the Université Paul Sabatier, France, in 2000. Founded in 1984, SETI stands for the "search for extraterrestrial intelligence."