Cosmic Apocalypse: Comets, Collisions, and the End of the World

THIS EVENT IS OPEN TO UNIVERSITY HOUSE MEMBERS AND THEIR GUESTS 

Join us for an exciting evening with A/Prof Duane Hamacher, including themed dinner and drinks inspired by the cosmos!

Explore the role of comets and meteors within different cultures of the world.

Astronomer A/Prof Duane Hamacher will lead us through a fascinating discussion about how meteors have long been related to death, from the Maier shooting-star spirits of the Torres Strait and the evil meteor beings of Aboriginal traditions, to the Evenki ritual that manifested as the largest meteorite explosion in history that flattened the forests of Siberia in 1908. We will learn how comets were long viewed as portents of death, an idea that sparked debate in the scientific community when the Earth passed through the tail of Comet Halley in 1910. Today, astronomers are carefully monitoring the skies for Near Earth Objects to help us avoid a cosmic catastrophe that could lead to a global apocalypse. 

• Hold meteorites (space rocks) and tektites (melted glass from an asteroid impact) in your hands 
• View the cosmos through a telescope 
• See behind-the-scenes video clips from A/Prof Hamacher's documentary work with Morgan Freeman and Werner Herzog.

BOOKINGS ESSENTIAL

Member $85 |  Non-member/Guest $95

All-inclusive

Please note this event is hosted in a space with stair access only. If you have any questions, please contact our team at reception@unihouse.org.au.