The cosmic distance ladder

Ever wondered how astronomers measure the distance to planets or distant stars? While far too vast to be measured directly, you might be surprised to learn that there are some rather clever indirect ways of computing these. Better still, all it takes is observation, some high-school mathematics and the cosmic distance ladder borrowed from the ancient Greeks.

AKA the ‘extragalactic distance scale’, this hierarchy of rather clever (yet surprisingly elementary) mathematical methods has long been used by astronomers to measure everything from the size and relative locations of the Earth, Sun and Moon, to – more recently – the distance to stars and galaxies, and even the scale of the universe itself.

Join Fields Medallist and Clay-Mahler Lecturer Terence Tao as he explores this great testament to the power of indirect measurement, and to the use of mathematics to cleverly augment observation.

When:  Friday 2^nd October 6.30pm for 7pm start

Where: Adelaide Town Hall, King William Street, Adelaide

How: FREE event but booking required.

This event is presented in association with the Australian Mathematical Society, the Australian Mathematical Sciences Institute and the Clay Mathematics Institute, and form part of the 2009 Clay-Mahler Lecture Tour.

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