WHEN: Tuesday, September 26, at 11 a.m.

WHERE: Yale Peabody Museum, 170 Whitney Avenue, New Haven, Connecticut

PURPOSE: Yale scientists contributing to Alien Earths, a major exhibition on the solar system and extraterrestrial life opening September 30 at the Museum, will discuss their research and answer questions on topics explored in the exhibit.

Questions may be submitted ahead of time to Melanie Brigockas melanie.brigockas@yale.edu 203-432-5099. Audio transcript will be available after the conference.

PARTICIPANTS

David Rabinowitz, research scientist, Yale Center for Astronomy & Astrophysics. The discovery of "Xena," officially renamed Eris last week, ignited a debate about what constitutes a planet and led to the demotion of Pluto to dwarf status. As a member of the team that built the Palomar QUEST camera at Yale, Rabinowitz helped make the technology possible not only to find Eris but learn that the entire solar system is filled with Pluto-size planets never before seen. His research involves questions about elliptical orbits, how they got that way, and why these dwarf planets are drifting away from the sun. He regrets the demotion of Pluto to dwarf status.

Ruth Blake, assistant professor of geology & geophysics and chemical engineering. Blake searches for clues to alien life here on Earth in places like the volcanic hot springs of St. Lucia where conditions are similar to those prevalent during Earth's early history and on extraterrestrial bodies like Mars.

Sarbani Basu, professor of astronomy. Basu studies sunquakes and uses helioseismology to determine what is happening inside the sun. She hopes data on solar emissions and magnetic fields will help predict the large solar flares that can override power grids and cause massive blackouts. She is also studying the connection between solar changes over decades and drastic c
'"/>

Contact: Janet Rettig Emanuel
janet.emanuel@yale.edu
203-432-2157
Yale University
25-Sep-2006