Yorkshire Philosophical Society

Event Information

Joint Lecture with the Institute of Physics, Yorkshire Branch

Ark In Space: how our planet has been shaped by events in the universe
Dr Marek Kukula is the Public Astronomer at the Royal Observatory, Geeenwich.

Sponsored by Institute of Physics

Report
by Carole Smith

From its initial formation Earth has perforce interacted with the universe.  Formed from the dust and rubble surrounding the newly formed Sun;  its elements created in the after effects of cosmic explosions; its chance disposition in relation to the Sun: not too close to burn up, not too distant to freeze; its molten-iron core a dynamo creating a magnetic field, protection against the Sun’s toxic rain of ultraviolet light and damaging particles; a moon whose proximity stabilised Earth’s orbital motion into strong seasonal patterns – all set the conditions for the successful development of multicellular life-forms.  The development of oxygen-producing cyanobacteria further set conditions for more complex life-forms and ecosystems to flourish.  And so they did until cosmic disaster drove most to extinction 65 million years ago.  But not all. Life returned, developed, evolved; and, in the happy conditions of an interglacial, humankind examines evidence of past life-forms, life-forms on near and distant planets; and infers from the cracks in our damaged planet future cosmic catastrophe.  The end of the Sun, or just another asteroid collision?