Earth to Earth, Ashes to Ashes, Dust to Dust --- The Birth and Death of Worlds

For centuries we have known that Earth is only one of multiple worlds orbiting the Sun. Near the turn of the 21st century we discovered that our solar system is but one of countless others. Where did these planets come from? What are their fates, and ours? Dr. Chiang will describe the life cycle of planets, how they are born and die and are born again. The story follows microscopic grains of dust, from the dark and icy clouds of the Milky Way, to the fiery winds from planets burning in the glare of their stars.

Eugene Chiang is a Professor of Astronomy and of Earth and Planetary Science at UC Berkeley. He is a theoretical astrophysicist with interests in all things planetary, from planet formation to orbital dynamics to planetary atmospheres.