Talk: Telescopes on the Moon, the Future of Astronomy

Prof. Joe Silk to discuss the Moon as the next great frontier for astronomy. Terrestrial telescopes are facing a crisis as our night skies become increasingly crowded and bright. The solution? Looking upward—and staying there.

Join IAU Commission C2 (Communicating Astronomy with the Public) on 19 May 2026 for a fascinating talk by the world-renowned Prof. Joseph Silk (Johns Hopkins / Oxford / CNRS). We won’t just be talking about lunar missions; we’ll be exploring how the Moon’s surface offers a unique sanctuary for the future of science.

From the radio-quiet “Far Side” probing the Dark Ages of the universe to optical interferometers searching for biological tracers on Earth-like exoplanets, the Moon is about to become our most important laboratory.

Key Highlights:
The Dark Ages: Probing the universe 50 million years after the Big Bang.
Gravitational Waves: Capturing the history of merging massive black holes.
Are We Alone? Using ultrahigh resolution to image nearby exoplanets.