A Harvard astrophysicist will explore the age-old question of “Are we alone in the universe?” during a lecture Thursday at the University of Toledo.

David Charbonneau will discuss the mysterious planets that orbit stars outside our galaxy as part of his presentation, The Terrestrial Worlds of Other Stars.

Mr. Charbonneau will also explain how the James Webb Space Telescope is offering astronomers valuable insights into exoplanet conditions and predict that rapidly advancing technology will soon be able definitively answer the question of whether we are alone in the universe.

The program, at 7:15 p.m. in Wolfe Hall Room 1205, is part of UT’s Excellence in Astronomy series and is free and open to the public. Visitor parking is free in Areas 12 and 12S from 6 to 9:30 p.m. Thursday.

Mr. Charbonneau is the Fred Kavli professor of astrophysics at Harvard University, where he develops novel methods and instruments to detect and study exoplanets, which are planets that orbit stars other than our sun. The Norwegian Academy of Science and Letters presented him its prestigious Kavli Prize in Astrophysics in 2024.

First Published March 10, 2025, 3:39 p.m.