Sydney Writers' Festival

FRED WATSON (LOCAL)
Fred Watson says he has spent so many years working in large telescope domes that he has started to look like one. He is Astronomer in Charge of the Anglo-Australian Observatory at Coonabarabran, where his main scientific interest is gathering information on very large numbers of stars and galaxies. He is also an adjunct professor at the Queensland University of Technology, the University of Southern Queensland, and James Cook University.

Fred is well-known for his astronomy slots on ABC radio, and his recent books include Stargazer – the life and times of the telescope, Why is Uranus upside down? and other questions about the Universe, and the ABC's new blockbuster, Universe, for which he was chief consultant. In 2003, Fred received the David Allen Prize for communicating astronomy to the public, and in 2006 was the winner of the Australian Government Eureka Prize for Promoting Understanding of Science. Fred has an asteroid named after him (5691 Fredwatson), but says that if it hits the Earth it won't be his fault...

www.fredwatson.com.au

also appearing at...
116: Spacefarers of the New Millennium at Glebe Library

ROBYN WILLIAMS (LOCAL)
Robyn Williams has presented science programs on ABC radio and television since 1972. Early in his career he made guest appearances in The Goodies, Monty Python's Flying Circus and Dr Who. He is the first journalist to be elected a fellow of the Australian Academy of Science, was a visiting fellow at Balliol College, Oxford, and is a visiting professor at the University of New South Wales. In March 2006, a star in the constellation Carina was named after him. He is planning a visit.

also appearing at...
78: Growing Old Disgracefully