RASNZ Conference 2026
Meet our 2026 Keynote Speakers
The RASNZ conference is an annual event that brings together astronomers, astrophysicists, and other professionals in the field to discuss the latest developments and advancements in astronomy. Our esteemed speakers bring a wealth of knowledge and experience from academia, research institutions, and industry, and are guaranteed to provide engaging and informative presentations. From keynote speakers to university students, there is something for everyone at this year's conference. Don't miss out on this incredible opportunity to learn and connect with other astronomy enthusiasts!
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One of the highlights of the conference is the keynote speakers who are invited to share their expertise and insights with the attendees.
Jonti Horner
Professor at University of Southern Queensland
Astrophysicist and Astrobiologist
Professor Jonti Horner is an astrobiologist and astronomer based at the University of Southern Queensland. Jonti is a passionate science communicator and teacher, taking great pleasure from delving into the mysteries of the cosmos and the question of life elsewhere.
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He has always been fascinated with the Solar System's small bodies - comets and asteroids. Where do they come from? Where will they go in the future? What clues do they hold to our own distant past? His research studies the orbital evolution of those objects to better understand the Solar System's past, present, and future. Jonti is one of the leaders of the MINERVA-Australis facility on the Darling Downs in Southeast Queensland, which scans the sky every clear night in search of new alien worlds. He helps to find those planets and study how their systems will evolve. In the process, he has even killed several planets - proving that claimed worlds simply do not exist!
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In addition, Jonti has written numerous popular science articles, primarily for the Australian website The Conversation. He is always enthusiastic about writing for a broader audience and publishes a Meteor Shower calendar every year with Dr Tanya Hill from the Melbourne Planetarium. He gives regular interviews to local, national, and international media, including weekly slots on ABC Queensland's Evening and Drive shows, discussing all things astronomical. He has appeared in Australian documentaries and on a variety of international podcasts, and is always keen to talk about space! An experienced and enthusiastic public speaker, Jonti has more than three decades of experience giving talks to schools, community groups, and astronomical societies.
Dr. Martin George
Astronomer/Science Communicator
Hive Tasmania
Dr. Martin George is Principal Astronomer at the Ulverstone Planetarium at Hive, in Ulverstone, Tasmania. He completed an undergraduate degree in Physics at the University of Tasmania and a PhD in Astronomy from the University of Southern Queensland. His thesis was on the history of low-frequency radio astronomy in Tasmania, supervised by Professors Wayne Orchiston and Richard Wielebinski (and originally also by Professor Bruce Slee). This focused, in part, on the enigmatic American ‘founding father’ of radio astronomy, Grote Reber, who spent the last half of his life living in Tasmania, building low-frequency radio telescopes and observing with them. He was the one who built the world’s first Square Kilometre Array!
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Prior to moving to Ulverstone, Martin was the Collections and Research Manager at the Queen Victoria Museum and Art Gallery in Launceston, Tasmania, where he was also responsible for the Museum’s planetarium and astronomy collections.
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Apart from the history of early radio astronomy, Martin has research interests in the history of astronomy in Tasmania and in mainland SE Asia, and in the role of planetariums in astronomy education and outreach. He is a former President of the International Planetarium Society and continues to promote the Society and planetariums worldwide as the Chair of International Development.
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Over the years, Martin has published a succession of research papers on early Tasmanian radio astronomy and on the role of the Jesuits in developing ‘Western astronomy’ in Siam (present-day Thailand) during the seventeenth century. He is well known throughout Australia for his work in the planetarium industry and his passion for sharing the wonders of the Universe with amateur astronomers and the general public.