Palmerston is set to be the first stop on NASA’s visit to the Northern Territory as part of its Australia-wide tour for National Science Week.

City of Palmerston will host NASA scientists, Dr Megan Shabram and Dr Alexandre M Kling from the NASA Ames Research Centre, as they present 'Searching for Life on the Worlds of Our Solar System and Beyond', on Monday 13 August, 5.15pm-6.30pm at the Palmerston Recreation Centre.

Astrophysicist Brad Tucker, from the Australian National University, who has been involved in bringing the tour to Australia, explained that the presentation will be an exciting introduction to recent discoveries and theories.

“Ten years ago, we did not know if planets were common around other stars and if the other planets and moons of our own Solar System could support life.  Now, we know the answer is yes to both of those.

Dr Megan Shabram will be talking about NASA’s new planet-finding telescope, TESS, which will discover even more worlds and help put our Solar System into context.  Dr Alex Kling will show what we know about the history of Mars, over 4.6 billion years, going from a world very much like Earth to the more dry, cold planet it is today.

Every month, we hear about the exciting discoveries that NASA has made in the quest for finding the signs of life in the Universe,” he said. 

City of Palmerston Mayor, Athina Pascoe-Bell encourages residents to come along for this rare occasion. 

“This is a great opportunity for the whole community to get involved in science and meet renowned international researchers.    

To provide the best chance for as many of our young people as possible to engage with these incredible scientists, Council is also holding a dedicated session for over 500 Palmerston school children, providing free transport to and from the event,” she said. 

Detailed information on the themes presented by Dr Shabram and Dr Kling can be found at www.palmerston.nt.gov.au