A visiting US astronomer will ask, “what if Galileo was alive today?”, when he delivers a free public lecture at Charles Sturt University (CSU) in Bathurst on Wednesday 11 July. Host of the visit and lecture, Associate Professor David McKinnon from the CSU School of Teacher Education in Bathurst, said Professor Timothy Slater, a NASA-award winning educator from the University of Wyoming, will present a public lecture titled Galileo’s new universe of astronomy. Professor McKinnon said, “Professor Slater will present an entertaining talk in which he will suggest topics that Galileo, if he lived today, would most want his students to diligently observe and passionately study. Nearly 400 years ago, the Italian scientist Galileo profoundly changed Western civilisation’s worldview by pointing the newly-invented telescope to the night sky. What he saw - unexpected observations of mysterious moons, deep craters, and countless unknown stars - still motivates today’s astronomers to look deeper and deeper into our expanding cosmos.” The free public lecture starts at 5.30pm on Wednesday 11 July in room 205 in building S15, CSU in Bathurst.