Professor Richard Ellis, the Steele Professor of Astronomy at the California Institute of  Technology (Caltech) will visit SoA during 9- 15 April 2011.  He works on observational cosmology, considering the origin and evolution of galaxies, the evolution of large scale structure in the universe, and the nature and distribution of dark matter.  His particular interests include gravitational lensing,  high-redshift supernovae, large scale structure and galaxy formation and evolution.  He took part in one of the earliest successful studies to locate and characterize high-redshift Type Ia supernovae and later joined the Supernova Cosmology Project. Professor Ellis was Director of the Palomar Observatory from 2000-2005. He is a member of the board of directors and science advisory of the Thirty Meter Telescope (TMT).

Professor  Richard Ellis has received the Gold Medal of the Royal Astronomical Society in 2011. The Gold Medal, which is awarded annually since 1824, is the Society's highest honor and one of the premier prizes in astronomy.

He will attend Astronomy School's weekly seminar on Wednesday 13th April 2011. He will give the following talk on the weekly seminar:

Gravitational Lensing; Einstein's Unfinished Symphony