Dr. Seth Shostak is an astronomer and one of the world’s leading scientists searching for an answer to one of humanity’s biggest questions: Are we alone in the universe?
As Senior Astronomer at the SETI Institute, Dr. Shostak has spent decades using science and radio astronomy to search for evidence of intelligent life beyond Earth. His fascination with space began when he was just ten years old after reading a book about the solar system—a childhood curiosity that ultimately became his career.
Dr. Shostak earned a degree in physics from Princeton University and a Ph.D. in astronomy from Caltech. Before focusing on the search for extraterrestrial intelligence, he conducted research on galaxies using some of the world’s powerful radio telescopes.
Beyond his research, Dr. Shostak has dedicated much of his career to getting young people excited about science, astronomy and astrobiology. He has written hundreds of articles, authored several books, and hosts the SETI Institute's science program Big Picture Science. His ability to make complicated scientific questions understandable and exciting has earned him major awards for science communication.
In 2026, his contributions to astronomy and science education were recognized in an extraordinary way when the International Astronomical Union officially named an asteroid Asteroid Shostak in his honor.
