We might be close to discovering we're not alone in the universe, and we talked to one University of Wisconsin astronomer who is on the forefront of helping make that discovery.

UW-Madison Astronomy Professor Dr. Thomas Beatty joined to discuss his work on the James Webb Space Telescope, why he believes proof of life on another planet is less than 30 years away, plus we got his take on the best space movies and what exactly is "black hole hair."

Beatty explains his four years as an instrument scientist on the James Webb Space Telescope, helping to prepare the telescope camera—and how UW-Madison uses a major telescope in Arizona to confirm new planet discoveries. We also talk “exoplanets”—those planets out there that look similar enough to ours that they could carry life. Beatty gets into what scientists look for in those planet’s atmospheres, such as oxygen, to determine if it is in the "Goldilocks Zone" and capable of supporting life.

Lastly, we throw some fun questions at Beatty, including dark energy, the historical Hubble Tension, and the bizarre concept of "black hole hair." We also had to ask the astronomy expert his professional take on Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena (UAPs or better yet, UFOs), why most sightings are likely detector glitches, and what his favorite space movies are.