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No longer affiliated with the Celebration Foundation

Dan O’Connell

Photo of Daniel OConnell

When he was 11 years old and while gazing at the stars in his backyard with his family, his brother-in-law asked him, “How many of the stars out there do you think are now burned out?” He was confused and replied that he didn’t understand. The stars had to still be burning because he could see them right there in the sky. And then, like a thunderbolt, it hit him, the light from those stars in some cases took hundreds, if not thousands, of years to get here, and potentially some of them expired during the time it took for their light to reach Earth! His love for the vastness of Space and the mysteries of the Universe was forged that night. While he is not a professional astronomer or a NASA specialist, he is simply an ordinary, but curious, student of Space, attempting to answer that inevitable question, “Are we alone in the Universe”?

Minor in education at Wesleyan University – 1981
CIGNA – 1981 – 2002 – SVP Sales & Marketing Midwest Division. Vice President of Sales Training for CIGNA’s national sales organization – 1990-1993
President & Owner of Insight Consulting – 2003-2006; President & Owner of Chicago’s Finest Tours – 2007-2021

Teaching 1 course this term.

  • Are We Alone in the Universe?

    Waitlist Only Session #2

    Thursdays, 1:30 pm – 2:45 pm

    Waitlist Only — this course is full.

    When
    Thursdays, 1:30 pm – 2:45 pm
    Dates
    October 8, October 15 & October 22, 2026
    Where
    Town Hall - Room 102

    Faculty

    Photo of Daniel OConnell Dan O’Connell

    When he was 11 years old and while gazing at the stars in his backyard with his family, his brother-in-law asked him, "How many of the stars out there do you think are now burned out?” He was confused and…

    See Dan O’Connell’s full profile
    Course description

    Program Mission: Welcome Aboard Spaceship Earth! As we travel through the Milky Way together, let’s explore the enigma, “Are we alone in the Universe?” This question has animated human curiosity since our earliest ancestors stared into the Cosmos. This highly interactive program intends to embrace this curiosity amidst the dispute surrounding the recent government release of UAP or UFO sightings and the disturbing mysteries involving the death and/or disappearance of 11 scientists! Have you ever seen what you believe was a UFO sighting? If yes, 17% of other Americans agree with you! During the course, we will explore three potential scenarios: 1-Extraterrestrial Civilizations or ETCs exist and are already here; 2-ETCs exist but we have not found legitimate evidence of their existence; 3-Earth is “rare”, we are alone in the universe. Astronomers estimate the observable universe contains perhaps as many as 1 septillion stars. Someone must be out there!