Event Details

Join Lancaster's Physicists for a deep dive into the astronomical world!

Space, the final frontier. Look up into the sky and what do you see? Perhaps you've seen swirls of stars on a dark night, or have managed to catch the Aurora Borealis above your head. Find out about developments in space thanks to some amazing research. From citizen science and AI, to finding our more about our place in the solar system and even considering what it might be like to emigrate to Mars, this will be a night full of future forward ideas that might not be so far away. Accessible and interesting talks to challenge your knowledge and experience.

A new life on Mars?

Professor Jim Wild

Fancy a new start? Would you like to join a Martian colony? As governments and the tech bros race for the Moon and beyond, what are the prospects for setting up a permanent human outpost on the red planet? Low gravity and an extra 40 minutes in every day sounds appealing, but the atmosphere is nothing to write home about and the internet connection is terrible. Prof Jim Wild will consider some of the practicalities, pros and cons of emigrating to Mars.

Discovering Galaxies, Black Holes and Exoplanets From Your Sofa

Professor Brooke Simmons

The public has been contributing to science for hundreds of years. In modern times, millions of people have contributed to online citizen science projects like Galaxy Zoo. This talk will present the most fascinating discoveries from the project and projects like it, including some of the latest results where humans and well-trained AI are working together to make advanced discoveries.

Painting the Invisible: How We're Learning to See Earth's Magnetic Armour

Dr Maria Walach

The Northern Lights are stunning. They're also a symptom of a constant battle. Behind every flicker of earth’s aurora is a planetary-scale magnetic shield holding back the full fury of the Sun. Until now, we had no way to see this interaction directly. This talk is about how we're finally starting to paint that invisible picture from X-Ray emission to the lights of the aurora, what it's revealing about our place in the Solar System, and why it matters a lot more than just pretty lights.