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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
(Professor of Space Physics at Lancaster University and President of The Royal Astonomical Society (from 8th May))
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.
Professor Jim Wild
Discovering Galaxies, Black Holes and Exoplanets From Your Sofa
Professor Brooke Simmons
(Professor in Astrophysics at Lancaster University)
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.
Professor Brooke Simmons
Painting the Invisible: How We're Learning to See Earth's Magnetic Armour
Dr Maria Walach
(Research Fellow and Lecturer in Physics, Lancaster University)
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.
Dr Maria Walach
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Other The Gregson events
2026-05-18
Down to Earth Research
The Gregson
33 - 35 Moor Gate, Lancaster, LA1 3PY, United Kingdom