Quantum physics is a fundamental theory that describes the behaviour of nature at and below the scale of atoms. Celebrating 100 years since initial developments, the United Nations proclaimed 2025 as the International Year of Quantum Science and Technology. As part of these celebrations I will introduce how quantum physics is essential to our understanding of the Cosmos, focussing on two examples. First, the process of nuclear fusion is responsible for the majority energy generation in stars; however the temperatures in stellar interiors are too low for this to happen “classically”. However, the phenomenon of quantum tunnelling enables atomic nuclei to fuse even if they don’t have required energies. Second, our Universe is replete with structures in the form of planets, stars, galaxies and clusters. These structures are thought to caused by amplification by the process of inflation of minuscule quantum fluctuations present in the very early Universe.
About Stephen
Stephen Wilkins is a Professor of Astronomy and Public Understanding of Science at the University of Sussex, just outside Brighton. Stephen obtained his Masters in Physics from the University of Durham before receiving his PhD from the University of Cambridge. Stephen then worked as a research fellow at the University of Oxford before joining the faculty at Sussex in 2013. Stephen’s main research focuses on understanding the formation and evolution of galaxies, particularly the first stages in the distant early Universe. To do this Stephen combines observations from telescopes including Webb and Hubble with supercomputer simulations. Outside his research Stephen is also a keen advocate of public understanding of science. Highlights include his leadership of three exhibits at the prestigious Royal Society Summer Science Exhibition and dozens of talks.
NASA’s OSIRIS-REx space mission launched in 2016 bound for asteroid Bennu. After imaging and studying the asteroid, it returned to Earth in 2023 with 122g of material collected from the rocky surface, making it the biggest NASA sample return mission since Apollo. The returned material is rich in water, carbon (including complex organic molecules) and salts. The rocks that make up Bennu are 4.5 billion years old and reveal a whole history of our Solar System. The early Earth would have been impacted by similar asteroids and these likely brought the water, carbon and other essential elements that enabled life to begin and flourish.
About Sara
Professor Sara Russell is the leader of the Planetary Materials Group at the Natural History Museum, where her team uses meteorites and samples from space missions to understand the origin and evolution of the Solar System. After a first degree in Natural Sciences at the University of Cambridge she took a PhD in cosmochemistry at the Open University before positions at Caltech and the Smithsonian. She is the Deputy Mission Sample Scientist for OSIRIS-REx and namesake of asteroid (5497) Sararussell.
Our planet may seem peaceful, but space is full of potential dangers. Surrounded by objects and forces that pose serious risk, Earth is under constant threat. In this talk, based on Ryan’s brand-new book ‘Space Hazards’, we’ll explore the most fascinating of these threats – ranging from the immediate, to cosmically unlikely. From the science behind space weather and meteorites, to the growing cloud of space debris orbiting our planet, we’ll discuss what we know, what we’re watching, and how experts around the world are working to keep us safe.
About Ryan
Dr. Ryan French is a solar astrophysicist, science communicator and author, currently working at the Laboratory for Atmospheric & Space Physics (LASP) at the University of Colorado, Boulder. He is pursuing the mysteries of the Sun at the forefront of modern solar physics research, using cutting edge telescopes on the ground and in space. His research takes him all over the world, collaborating with the global community of solar physicists. Ryan also works to share the wonders of the Sun and space with the public, through social media, public talks, and interviews on television and radio. Ryan’s journey into astronomy started back in 2013, as a ‘general assistant’ at the Observatory Science Centre. His new book, ‘Space Hazards’, publishes in September 2025.
Join us on an astrobiological tour to uncover where and what life might be hiding on Mars, how we are going to search for it using the Rosalind Franklin Mars Rover and how the Earth and the Moon are helping us do it!
About Louisa
Dr Louisa Preston is Head of Planetary Science at UCL’s Mullard Space Science Laboratory and is a Co-Investigator on the ESA-NASA Rosalind Franklin Mars Rover mission launching in 2028.
The talk will showcase lots of interesting images of deep sky objects taken with a variety of different imaging systems. Also included will be a live demonstration of modern image processing techniques. Suitable for all levels.:
About Nik
Nik Szymanek is an astrophotographer based in North Essex and has been using CCD cameras to image the deep sky since they were first introduced in the early 1990’s from a back garden observatory and from a remote observatory in south-eastern Spain. He has written a monthly ‘Masterclass’ astro-imaging column in Astronomy Now magazine for the last eleven years as well as three books on astronomical imaging, the latest of which is ‘Shooting Stars II’,
In 2004 he travelled to Berkley, California, to receive the Astronomical Society of the Pacific’s Amateur Achievement Award for outreach and image-processing techniques, some of which have been used in collaborations with professional astronomers. He is also an ‘ambassador’ for the Telescope Live remote imaging platform and provides them with astro-imaging video tutorials.
Nik is a fellow of the Royal Astronomical Society and is a regular speaker to astronomy and photographic societies. Other interests include meteorological photography and playing drums in heavy rock bands.
A source of light in the dark of night and our ever-changing cosmic companion, the Moon has fascinated humankind since we first gazed into the sky.
In this extensively illustrated and illuminating volume, art historian Alexandra Loske and astronomer Robert Massey present a rich and curious history. From its violent birth through to the exhilarating story of the Space Race and current exploration efforts, discover the many faces of the Moon and how they have shaped humanity’s existence.
About Robert
Dr Robert Massey is Deputy Executive Director of the Royal Astronomical Society, where he spends his days making the case for astronomy to the wider world. Before joining the RAS, his career took him from PhD research in Manchester on the Orion nebula to teaching, local politics, and then a stint as Public Astronomer at the Royal Observatory Greenwich. In his spare time he teaches his nine year old daughter about science, enjoys running, hiking, cycling, cooking and when babysitting allows spends time with his wife enjoying the cultural life of his home city of Bristol. With the art historian Dr Alexandra Loske, he recently published Moon: Art, Science, Culture to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 11 landing.
Solar activity controls the heliosphere and has inescapable consequences for life on Earth in the 21st century. As our closest star the Sun is also the astronomical object that we can observe in the greatest detail, providing a ‘rosetta stone’ for understanding physical processes throughout the solar system and beyond. In this talk we will explore the new insights into the origins of solar activity that observations from current space and ground-based facilities have brought us in recent years, and how new developments will help to answer the outstanding questions in the future.
About Sarah
Sarah Matthews is a Professor and Head of Solar Physics at UCL’s Mullard Space Science Laboratory. Her research interests focus on energy storage and release in magnetised plasmas, and in particular solar eruptive events and the origins space weather. Her work is mainly observational, bringing together multi-wavelength space and ground-based observations, but she also works in collaboration with magnetic field modellers to interpret the observations in the context of current models. She also has an interest in instrumentation and is currently the PI for the EUV Imaging Spectromter (EIS) on the Japanese-UK-US Hinode satellite and is leading the development of an Extreme Ultraviolet Camera for the successor to Hinode, Solar-C.
