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.

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.

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.