Life is Astronomical

Dr Marek Kukula,
Public Astronomer,
Royal Observatory Greenwich

7:30pm Mon 27th June, 2016

Lecture Theatre B52 in the Business School South

Most people would probably agree that astronomy is an inspiring subject, blowing our minds with astonishing facts about exploding stars, extrasolar planets and supermassive black holes while beguiling our eyes with awesome vistas of alien worlds and distant galaxies. But what have all these distant objects and esoteric theories got to do with our everyday lives here on Planet Earth? A surprising amount as it turns out: our familiar surroundings are full of profound astronomical connections and everything from the water in your taps to the iron in your blood, your holiday suntan to the vagaries of the British weather, all have their origins far out in space. Astronomy has also left its mark on our minds, from high art to popular culture, and even the smartphone in your pocket owes a debt to astrophysical research. To properly understand our own world we need to explore the wider universe of which it is an integral part.

Life really is astronomical!