The National Astronomy Week team have organised two special online talks for the general public, accessible to people who have a new interest in astronomy:
Wednesday 5 February: Jerry Stone – Is Pluto a planet?
Sunday 9 February: Dr Catherine Regan – The history and future of Mars space exploration.
Full details below.

Wednesday 5 February: Jerry Stone – Is Pluto a planet?
10 years ago, in July 2015, New Horizons became the first spacecraft to reach distant Pluto, after a journey of 9½ years. But did it encounter a planet?
In 2006, six months after New Horizons was launched, the International Astronomical Union voted to reclassify Pluto as a dwarf planet, starting a major controversy that still continues, nearly 20 years later …. But does it need to?
In Jerry Stone’s most controversial presentation, “Is Pluto A Planet?” is a highly visual and entertaining presentation that looks in detail at the IAU’s definition of a planet, and some of its unexpected – and unintended – consequences.
Jerry Stone is a freelance space presenter and has given presentations on astronomy and space exploration for over 50 years. He is also an author and broadcaster, and is widely recognised as an expert in the subject.
Listen to Jerry’s talk at 8 pm GMT on Wednesday 5 February on the NAW YouTube channel.

Sunday 9 February: Dr Catherine Regan – The history and future of Mars space exploration.
As Mars rides high in the sky, Dr Catherine Regan of West Virginia University tells us about the history and future of Mars space exploration.
We have been looking up towards the red planet for thousands of years and now it is the most explored planetary body after Earth. Our knowledge has excelled, with landers, rovers and satellites continuously sending data back down for scientists across the world to work on. The next decade sees even more missions launching towards Mars to help us answer the questions we still don’t have the answers to. What happened to Mars’ atmosphere? Where did the water go? Can we find life on Mars?
To find out, tune in to the NAW YouTube channel at 8 pm GMT on Sunday, 9 February.
How to view the talks
Simply visit the NAW YouTube channel at 8 pm GMT on the dates shown. We’ll be livestreaming planet and deep-sky images from 7 pm onwards, and at 8 pm we’ll hand over to our speakers for the evening. You can even tune in on your smart TV – just go to YouTube and search on National Astronomy Week.
Don’t forget to also check out the events map for other talks organised by astronomy groups and other organisations across the UK.