National Astronomy Week 2020

Martin Griffiths (Brecon Beacons Observatory), Charles Cockell (University of Edinburgh) and Lucinda Offer (Mars Society) discuss Life on Mars - from ancient oceans, to water on Mars today and the possibility of alien life.

**This event has run.  You can view a recording on our YouTube Channel by clicking here.

About the Speakers:

Martin Griffiths is an astronomer and science presenter at Dark Sky Wales and is the director of the Brecon Beacons Observatory. He has been interested in astronomy from a young age and has enjoyed a varied academic career in astronomy and astrobiology and has a special interest in Mars.

Charles Cockell is Professor of Astrobiology at the University of Edinburgh. His interests encompass life in extreme environments and the habitability of extraterrestrial environments.

Lucinda Offer is the Education and Outreach Officer for the Royal Astronomical Society and the Executive Director of the Mars Society. A former NASA Associate who has conducted Mars analogue research with five expeditions around the world as part of the NASA Spaceward Bound team researching: tardigrades in the Mojave; 3.5 Bya stromatolites in the Pilbara, Australia; geothermal vents in Rotorua, New Zealand; and Mars and Titan analogues in the U.A.E.. As part of the Mars Desert Research Station (MDRS) crew 97, she performed as a NASA teleroboticist deploying and testing a NASA/Google/Mars Society rover for scouting future Mars geologic field science extravehicular activities (EVAs) under simulation. She is currently the Chair of National Astronomy Week 2020.

Hosts: Lucinda Offer (RAS) & Sandra Voss (Observatory Science Centre)