Cheltenham Science Festival 2017
Various locations, 6-11 June 2017
The Cheltenham Science Festival returns with a packed programme of events and, as always, there is much to please those curious about the mysteries of the Universe.
Dara Ó Briain hosts an evening about the discovery of Proxima b, an exoplanet in the nearest star system to our own. Could the planet host life? Might we one day be able to travel there? Answering these questions and more are Proxima b discoverer Guillem Anglada-Escudé, astrobiologist Louisa Preston and planetary scientist Andrew Coates.
Physicist and comedian Lieven Sheire explores the Drake Equation, the calculation that states the probability of other technologically advanced civilisations existing in our Galaxy. And what if our own Universe was just one of an infinite number that exist side by side? Physicist Jim Al-Khalili joins cosmologist Andrew Pontzen for a lively debate posing the question ‘Do we exist in a multiverse?’
But this year’s festival isn’t all theory: members of Cotswold Astronomical Society will be hosting a free public stargazing event at Cheltenham’s Imperial Gardens. Experienced astronomers will be bringing their telescopes along, offering the public a chance to observe the night sky and, weather permitting, perhaps catch a glimpse of Saturn and Jupiter.
www.cheltenhamfestivals.com/science