Astronomer Royal Lord Martin Rees will be discussing the prospect of life within and beyond the Solar System at the 2021 Federation of Astronomical Societies annual convention, which this year - like many astronomical events over the past 12 months - is going online.
The FAS online convention takes place on 17 April 2021 from 12:00 - 16:30 BST and will feature a range of speakers, including planetary scientists and astrophotographers.
Find out more about this year's programme below.
From Mars to the Multiverse
Astronomer Royal Lord Martin Rees will be speaking about the latest results in the ongoing study of the planets and bodies in our Solar System, and will reveal what planetary science is uncovering about our cosmic neighbourhood.
Lord Rees will also discuss the search for planets orbiting stars beyond our Solar System - known as exoplanets. What can these worlds teach us about our own Solar System, and could any of them support life?
Solar Eclipses
Astronomical Designer Greg Smye-Rumsby takes a look at one of the most awe-inspiring astronomical phenomena visible from Earth: a solar eclipse.
Smye-Rumsby will explore the science of solar eclipses and discuss the partial eclipse that will be visible over the UK on 10 June 2021.
Overview of Deep-Sky Imaging
Astrophotographer Nik Szymanek will discuss how to photograph deep-sky objects using a DSLR and a star tracker mount, but also how to take the next step into CCD and CMOS imaging.
Perseverance for Discovery
NASA’s George Tahu will be speaking live from Washington DC about the Perseverance Rover, which has just this year become the latest robot to land on Mars.
Perseverance is scouring the Red Planet for signs of ancient life, but what might it discover, and what could its mission mean for our understanding of life in the Universe?
For more info on this year's convention, visit the FAS Online Convention 2021 webpage.