In-person tickets are now SOLD OUT, but viewers can still join this highly-anticipated lecture online via livestream.

Lovell Lecture 

19.30 – 21.00

Asteroid Bennu, a relic from the dawn of the Solar System, has delivered an astonishing revelation: its 4.6-billion-year-old material is rich in organic molecules, salts, and minerals—some never before seen in meteorites that have fallen to Earth. These findings suggest that Bennu may have originated from an ancient, water-rich world, possibly from the icy regions beyond Saturn.

What does this mean for our understanding of the origins of life? Could asteroids like Bennu have delivered the essential ingredients for life to Earth? Join Dr Sarah Crowther for an exclusive insight into the first published results from NASA’s OSIRIS-REx mission—one of the most exciting space explorations of our time.

About Dr Sarah Crowther 

Dr Sarah Crowther is a Research Fellow in the Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences at the University of Manchester.

Her research looks at the evolution of the early Solar System through laboratory-based chemical analysis of extra-terrestrial materials. Sarah has previously analysed samples returned by NASA’s Genesis mission, the Apollo missions, NASA’s Stardust mission and the Japanese Hayabusa and Hayabusa2 missions. She is a member of the international Sample Analysis Team who are currently analysing and studying samples returned by NASA’s OSIRIS-REx mission.

Guests joining us in-person who have not yet already can place an evening meal order from the menu below:

MENU

Pie, Mash, Peas & Gravy – £11.95:

• Cheese & Onion, packed with gooey mature cheddar cheese, sautéed onions, and potato (v, halal) 2022 SILVER: The British Pie Awards

• Steak & Stout Flank Steak, bathed in Guinness stout for 24 hours, braised and slow-cooked with carrots, garlic, onions, bay leaf, and thyme, with a rich stout gravy

• Aloo Saag Spinach & Sweet Potato, cooked in our own blend of spices with a spicy tomato curry sauce (v, vegan, halal)

The First Light Café will be open from 18.00 – 19.15, with the last sitting at 18.50.