Flamsteed Lecture: the secret history of a space mission

The Herschel Space Observatory observed the sky from 2010-2013, making a series of revolutionary discoveries about the origin of stars, galaxies and, believe it or not, water.

Immediately after the mission, Stephen Eales interviewed many of the scientists involved in building and using the observatory.

Stephen then wrote The Ghost in the Telescope, a non-fiction account of the mission based on the interviews and his own experience as the leader of one of the largest Herschel observing programmes.

In this talk, Stephen will describe some of the astronomical discoveries made with the observatory but also try to describe what it is like to be caught up in a space mission – the human story behind the science.

Stephen Eales has worked at the Space Telescope Science Institute and the universities of Hawaii and Toronto and is currently a professor of astrophysics at Cardiff.

He uses telescopes around the world and in space to investigate the origin and evolution of galaxies. He also writes articles and books about astronomy.

Please note that doors will open at 6.30pm, ready for the event to start at 7.15pm.

Hidden Wonders of the Large Magellanic Cloud © Martin A B Cohen - ZWO Astronomy Photographer of the Year 2025 Galaxies