Recent public lectures at the Royal Astronomical Society have included Dr Stephen Wilkins “Origins of the Periodic Table”, Dr Sarah Crowther’s “Moon, Meteorites and more” and Richard Hechter’s “Connecting with people: developing unity and understanding under the nights sky”.
I have been expanding my own thoughts on more universal aspects; that of space, time and the universe. these lectures, in principal, are dealing with space and the cosmos, looking out at the night sky.
In Origins of the Periodic Table, Wilkins discussed the astrophysical origins of the chemical elements, almost all of which have an origin ranging from the big bang, to exploding white dwarfs, the collapse of massive stars, and the merger of ultra-compact objects, neutron stars. the final mechanism is responsible for many of the heaviest and rarest elements including gold, silver, and uranium, and was only recently confirmed through observations of a merger event first identified using gravitational waves. this merger of ultra-compact objects I’ve since discovered is also responsible for forming stones such as lapis lazuli. prized for centuries and historically used as a blue pigment. it would not have otherwise naturally occurred on earth if it wasn’t for some sort of merger or impact.
Dr Crowther introduced rock samples and discussed how different extra-terrestrial materials made it to earth (aside from those physically brought back from the moon by Apollo astronauts 50 years ago). Her research looks at the evolution of the early Solar System through laboratory-based chemical analysis of extra-terrestrial materials; age-dating meteorites to unravel the thermal and impact histories of their parent asteroids. it was fascinating to handle rock samples in person, and to learn more about materials from outer space. rocks seem such everyday items, very much of our world, grounding and tactile. rough, bulky and earthly, it was good to ponder how we look at things and their associations.
in that way, Hechter’s lecture surprised me. it was about humans; breaking down borders, understanding that across our planet we all share the same sky. the stories and myths from other cultures don’t just entertain; they connect us, educate and inform; and in offering up a different view, remind us that our perspective is not the only one.
“The night sky provides an ethereal backdrop of awe and wonder that unites people in ways we are only now coming to explore… astronomy can be the nexus for connecting people across cultures and religions in an effort to help create a better world.”