University of Central Lancashire, Preston, Lancashire, PR1 2HE
In the Christmas story, 3 wise men from the East follow a star which leads them to Bethlehem
For many years, people have speculated that the star may have been a comet – and if so, have wondered which comet it might have been. It is unlikely that we will ever know for sure – but what we do know is that throughout history, the appearances of comets have been regarded as important omens, usually of great disasters. It is certainly true that comets bring significant messages, carrying records of the origins of the Solar System and the building blocks of life.
In her lecture, Professor Monica Grady will discuss the importance of comets and what we have learned from them through observations from spacecraft and the analysis of cometary dust in laboratories on Earth.