EYES ON MARS: The Search for Life on the Red Planet

There’s always been an appetite for stories about Life on Mars. Ever since the mid 1800s, when it became apparent that our own moon was lifeless, all eyes turned to the Red Planet.

Many tales were told of a Martian race, until the space probes Mariner (1965) and Viking (1976) confirmed that the surface of Mars was also lifeless. Since then there have been several successful robotically operated rovers on the surface of Mars searching for possible microbial life;
Sojourner (1997) Spirit (2004), Opportunity (2004), Curiosity (2012), Perseverance (2021) and Zhurong (2021). 
The Rosalind Franklin will be the first Mars Rover to be launched by the ESA (European Space Agency) - named in honour of Rosalind Franklin - the DNA pioneer who worked on the discovery of the structure of deoxyribonucleic acid. This six-wheeled vehicle is equipped with instruments, and a drill to search for evidence of past or present life on Mars, as well as PanCam, two wide-angle cameras that contain a total of 22 filters that can look at different aspects of the martian environment, and it is currently scheduled for launch in 2028.

To tell us more about the Mars Rover Expedition we will be joined by Catherine Regan, from the Eyes on Mars project. She is a Planetary Scientist from the Mullard Space Science Laboratory, which led the design, build and testing of the Mars Rover.

Catherine Regan has an MSc in Planetary Science from University College London and a PhD in Planetary Physics from the Mullard Space Science Laboratory and now works on understanding the magnetic environments of planetary induced magnetospheres, including Mars. Her research focuses on the impact that global dust storms on Mars have on the induced magnetosphere, using data from ESA's Mars Express and NASA's MAVEN satellites.

Presentations take place upstairs in the Nightingale Room at the Grand Central Pub, opposite Brighton Station. Unfortunately there is no wheelchair accessibility.

• DOORS OPEN: 7:00pm (£5 on the door)
• TALK STARTS: 7:30pm
• AUDIENCE Q&A: 8:30pm

Brighthink is a non-profit organisation, none of our invited speakers charge for their time and all proceeds go towards running costs that allow us to put on these events for the public.

Host or Publisher Brighton Skeptics in the Pub