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Explore humanity's fascination with the moon and the search for extraterrestrial life in this Christmas Lecture delivered by Dame Dr Maggie Aderin-Pocock at The Royal Institution. Begin your journey to understand our closest celestial neighbor through the lens of a self-proclaimed "lunartic" who first became obsessed with the moon as a child. Discover how Galileo's pioneering telescope observations 400 years ago sparked theories about alien life on the moon, and learn how these early assumptions were finally disproven when humans first set foot on the lunar surface in 1969. Meet the UK's latest crew of European Space Agency astronauts - Rosemary Coogan, John McFall and Meganne Cristian - as they demonstrate the challenges of human space travel and discuss the reality of establishing colonies on the moon and beyond. Examine the history of space exploration from the early Apollo missions to the planned Artemis Moon landing in 2027 through interactive demonstrations with audience volunteers. Investigate fundamental questions about life itself with cosmic mineralogist Prof Sara Russell from the Natural History Museum, who reveals what space rocks can tell us about life's precursors and how life on Earth may have originated. Encounter some of Earth's most extraordinary creatures, including scaly foot snails that thrive at hydrothermal vents in temperatures exceeding 350°C, to understand the limits and possibilities for life on other worlds. Learn to "see the invisible" using UV torches and infrared cameras to understand how modern telescopes detect potentially habitable planets. Participate in a full audience demonstration exploring what makes a "Goldilocks planet" - not too hot, not too cold, but just right for life - and consider what characteristics we should seek in our quest to find extraterrestrial species.
