Impact Season runs at the Royal Observatory throughout May 2011, exploring the exciting world of comets, asteroids, meteorites and craters through the exhibition Impact: collisions and catastrophes, alongside a programme of events running until the end of August. Museums at Night 2011 also takes place in May, and to celebrate the Royal Observatory opens its doors for an evening of family friendly cosmic fun. Summer Science in the Planetarium kicks off in May, as Dr Serena Viti of University College London takes over the planetarium to explore the birth of stars for the first of this year’s events. Plus Professor Ray Jawawardhana gives a talk about his new book Strange New Worlds – the Search for Alien Planets and Life Beyond our Solar System.

Exhibitions

Impact: collisions and catastrophes

From the dazzling beauty of a meteor shower to the devastating impact of a giant asteroid, the Earth is constantly bombarded by debris from space. This new exhibition uses spectacular images, film and interactive exhibits to take a look at these fiery visitors and their effects on our planet, from tiny craters to death and destruction on a global scale. It also explores the vital clues that asteroids and meteorites provide about the violent formation of the Solar System and the origins of life itself. Plus there’s the chance to see and touch real space rocks in the ROG’s astronomy galleries.
Dates: until 29 August
Venue: Astronomy Centre, Exhibition Space
Admission: free

Family events

Museums at Night

A cosmic evening of family fun at the Royal Observatory featuring activities, workshops and special planetarium shows to celebrate Museums at Night 2011. Further details tba – check the website for updates.
Date: 14 May
Times: 17.00 – 21.00
Venue: Royal Observatory
Admission: tbc – see website for details
Age: 5+

Saturday Space Explorers

During Impact Season these monthly free family workshop focus on meteorites, with the chance to handle real space rocks and find out what we can learn from them.
Date: 28 May
Times: 14.00 | 14.30 | 15.00 | 15.30 | 16.00
Venue: Learning Centre
Admission: free
Age: 5+

Talks and lectures

Strange New Worlds

Professor Ray Jawawardhana talks about his new book Strange New Worlds – the Search for Alien Planets and Life Beyond our Solar System.
Date: 12 May
Time: 19.00
Venue: Royal Observatory
Admission: £10 | £7.50 concessions

Summer Science in the Planetarium: The Birth of Stars

Summer Science in the Planetarium is a collaboration between the Royal Observatory and some of the UK's leading astronomers, combining the latest space research with spectacular visuals from London's only planetarium. This month Dr Serena Viti from UCL takes us on a voyage to the glowing clouds of gas and dust where new stars are being formed. Using images and data from telescopes including Hubble discover the astonishing complexity of these stellar nurseries, where a rich mix of chemicals and the blazing radiation of youthful stars combine to form the building blocks of planets like the Earth and perhaps, ultimately, of life itself.

Dates: 26 May
Time: 19:00
Venue: Royal Observatory
Admission: £10 | £7.50 concessions

Planetarium shows

Peter Harrison Planetarium

The state-of-the-art Peter Harrison Planetarium is the centrepiece of the Royal Observatory's modern astronomy centre and is now the only planetarium in London. Children must be accompanied by an adult.

NB Planetarium closed all day 16 May.

The shows

Impact: from Halley to Hayabusa

This show explores our understating of comets and asteroids, from the discoveries of Edmund Halley in 1705, to the daring Japanese Hayabusa probe mission to the asteroid Itokawa in 2005, and beyond. Find out about the violent processes that led to the formation of the solar system, leaving our cosmic neighbourhood littered with icy comets and rocky asteroids. Plus discover what this cosmic debris can tell us about the origin of our world and the threat it poses to life on Earth

Dates:  from 21 May 2011
Times:  11.45 | 13.30 | 15.15 | 17.00  (weekends and holiday weekdays)
              14.45 (weekdays during term time)
Venue: Peter Harrison Planetarium
Admission: £6.50 adults | £4.50 children/concessions | £17.50 family ticket
Age: recommended for ages 5+

Origins of Life

Origins of Life takes the audience on an extraordinary journey through time and space. Starting with the Big Bang, the show explores the formation of stars, solar systems and the first life on Earth, as well as our search for life beyond our own planet.
Dates: until 20 May
Times: 11.45 | 13.30 | 15.15 | 17.00 (weekends and holiday weekdays)
       14.45 (weekdays during term time)
Venue: Peter Harrison Planetarium
Admission: £6.50 adults | £4.50 children/concessions | £17.50 family ticket
Age: recommended for ages 5+

Sky Tonight Live

Take a tour of what can be seen in tonight’s sky with a Royal Observatory astronomer. The journey takes in stars, constellations, planets and awe-inspiring gas clouds.
Dates: throughout May 2011
Times: 12.45 | 16.15 (weekends and holiday weekdays)
  15.45 (weekdays during term time)
Venue: Peter Harrison Planetarium
Admission: £6.50 adults | £4.50 children/concessions | £17.50 family ticket
Age: recommended for ages 5+

We are Astronomers

This visually striking show explores the nature of modern astronomy, from space telescopes to particle accelerators and deep space networks to the internet. It includes a short presentation given by an ROG astronomer and is narrated by David Tennant.
Dates: throughout May 2011
Times: 12.45 | 13.45 (Weds – term time only)
Venue: Peter Harrison Planetarium
Admission: £6.50 adults | £4.50 children/concessions | £17.50 family ticket
Age: recommended for ages 5+

Space Safari

Join Ted, the teddy bear, for live music and rhyme as he journeys throughout the solar system looking for the Great Bear in the sky.
Dates: throughout May 2011
Time: 11.00 (weekends and holiday weekdays)
     12.45 | 13.45 (Mondays during term time)
Venue: Peter Harrison Planetarium
Admission: £6.50 adults | £4.50 children/concessions | £17.50 family ticket
Age: suitable for ages 7 and under

Meet the Neighbours

Earth travels around the Sun with seven other planets, hundreds of moons and millions of asteroids. Meet our neighbours in space in this new live planetarium show narrated by a Royal Observatory astronomer.
Dates: throughout May 2011
Times: 14.30 (weekends and holiday weekdays)
12.45 | 13.45 (Tues, Fri during term time)
Venue: Peter Harrison Planetarium
Admission: £6.50 adults | £4.50 children/concessions | £17.50 family ticket
Age: recommended for ages 5+

Star Life

Explore the fascinating lives of stars – how they are born, grow up, grow old and die. Plus discover how black-holes and pulsars form and how beautiful clouds of glowing gas come into existence.
Dates: throughout May 2011
Times: 12.45 | 13.45 (Thurs - during term time only)
Venue: Peter Harrison Planetarium
Admission: £6.50 adults | £4.50 children/concessions | £17.50 family ticket
Age: recommended for ages 5+

Exhibitions and galleries

Time and Space at the Royal Observatory

The Astronomy Galleries: Learn all about astronomy and our place in the universe in four visually striking galleries. With amazing hands-on exhibits helping to provide answers to big questions, the galleries explore how astronomers study space and explain recent developments in modern astronomy.
Admission: Free

Time Galleries: Explore the importance of time in all our lives through the interactive exhibits in galleries on ‘Time and Longitude’, ‘Time and Greenwich, and ‘Time and Society’.
Admission: £10 adults | Entry for children under 16 is free | Concessions £7.50
The entry charge is an annual pass and includes admission to Flamsteed House, the Meridian Courtyard and the Meridian building in addition to the Time Galleries.

General information

National Maritime Museum, Royal Observatory, Greenwich and Queen’s House are open: 10.00 -17.00 daily.

General admission to National Maritime Museum and Queen’s House is free. From 8 March 2011 admission to the Royal Observatory’s historic Flamsteed House, Time Galleries, Meridian Line Courtyard and Meridian Building will be £10 for adults (£7.50 concessions). Entry for children under 16 is free. The £10 entry is an annual pass (visitors are able to return as many times as they like within 12 months for no additional charge). Admission to the Royal Observatory’s Astronomy Centre which houses three state-of-the-art modern astronomy galleries is free of charge.

For updated information prior to visit please visit our web site: http://www.rmg.co.uk or phone (020) 8858 4422.

For advance bookings for charged events please call 020 8312 6608 or email bookings@rmg.co.uk

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For further information or images please contact:
Jenny Orton
National Maritime Museum Press Office
Tel: 020 8312 6545/6732 | 07960 509802
Email: press@rmg.co.uk