Ticketed

Essential information

Type Talks and tours
Location
Date and times Thursday 12 March| 6.30-7.30pm
Prices Free for Members | £5 for non-Members

In her new book 'A Brief History of the Universe (and our place in it)' Sarah Alam Malik expertly explains how humankind has been defined by great upheavals that have toppled our worldview and forced us to contend with a radically different reality. 

Time and again, we’ve stumbled upon discoveries that have upended what we know and rewritten our place in the grand scheme of the cosmos.

In this talk, we will journey through those dramatic breakthroughs, from the ancient charting of the heavens, through the uproar caused by the Copernican Revolution, to the celebrated success of the Newtonian era, and the bewildering universe revealed by modern science. This periodic unravelling of our worldview has been a constant in our relationship with the universe. Discover the key moments, and so much more.

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Banner image: Startrails Over the Abruzzo Coast by Matteo Strassera. Shortlisted for People and Space 2025 in ZWO Astronomy Photographer of the Year exhibition

What’s on

Talks and tours

Behind the scenes tours at The Prince Philip Maritime Collections Centre

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Second and fourth Thursday of every month (see page for details) | 1.30pm
Adults: £16 | Members: £12
Prince Philip Maritime Collections Centre
Talks and tours | Maritime history

Shipkeeping Wednesdays

Join us on the second Wednesday of the month as we bring the art and heritage of ship care to life with shipkeeping talks and activities
Second Wednesday of every month - see page for details | 11am-3pm | Drop-in
Free for Cutty Sark ticket holders
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Talks and tours

Royal Observatory Treasures Tour

Explore some of the Royal Observatory's most treasured objects with a guided tour
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£5 Adults | £3.50 Students | £2.50 Children | Members go free
Royal Observatory
Talks and tours

Saturday Super Store Tours

Come behind the scenes and explore the stores at the Prince Philip Maritime Collections Centre
First Saturday of every month at 1.30pm
£12
Prince Philip Maritime Collections Centre
Talks and tours | LGBTQ+

LGBTQ+ history talks at the National Maritime Museum

We offer queer history talks at least once a week at the National Maritime Museum
Thursdays and Sundays at 3.30pm | See page for dates | 3.30pm | Drop-in
Free
National Maritime Museum
Talks and tours | Member events

Members' lecture: 2026 guide to the night sky

Hear from astronomer Radmila Topalović about what you can expect to see in the night sky this year
Thursday 5 February | 6.30-7.30pm
Free Entry
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Talks and tours | Museum Lates

Delve Deeper: Specialist tours

Delve deeper into Royal Museums Greenwich's collection on our specialist tours of the Prince Philip Maritime Collections Centre for over 18s.
Thursday 5 February 2026 | 7-8.30pm
Adult: £20, Student: £15, Members: £10
Prince Philip Maritime Collections Centre
Talks and tours | Member events

Delve Deeper tours: free tickets for Members

We're lucky to have secured a small number of tickets for our Delve Deeper tours at the Prince Philip Maritime Collection Centre, just for Members.
Thursday 5 February | 7pm-8.30pm (Sold out)
Free for Members
Prince Philip Maritime Collections Centre
Talks and tours | Member events

Flamsteed Lecture: Great Comets and Great Disappointments

A Flamsteed Astronomy Society lecture with Nick James, Head of Comet Section, BAA
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National Maritime Museum
Talks and tours | Museum Lates

Queer History Night

Researchers and artists share their journeys into the museum archives as part of LGBTQ+ History Month.
Thursday 12 February 2026 | 6-9.30pm
Free
National Maritime Museum
Talks and tours | Member events

Members' exclusive talk: Lunar New Year

Join us in the Members' room for this exclusive talk
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Free Entry
National Maritime Museum
Talks and tours | Maritime History and Culture Seminars

The piratical seizure of the brig Cyprus

Join us for a free online talk by researcher Timothy Stone
Tuesday 24 February 2026 | 5.15-6.30pm
Free
Online
Talks and tours | Member events

Members' Treasures Tours

Explore the treasures of the National Maritime Museum with one of our expert guides.
Thursday 12 February, Saturday 14 March, Tuesday 14 April and Sunday 17 May | 11am
Free | Members only
National Maritime Museum
Talks and tours | BSL tours

BSL Tour: Amazing Animals in Maritime History

Join historian and guide John Wilson at the National Maritime Museum, for a British Sign Language (BSL) tour about remarkable animals
Tuesday 3 March 2026 | 2pm-3pm
Free
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Talks and tours | Observatory lectures

Think Space lectures

Listen to astrophysicists talk about cutting-edge research in space science with our free online lectures.
Thursday 5 March 2026 | 6-7pm
Free
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Talks and tours | Member events

Cosmic upheavals: the discoveries that shaped our worldview

Join Sarah Alam Malik to discover how humanity’s relationship with the universe has changed through the centuries.
Thursday 12 March| 6.30-7.30pm
Free for Members | £5 for non-Members
National Maritime Museum
Talks and tours | Member events

Members' lecture: Wilful murder? - the sinking of the ‘Lusitania’

Join author and historian Diana Preston as she relates the final fatal voyage of the Cunard liner ‘Lusitania’.
Thursday 16 April 2026 | 6.30-7.30pm
Free Entry
National Maritime Museum
Talks and tours | Maritime History and Culture Seminars

Rethinking Windrush: transatlantic Indo-Caribbean experiences

Join us for a free online talk about the Indo-Caribbean Windrush Oral History Project
Tuesday 21 April 2026 | 5.15-6.30pm
Free
Online