Lovell Lecture Series 2025

19.30 – 21.00

In-person tickets are now SOLD OUT, but viewers can still join this highly-anticipated lecture online via livestream.

The SKA Observatory (SKAO) is one of the most ambitious science projects of the 21st century – an international collaboration building the world’s largest radio telescope arrays to unlock the mysteries of the Universe.

Join SKAO Director-General, Prof. Philip Diamond CBE, for an exclusive Lovell Lecture just days after the Observatory unveils a major scientific milestone, as he takes us on a journey through their ground-breaking work. From their monumental construction of telescopes in Australia and South Africa, to the extraordinary scientific discoveries they will enable, SKAO is not pushing the boundaries of our understanding of the cosmos – it’s championing global cooperation on an inspiring scale. 

Want to find out more about how the Observatory is revolutionising our view of the Universe? Join us for exclusive insights into the cutting-edge work being done on site.

About Professor Philip Diamond

Since October 2012, Prof. Diamond has led the team constructing one of the largest scientific projects on Earth – two cutting-edge radio telescope arrays in remote areas of South Africa and Australia. The SKAO will be the world’s leading research infrastructure for radio astronomy globally, providing science capabilities to the international astronomical community for decades to come.

Having received his PhD at the University of Manchester in 1982, Prof. Diamond has since held positions at many of the world’s leading radio astronomy facilities, including as Deputy Director of the US National Radio Astronomy Observatory’s VLA and VLBA, Director of the Jodrell Bank Centre for Astrophysics, and Chief of CSIRO Astronomy and Space Science in Australia. His research interests include studies of star birth and death, and high-resolution studies of supernovae, both in our own galaxy and in others. He also dabbles in studies of discs of molecular gas rotating around super-massive black holes at the centres of other galaxies.

Guests joining us in-person who have not yet already can place an evening meal order from the menu below:

MENU

Pie, Mash, Peas & Gravy – £11.95:

• Cheese & Onion, packed with gooey mature cheddar cheese, sautéed onions, and potato (v, halal) 2022 SILVER: The British Pie Awards
• Steak & Stout Flank Steak, bathed in Guinness stout for 24 hours, braised and slow-cooked with carrots, garlic, onions, bay leaf, and thyme, with a rich stout gravy
• Aloo Saag Spinach & Sweet Potato, cooked in our own blend of spices with a spicy tomato curry sauce (v, vegan, halal)

The First Light Café will be open from 18.00 – 19.15, with the last sitting at 18.50.