Eduardo Rubio Herrera is an astrophysicist, lecturer and nature guide from Guatemala. He works at the Planetarium of the Swiss Museum of Transport in Lucerne, teaches astronomy and astrophysics at the Universidad del Valle de Guatemala, and twice a year joins expeditions to remote parts of the world as a science communicator with Oceanwide Expeditions. He holds a PhD in Astrophysics from the University of Amsterdam, having specialised in the final stages of stellar evolution, with research on neutron stars, black holes and variable stars. Eduardo has organised the Guatemalan Astrophysics Schools (GUASA) since 2013 and is a passionate science communicator, promoting both modern astronomy and the Mayan astronomy of his native country.
The Voyager Spacecrafts
3 Dec, 2026
£12 – £14
Lovell Lecture Series 2026
19.30 – 21.00
Launched in 1977 and still sending signals from interstellar space, Voyager 1 and 2 are among the most successful and inspiring space missions in human history, and with both spacecraft approaching 50 years of continuous operation. This year, Voyager 1 also reaches a distance of one light day from Earth, but what message are these explorers carrying into the Galaxy?
Join us for this Lovell Lecture as Eduardo Rubio Herrera traces the origins and scientific achievements of the Voyager programme, before turning to the spacecraft’s final mission: carrying a message for any extra-terrestrial civilisations, engraved on a disk known as the Golden Record. Eduardo will share two new details of the disk, the result of a project he has led over the last decade, revealing how little we truly understand ourselves as we try to tell the Universe who and when we are.
About Eduardo Rubio Herrera
Guests can also book a pre-lecture meal at First Light Café at checkout when purchasing their lecture tickets, choosing from the options below:
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Pie, Mash, Peas & Gravy £14.95
- 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)
image Eduardo Rubio Herrera, astrophysicist, lecturer and nature guide