Moon Night

On Friday 13 December, The Open University’s Milton Keynes campus hosted a celebration of lunar science and exploration, offering opportunities for learning and discovery to visitors of all ages.

The annual Moon Night event brought together members of the public, families, and supporters for an evening of activities and expert talks. Local families, students, and staff were invited to explore a variety of interactive activities showcasing the OU’s cutting-edge research in lunar science and planetary exploration, including moons of the outer Solar System.

AstrobiologyOU hosted a stall for the Icy Moons of Jupiter and Saturn where visitors could get hands on with the structure of the icy worlds, witness the processes that occur within them and share their visions of what life on these distant moons might look like.

There were also opportunities for visitors to handle real Moon rocks and meteorite samples, participate in a virtual reality simulation of exploring the Moon’s surface, and learn about 3D printing technologies that could one day help to build habitats on the Moon. Guided tours of the University’s space research labs offered a rare opportunity to see behind the scenes of this world-leading work.

There were also talks from expert speakers, covering topics from lunar meteorites to the Moon’s connection to festive traditions.