Marek Kukula

Visions of the Universe & Astronomy Photographer of the Year: Science, beauty and public engagement at the Royal Observatory Greenwich

Abstract

The Royal Observatory Greenwich is one of London’s leading tourist attractions and an internationally recognised centre of excellence for public engagement with astronomy. As a museum of the history of astronomy, navigation and timekeeping, as well as a modern science centre and planetarium, the ROG welcomes hundreds of thousands of visitors to its galleries each year and reaches millions more through its online and media activities. The observatory has always used astronomical images as powerful tools for explaining scientific ideas but in recent years we have increasingly been working with art historians and contemporary artists to explore the aesthetic appeal of space imagery as part of our public programme. Two prominent examples of this approach are the Insight Astronomy Photographer of the Year competition, now in its seventh year, and the ‘blockbuster’ exhibition Visions of the Universe, which is currently touring and has reached over 80,000 people. These projects give equal weight to the artistic and scientific aspects of astronomical images and have proved to be invaluable new tools for public engagement, both by giving a fresh perspective to traditional astronomy audiences and by reaching out to new audiences who would not normally attend a science-related event. This talk will describe our experiences and explore how they have had a powerful impact on the Observatory’s public engagement strategy.

Biography

Marek Kukula obtained his PhD in Radio Astronomy from Jodrell Bank Observatory then carried out research into galaxy evolution at a number of institutions including the Space Telescope Science Institute, home of the Hubble Space Telescope, and the University of Edinburgh. As the Public Astronomer at the Royal Observatory Greenwich he works alongside a team of astronomy education and outreach specialists to engage with the general public, schools and the media. In the Observatory’s exhibitions and public programmes he works extensively with scientists, historians and artists to explore the cultural as well as the scientific impact of astronomical research.