W Cinema | 19 Aug 2023

In partnership with The Heritage Council, the Friends of Mayo Dark Skies invite you to join us during Heritage Week  2023 for a special triple header event...

• the premiere of a

  SHORT VIDEO

  , commissioned by the Friends of Mayo Dark Skies and kindly funded by the Heritage Council of Ireland, celebrating Mayo's dark skies and its annual Dark Sky Festival

  (film made by Visual Media Ireland)

• a

  TALK

  by renowned historian and astronomer

  BRIAN MacGABHANN

  exploring the ultimate question 'are we alone in the universe?'

• We will also launch the programme for our

  2023 MAYO DARK SKY FESTIVAL 3-5 NOVEMBER

The question of whether or not we are alone in the Universe has puzzled humanity since the time of the ancient Greeks, but the issue has become particularly relevant today, because many scientists believe that we may finally get an answer to this question in the next five to ten years. This talk will look at how life evolved on Earth, and consider what conclusions that might allow us to draw about how it might develop elsewhere. It will consider the factors that need to be present for life to appear, and how prevalent life is likely to be, given our current knowledge of the universe. Finally, the talk will consider some likely candidates for life, both in our own solar system and elsewhere, and look at the reasons why an answer to this question might not be too far away.

This is a free event but booking is essential, as numbers are limited.

supported by the Heritage Council under the Community Heritage Grant Scheme 2023