Destiny In The Stars

Budding astronomers inspired by the recent solar eclipse can reach for the skies once more during
the Festival.

Dame Maggie Aderin, space scientist and presenter of BBC4’s The Sky at Night, will tell the fascinating story of how her destiny was always written in the stars.

Her memoir Starchild: My Life Under the Night Sky reveals how she was inspired by the children’s
animated series The Clangers from the age of three.

She studied physics at Imperial College London and was determined to succeed as a scientist, going on to perform groundbreaking work on the James Webb and Gemini telescopes.

Later she started her own public speaking company and shared the wonders of science with
thousands of children every year.

Her work has earned her an Institute of Physics Gold Medal, and in 2024 she was knighted in the
New Year’s Honours list for her services to science education and diversity.

She appears at the Festival on Saturday 24 October at 7.15pm.

Click here to order her book from Waterstones.