A doctor, a nurse, an architect, a teacher, and an aeronautical engineer are all joining Ireland’s first-ever all-female Space Astronomy event, to be held in Dublin on Friday, July 6.
The event, called She Is Breaking Glass Ceilings in Space, takes place from 4:30pm-6:30pm at the Science Gallery Dublin, where you can have an insight into the breadth of experiences gained by a panel of astrophysicists, as well as light up their stargazing experience.
“I hope that space is a strong common ground for each one of us, because any time we question something, it is because we think it could be better, whether it be our home, or our families or the world we live in,” said event organiser Joanna Murphy, who is the director of the Science Gallery and at the Science Foundation Ireland centre in Drogheda.
“I know, as director of the Science Gallery, that science is a common bond that brings us together, whether you live in the Forest of Dean, Glendalough, or Drogheda. It is also a hugely dynamic and inspiring field, and I hope this event will inspire audiences to have fun and participate in science in the same way that they engage with everyday objects and skills like knitting, puzzle-solving and tinkering.”
The event will be broadcast live from space via a Skype link.
Following the event, panels will take place at a number of other locations across the country, with seven more scheduled around Ireland, plus another in London to be hosted by Professor Timothy Peake and Prof Nicola Schindler.
Alongside what you can do at home, Fáilte Ireland, which has been a partner of the event, is offering two-day course titles in Space Technology, through its annual programme ICT Connect, starting in July.
Fáilte Ireland director of education Martin McGee is looking forward to the event.
“It’s a fantastic project, one that’s been in the making for some time, and it’s bringing together people from a great range of backgrounds and experiences, including those working in STEM, to discuss what it’s like to be a woman in STEM. While we’ll be talking about space, it’s not only space, it’s the things that we do in space science, like researching the climate and the Earth’s atmosphere, or the roles of women in training,” he explained.
“And importantly, we hope this will also inspire children and young people, starting in the classroom, to the wonders of science.”
