The Open University

Open University scientists marvel at the rarity of the Mercury Transit

12 November 2019

Members of the Open University’s space science community gathered together to watch a one-off celestial event on Monday 11 November. Professor David Rothery and Jack Wright, research assistant, were joined by employees from across the campus to witness the Mercury Transit. For the first time in three years, planet Mercury was visible as it travelled […]

Could humans live on Kepler 452-b?

23 September 2019

Professor Andrew Norton, Professor of Astrophysics Education at The Open University writes for The Conversation about whether life could be sustained on Kepler 452-b. Kepler-452 is the name of a star in the constellation of Cygnus (the swan). It’s a star that’s similar to our own sun, but it’s too faint for us to see from Earth […]

Moon 2069: lunar tourism and deep space launches a century on from Apollo?

31 July 2019

Monica Grady, The Open University We’ve just celebrated the 50th anniversary of the first moon landing, glorying in the achievements of three astronauts and the team of engineers and scientists behind them. From that perspective, we can look back and see what we have learned from the mission. But what if we take a giant […]

To the moon and beyond 5: What space exploration will look like in 2069

31 July 2019

Miriam Frankel, The Conversation and Martin Archer, Queen Mary University of London What will space exploration look like in 2069, a century after the first moon landing? In the fifth and final episode of the podcast series, To the moon and beyond, we speak to space scientists about the missions they are dreaming about and […]

Water on the Moon; the work behind the dream

17 July 2019

Hannah Sargeant is a PhD student at The Open University, working on techniques to extract water from Moon rocks. As around the globe, people remember the 50th anniversary of the Moon landings, we talked to her about what led her to the OU and her work as a researcher: “Why did I choose to work […]

Open University announced as NASA partner on mission to the Moon

15 July 2019

Scientists from The Open University (OU) are supporting one of a series of ground-breaking missions by NASA to go back to the Moon. The announcement comes as the world prepares to mark the 50th anniversary of the first Moon landings, when astronauts from Apollo 11 walked on the Moon on July 20th 1969. These new […]

8 Days: To the Moon and Back – OU/ BBC co-pro told through the eyes of the astronauts

10 July 2019

The Apollo 11 mission – when humans first set foot on the Moon – stunned the world to become an unforgettable global phenomenon. 8 Days: To the Moon and Back, co-produced by the BBC and The Open University’s Broadcast and Partnership Team airs on Wednesday 10th July at 9pm on BBC Two and follows the […]

“The OU completely changed my life”

10 July 2019

Science was the one subject Ray Barber loved since he was a boy. Working as a college technician with no qualifications, he embarked on an OU degree and his life took an amazing turn; which he credits to the qualifications he gained with the OU. He’s since travelled the world with his work, including a […]

Spectacular series explores our Solar System

24 May 2019

Presented by Professor Brian Cox, The Planets is a sumptuous look at the beauty and the grandeur of eight planets, told across five episodes, beginning with A Moment In The Sun.

To the moon and back – OU student Hannah on breaking boundaries

6 May 2019

Hannah Sargeant spends her days exploring the universe. As a planetary scientist and PhD researcher at The Open University, Hannah, 26, is fulfilling her childhood dream by researching all corners of the solar system. During her career, Hannah has been involved with international research projects to support a series of missions to the Moon, ultimately supporting future […]

OU News