Meteorites - Rocks from Space

Join us for a special talk on meteorites from our Honorary Curator, Phil Phillips MBE.

Some Meteorites are the oldest things that we can find on Earth, they are truly exotic having arrived here from distant parts of the Solar System. Many of them are much older than the most ancient surviving Earth's surface rocks. The very oldest date back to the formation of the Solar System and may contain mineral grains that even predate the Solar System.

During this event you can explore a display of meteorites, including some rare Moon samples which have been borrowed from the Science and Technologies Facilities Council specially for this event. You'll hear about their role in Earth History, including famous occurrences and all about Meteorite classification. You'll gain advice on how to recognise them in the field, including what to do if you witness a fall or simply come across a candidate rock. Plus, there will be plenty of time for questions at the end of the presentation.

This event is aimed at adults but families with children over 8 years are welcome to come. It takes place at 3pm in the Treasure House Theatre in World Museum.

Adults £7
Children £4
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Phil Phillips MBE

Having trained as a Geologist at Cardiff University, Philip joined the museum in 1972 and spent the next 18 years working on the extensive fossil collections. During this period he was involved in a number of exhibitions and the establishment of the Natural History Centre (later renamed the Clore Natural History Centre). In 1990, he then changed paths and set up the new IT department. From 1993 to 1998 he coordinated the delivery of the award winning Jason Project in the UK, this was an American Educational program that used modern communications such as satellites to take whole audiences on scientific expeditions in various parts of the World, including Belize, Hawaii and several mainland American locations. It was partly because of our experience with these technologies that we were chosen by the UK Space Agency to receive the video conference with British Astronaut Tim Peake when he was on the International Space Station.

He returned to his geological roots to create the Dinomania experiences in 2010 and 2011, events remembered by all who took part. More recently he has installed a new Planetarium system in conjunction with American company Evans and Sutherland and has installed many new shows, each of which has specially created subtitles. Until his retirement in 2022 he organised the popular Stargazing evenings at the World Museum and continues his connection with the museum as Honorary Curator. In 2022 he was awarded an MBE for Services to Museums and Science.