Starmus Festival Launches This Saturday in Santa Cruz de Tenerife

The eighth edition of the ‘Starmus’ festival, celebrating science, music, and the cosmos, kicks off this Saturday in Santa Cruz de Tenerife. The event will begin at 19:30 with the presentation of the ‘Stephen Hawking Medal for Science Communication’ to the crew of the ‘Artemis II’ mission.

Commander Reid Wiseman, pilot Victor Glover, and mission specialist Jeremy Hansen are recognised for their outstanding public outreach during their significant mission, which saw them orbit the Moon for ten days last April. British filmmaker Sir Ridley Scott will also be honoured, joining a list of previous recipients that includes notable figures such as Jane Goodall and Neil deGrasse Tyson.

Following the medal ceremony, a concert featuring Andrea Bocelli, Sarah Brightman, and Brian May with the Las Palmas Symphony Orchestra will take place at the capital’s port. Earlier in the day, at 16:00, the official opening of the festival will include the astronauts, festival founder and astrophysicist Garik Israelian, and local dignitaries including Rosa Dávila and Migdalia Machín.

The Plaza de La Candelaria will host ‘Starmus Camp,’ running for four days and featuring free talks by Nobel laureates, astronauts, researchers, and interactive workshops, musical performances, and exhibitions. On Saturday, highlights include a presentation by neuroscientist May-Britt Moser, astronaut Chris Hadfield, and environmental activist Aneeshwar Kunchala. A workshop on astrophotography led by Abby Moulé, known as Astro Abby, is also scheduled.

The day will feature the inaugural ‘Science Camp’ and live music, including a tribute to Queen and a performance by Rick Armstrong, accompanied by John Mitchell and Dave Foster.

This means if you're in or near Santa Cruz, mark your calendars! The festival is a great opportunity to combine entertainment with learning about cutting-edge science and space exploration. Don't miss out on these exciting events!