the Moon<\/a> in Africa, and he used to say how beautiful it was and how he used to sort of cycle over metal roads with no streetlights. And when the Moon was up and full, it guided his way. So it was definitly a friend of my father. And then I was brought up, mainly in London. And you don\u2019t see that many stars because of the light pollution and things like that. Sometimes you do get a glorious view of the Moon over the Old City, so that definitely endeared me. And now a passed on my lunacy\u2026 So I got it from my father and passed on my lunacy to my daughter. And sometimes we live out in Guildford now and sometimes we step outside in the garden and look right, look left and howl at the moon. So lunacy is definitely strong in our family.<\/p>\nEzzy <\/strong>And how are you feeling about this? Because this year we\u2019ve got a whole run of\u2026 We being the world have there\u2019s a whole run of of spacecraft going towards the Moon. Some of them leading up to the Artemis mission, some of them just, you know, other nations are heading that way. Are you particularly excited about those missions coming up?<\/p>\nMaggie <\/strong>Yes, a) because it\u2019s the Moon and I did actually write a book about the Moon. I\u2019m mentioned I\u2019m dyslexic, and so writing about things is always a challenge for me. But I did write a book about the Moon because I love the Moon so much, it just made it a lot easier because I could write what I was passionate about. And so the idea of people sort of going back to the Moon, I mean, I think the last humans on the Moon was back in 1972, so I waited a long time. And there\u2019s been this ongoing discussion of Do we go to the Moon? Do we go to Mars? And that has always been a hiatus in terms of stopping us going anywhere. And so the fact that people say, \u201cyes, OK, we\u2019re going to go back to the Moon\u201d, I find incredibly exciting. Especially optimistic because they have promised it probably put a woman on the Moon because so far it\u2019s only been 12 men and I think someone from an ethnic minority and and possibly someone with a disability. And I can sign up for all three. So I keep on putting my hand up, but they haven\u2019t contacted me yet.<\/p>\nEzzy <\/strong>I do know that the European Space Agency definitely is doing some work with trying to get more disabled astronauts, particularly people with physical disabilities. So hopefully maybe you\u2019ll get your chance in the future. And obviously, as you said, Artemis is going to be sending the first woman to the surface of the Moon. You yourself have done quite a lot of work with encouraging both women and girls, as well as young people in general into the space field. How is this and why is this important to you?<\/p>\nMaggie <\/strong>So I think it\u2019s this is breaking down the stereotypes. I call it sort of the taxi scenario because sometimes I hop into a cab and I\u2019m sitting in. Back then, the taxi driver suddenly said, What do you do? I\u2019m a space scientist, so you walk on a double take. I don\u2019t look like a quintessential space scientist. I think they self a guy, a white guy with a beard, you know, sort of. And so it\u2019s trying to break those stereotypes down. And because of this, it means that there are some girls out there who aren\u2019t considering careers in STEM and space in general. And so we\u2019re missing out. It shows that when you have diverse teams and companies do so much better. And so in trying to get this diversity into science across the board, but especially in terms of computing, engineering or physics, these subjects where there is a deficit of girls and we have a deficit of people coming into these subjects. So it\u2019s a win-win situation, really.<\/p>\nEzzy <\/strong>And how do you go about trying to encourage these groups of people to get more involved in space?<\/p>\nMaggie <\/strong>Yes. Well, as you mentioned, I do try and encourage everybody because we just need more scientists, full stop. Use of a try and target. Sort of a specific messages and say a few years ago we had the International Year of Astronomy and we were looking at female astronomers and we could go back, I think it was six thousand years the first female astronomer and the host was the first female name to be missing in the history books. Now I can never pronounce her name because I\u2019m dyslexic, but I think it was Enheduanna, and this was the first name writen in the history. But first female name written in the history books, and she wrote poetry about sort of measuring arcs across the sky and looking at the stars. And so we have a long history of women in astronomy. And it\u2019s just trying to show them. I think I always feel that astronomy was dominated by white guys and togas, that seems to be the font of all information. But I\u2019m working on a book at the moment for the BBC books at the moment, looking at Constellations and the stars. And it\u2019s very interesting to see we\u2019ve got the standard of a recognised constellations that be recognised by International Astronomical Union. But there are many more constellations which other cultures came up with. And it\u2019s like, if you\u2019ve got\u2026 if you take something like Orion, different cultures or different pictures without solving a particular set of stars. So the stars are the history of everyone. So for male and female and across the world. And so it\u2019s just trying to sell that to people and show them that it wasn\u2019t just white guys in togas.<\/p>\nEzzy <\/strong>And as you said, diversity across the board has been shown to help pretty much every industry that people go into. Yes, but what do you think that learning about space benefits people as individuals as well?<\/p>\nMaggie <\/strong>I very much think so. And so that\u2019s why sometimes I go to a school and they say, \u201cOh, well, as you should only speak to the gifted and talented,\u201d or something like that. And when I go to school, I want to speak to everyone because I think space and understanding of the universe is just something fundamental in all of us. And it was quite interesting during lockdown because many people were stuck at home they couldn\u2019t get out. And I was invited to do quite a few television interviews and also radio interviews talking about looking up at the night sky. Because sometimes if you\u2019re feeling enclosed and it\u2019s hemmed in and you had a busy day and you haven\u2019t been out, getting a view of the night sky can really transform someone\u2019s mood. And I think it\u2019s philosophical. It\u2019s like music and art and all those wonderful things. Understanding our place in the universe and how that understanding has evolved over the years, I think it\u2019s also very critical for all of us. So another factor as well is that jobs in tech pay well. We were talking about some of the things I\u2019ve done in my career. My career has enabled me to work on climate change and travel around the world speaking to people. And it seems a shame that quite a bit of the population is missing out on these opportunities. So diversity is good for everybody. But people working in STEM generally have sort of a more fruitful career.<\/p>\nEzzy <\/strong>I will definitely say that by working and talking to people about space is taken me all over the place as well. Anybody listening is thinking about it. The travel is quite good.<\/p>\nMaggie <\/strong>And also, it\u2019s good to remember that space\u2026 One of the things that people often think is, \u201cOh, well, to work in space. I have to be a scientist or engineer into STEM.\u201d It plays a vital role in space. But we also have lawyers, you know, PR people. There\u2019s a whole\u2026 The space industry\u2026 sorry this is gradually turning into a sales pitch space. But this industry is also growing, especially in the UK. So I think anyone who\u2019s got an interest in the subject should come along because we need everybody.<\/p>\nEzzy <\/strong>Absolutely. I can\u2019t agree more. There\u2019s dozens of different things that people can get involved with. And of course, one of the things that most of our listeners are going to know you best for is your work as one of the co-presenters of Sky at night. Did you watch the show when you were younger?<\/p>\nMaggie <\/strong>Very much so. And it\u2019s funny because I was mentioned I grew up in London. Patrick used to give me sort of an insight into what I might be able to see. And so I\u2019d sort of sit down and I\u2019d get special permission to stay up late and watch the programme. And then I would go outside. And I was living in sort of our Belside(?) Park, which is quite close to Hampstead Heath and on the way back from school. Sometimes it will be dark. I\u2019ll be able to have the clear view of the night sky because you didn\u2019t have too many, both things in front of me. I don\u2019t think, Oh my goodness! Patrick mentioned. I can see it. So he brought the night sky a life to me. And so that was just a wonderful legacy for me. But yes, I did use of I used to watch the programme as a child and love it as well.<\/p>\nEzzy <\/strong>Does it feel good to be bringing this night sky life for other people now as well?<\/p>\nMaggie <\/strong>Yes, but slightly daunting when I got the job to do the presenting, I think especially in the first episode, I was very much like a rabbit in the headlights because I is the iconic Sky at night television programme, and here little Maggie presenting the programme. So there was a little girl in me that was very excited. But also it\u2019s that moment of terror, oh my goodnessme. Those were very big boots to fill.<\/p>\nEzzy <\/strong>And I should imagine carrying a show with that\u2019s been running for. I think at the moment at 65 years is quite a lot of responsibility,<\/p>\nMaggie <\/strong>But also it was nice to be welcomed into the family because Chris Lintott has been doing it. And also, Peter Lawrence had been doing it for many years, so that was the new kid on the block. I was a welcome to the family.<\/p>\nEzzy <\/strong>Oh, that\u2019s great. And how did you come to to be standing there like a deer in headlights? How did you come to present the show?<\/p>\nMaggie <\/strong>So I think that it was quite interesting because Patrick had done the programme for 57 years \u2013 the longest running, longest serving TV presenter in the world and also the longest running television programme in the world. I did mention that I would love to do it, but I didn\u2019t think anything would come of it. At that time I\u2019d done quite a bit of work with the BBC. I\u2019d made a documentary about the Moon and about satellites, and also over the years I\u2019ve done lots of science communication. I think the\u2026 actually it\u2019s probably higher than that now. I\u2019ve probably seen about 370,000 kids in the last 12 to 14 years.<\/p>\nEzzy <\/strong>Wow, that\u2019s a big number.<\/p>\nMaggie <\/strong>Well, I\u2019m quite lucky because I do something called GCSE science like so you start with maybe 50 kids in a of a primary school classroom, but now I do lots of big events like GCSE Science Live and you get two thousand fifteen year olds in an auditorium. And so\u00a0 the numbers can back up quite quickly. So yes, I\u2019ve been doing all these different sorts of science communication, music, science festivals, going into schools. And so I was hoping that my credentials would be good enough. And then I remember I was filming a television programme for CBeebies called and Stargazing and CBeebies Stargazing, and the call came through me saying, Hey, would you like to do the programme and I went \u201cwoooo!\u201d because of a moment of great excitement for me.<\/p>\nEzzy <\/strong>And with the show, you\u2019ve been because the sky at night has always been at the forefront of some of the most incredible aspects of space exploration and space science. Are there any particular like historic moments that you\u2019ve been part of that particularly stand out for you?<\/p>\nMaggie <\/strong>Very much so. And oh yes, I can think of three spring to mind automatically. The first one was being at the European Space Agency. And I remember I think it was Armistice Day, I can\u2019t remember the year, but it\u2019s when the Philae lander landed on\u2026 Oh what is it? Churyumov-Gerasimenko? I could never say it at the time, but I said it so much its stuck in my mind.<\/p>\nEzzy <\/strong>67P Churyumov-Gerasimenko. I still know how to spell it to this day. Which is quite a challenge.<\/p>\nMaggie <\/strong>Yes. That will be stuck in my mind forever.<\/p>\nEzzy <\/strong>Yes, that was in 2014 for our listeners at home.<\/p>\nMaggie <\/strong>Yes, yes. And so it was still relatively new on the programme. It was just wonderful to be a part of the press team. And so go out there and we were in Darmstadt for a while. Then I think we went to Cologne and we were getting all the latest information. Also, we have been in the UK speaking to some of the people who are making the instrumentation. As my history is in making instrumentation for space, but also for ground based telescopes, so to be able to speak to the instrument engineers at the UK then go out and also see that was a rollercoaster ride of a journey. It\u2019s landed. Oh no, the harpoons! So to be there and see the unfolding right before our eyes was brilliant. Another one that springs to mind. So we did a television programme looking at over space and astronomy, the Vatican and saying this we will actually inside Vatican City and we were speaking to this, these priest astronomers. Who were showing us various artefacts. And so just being in Italy with the glorious weather, but being in Italy so is behind the velvet ropes and going into places where people don\u2019t usually get to go. And just looking at that sort of juxtaposition between sort of religion and science and again talking about Galileo and all sorts of those historical moments. So that was a very, very iconic for me. And then the third one, I think, was a New Horizon. Sort of approach Pluto. We went to NASA headquarters and were there as as New Horizon of approach of Pluto started, started getting these images in. So again, it\u2019s over amazing moments of sort of scientific discovery.<\/p>\n\u00a0<\/p>\n
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