The comet 67P as seen from earth. Credit: Costa Blanca Astronomical Society

The Costa Blanca Astronomical Society is over the moon to welcome a very special guest - Professor Mark McCaughrean, a leading light in astronomy, who will be giving a fascinating public talk in El Verger on Friday September 26.

Professor McCaughrean has spent his career gazing deep into the universe from some of the world's top institutions, including the European Space Agency (ESA) where he served as Senior Advisor for Science & Exploration. He has worked on a galaxy of missions, from the spectacular James Webb Space Telescope to the legendary Rosetta mission, which landed a spacecraft on a comet for the very first time.

Now an adjunct scientist with the prestigious Max Planck Institute in Heidelberg, he has lived, taught, and researched across the UK, the USA, Germany, and The Netherlands, making him one of Europe's best-travelled stargazers.

His visit to the Costa Blanca was originally planned last year to coincide with the 10th anniversary of Rosetta's daring journey to Comet 67P, but a freak DANA storm grounded the event. This time, the countdown is back on.

His talk, titled Rosetta: to catch a comet, promises to be a cosmic treat. Professor McCaughrean will take the audience behind the scenes of the mission, from its 10-year chase through space to its dramatic finale when Rosetta ended its journey by joining lander Philae on the comet's surface. He will also lift the lid on the scientific secrets uncovered - from the origins of water in our solar system to tantalising clues about the beginnings of life itself.

The lecture will be in English and open to anyone curious about the wonders of space. Best of all, it's completely free.

No booking is required, and with plenty of parking nearby, all you need to do is bring your sense of wonder.