After Dinner SpeakersMark Thompson is an astronomer, broadcaster and author.
He explores the wonderful world of STEM through the medium of tv, radio, podcasts, theatre and books.
He is most well known for his role as one of the presenting team on BBC Stargazing LIVE and for his tireless enthusiasm for making science accessible. This has resulted in an Honorary Doctorate from the University of East Anglia.
In 2009 Mark joined the factual presenting team on The One Show on BBC One where he regularly presented films from all across the UK; exploring the strange properties of dark matter down a salt mine in North Yorkshire to learning about the mysteries of Stonehenge.
Mark Thompson has since joined the teams on The Alan Titchmarsh Show, This Morning and Good Morning Britain reporting on a variety of science stories. Mark has also appeared on Celebrity Mastermind and Celebrity Pointless and loves enthusing new audiences on the subject of science.
As an author, Mark’s books include:
- A Down to Earth Guide to the Cosmos
- A Space Traveller’s Guide to the Solar System
- Philips Stargazing with Mark Thompson
- Philips Astrophotography with Mark Thompson
- Rocket Science
- 101 Facts You Didn’t Know About Space
In 2019 he launched The Pocket Astronomer podcast which guides listeners around the night sky. The podcast regularly charts amongst the top ten astronomy podcasts in the UK and Canada.
Mark is heavily involved in a wide range of charitable activities, most notably his role as an ambassador for Barnardo’s Children’s Charity; a role that has led him to take a trip with a group of fundraisers to the Arctic on a hunt for the northern lights and to the peak of Mount Kinabalu in Borneo. Mark is also a patron of Norwich Science Festival, Youth STEMM Awards and Reach for a Star.
Mark Thompson Astronomy Speaker
Mark is one of the UK’s leading astronomy speakers having lectured at the Royal Astronomical Society’s National Astronomy Meeting and the world-famous Royal Institution.
In the last four years, he has been touring his award-winning Spectacular Science Show at theatres throughout the UK including sold-out shows at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival.
In 2021 Mark is attempting to break the Guinness World Record for the longest lecture requiring him to lecture for over 139 hours 42 minutes and 56 seconds. It will be an attempt that not only requires him to perform under extreme sleep deprivation but also will be pushing his voice to its limits.
