About Facing Infinity
Over 250 years ago, an 18th century vicar looked up at the night's sky and suggested there was something very dark and extraordinarily heavy that was moving the stars. In 2019, astronomers took the first actual photograph of a black hole.
Jonas Enander has travelled the world, visiting telescopes and observatories, interviewing world-leading space researchers and delving deep into the archives to investigate how our relationship with black holes has changed over time. Journey with him through space and time to uncover how our desire to answer the question of the origin of the universe inadvertently led to the invention of WiFi, how looking outward gave us critical evidence of our impact on climate change that could be the key to the future of all humanity and how colonialism sparked the race for discovery, affecting those most vulnerable and creating a ripple effect being felt to this day.
Discover how black holes work, where they come from and what role they play in the universe. How is it possible to know that we are on a 230 million year journey around the Milky Way with an enormous black hole at its centre? How have we determined that this black hole has a mass equivalent to four million suns? What happens when black holes collide? Are we living in a black hole? And how do we even know any of this?
In partnership with the Swedish Arts Council in collaboration with the Embassy of Sweden, UK, as part of the Stories From Sweden programme.
There will be a book signing after this event.
Get ahead of your Festival reading and visit the Waterstones Cheltenham Science Festival bookshop and support Cheltenham Festivals with every purchase.
Facing Infinity: Black Holes and Our Place on Earth (Hardback)
by Jonas Enander
Getting Here
Parking
The venue’s car park is private, but parking can be found throughout the town centre. The nearest car parks are Rodney Road (GL50 1HX), St Georges Road (GL50 3DT), Royal Well (GL50 3DS) and Regent Arcade (GL50 1HN). There is a regular bus service from Cheltenham Racecourse Park and Ride car park to the centre of Cheltenham.
Rail
The Town Hall is a 25-minute walk from Cheltenham Spa Railway Station. There is also taxi rank outside the station.
Bus
Stagecoach bus services stop nearby on the Promenade with the Town Hall a five-minute walk away. For further information on Cheltenham bus services, please visit stagecoach.com. National Express Coaches stop a short walk away from Cheltenham Town Hall at Royal Well Bus Station.
Bike
There are bike racks located near Imperial Gardens, behind the Town Hall, should you wish to visit the Festival on your bike. Please note that anyone wishing to secure their bike at one of the bike racks does so at their own risk.
More infoAccess
Cheltenham Town Hall has both step access and an accessible ramp at the main entrance. There is a hearing loop in this venue operating on the ground floor stalls section of seating.
The venue does not have a lift and so the balcony and rear gallery seating located on the first floor are only accessible via stairs. Any accessible bookings should be made for ground floor stalls seating. We advise contacting our box office via email, by phoning us on 01242 850 270 during on-sale periods, or by using our Access Booking Form so that we can ensure you seating is suitable for the event you wish to attend. Our booking information page will have the most up to date box office phone opening hours.
Guide dogs are welcome in the Town Hall and accessible toilets are located on the ground floor of the venue.
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