ABOUT ME
Martin is an enthusiastic science communicator, lecturer, author and professional astronomer utilizing astronomy, history, culture and science fiction as tools to encourage greater public understanding of science.
He started his academic career as a lecturer in Astronomy for DACE at Swansea University in 1991 before becoming Senior Lecturer in Astronomy at the University of South Wales between 1999 and 2015. Martin is now a retired though he still takes an interest in Dark Sky Wales. He is Director of the Brecon Beacons Observatory and a Dark Sky Ambassador for the Brecon Beacons National Park. Martin is also a steering committee member of the Brecon Beacons International Dark Sky Reserve. He was selected by Cunard in 2019 to be an enrichment programme lecturer for their cruise ship fleet and in 2022 became a renaissance astronomy tour guide in Prague for New Scientist magazine .
He was a founder member of NASA’s Astrobiology Institute Science Communication Group and is now a member of the NASA Astrobiology Science Communication Guild. Martin managed a multi-million pound ESF programme in Astrobiology for adult learners across Wales and he was also coordinator for ROSCOSMOS Russian Cosmonaut visits to the UK. In addition, he has been an adviser to several museum projects on the interface between science and science fiction, including exhibitions on the science of Star Trek and the Science of Aliens.
Martin has written and presented planetarium programmes for key stages 2 and 3 and presented planetarium shows for Dark Sky Wales.
He was consultant to the University of Glamorgan computer graphics team on their development of the Alien Worlds multimedia tools, now available free at the iTunesU store which won the Alternative Learning Technologies second prize in 2008. He is also a regular contributor to the online science journal LabLit: the culture of science in fiction and fact.
Martin is a Fellow of the Royal Astronomical Society; a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy; a member of the Astrobiology Society of Britain; a member of the British Astronomical Association; a member of the British Science Association; the Webb Deep-Sky Society; the Society for Popular Astronomy; The Astronomical Society of the Pacific and the Astronomical League. He is also a local representative for the BAA Commission for Dark Skies.
He was a consultant and broadcaster for BBC Wales radio and has appeared on science programmes for the BBC, Einstein TV, Granada TV and the Discovery Channel. He is also a member of the Honourable Society of Cymmrodorion, dedicated to promoting the science, arts and literature of Wales. Martin is also a member of the Welsh Academy, the National Society of writers in Wales
Beside his interest in astronomy Martin also enjoys history, literature, art, photography, walking, traveling, paddle boarding, reading and good red wine.
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You can find out more about my work by visiting my ResearchGate page at:
https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Martin-Griffiths
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I can also be contacted via LinkedIn at:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/martin-griffiths-52369012b/
Awards
Astrobiology Society of Britain Public Engagement Award 2008
Public Outreach Award of the Astronomical League 2010
MENSA Art and Science Participation Medal 2017
Dark Sky Award of the Astronomical League 2020
Observing Awards
Master Observer Award of the Astronomical League 2011
Imaging Award of the Astronomical League 2010
Planetary Nebula Award of the Astronomical League 2010
The Herschel 400 Observing Award 2010
EDUCATION
RESEARCH INTERESTS
Historical research
Martin continues to promote cross-disciplinary links between science and culture that reflect his educational background and interests. He has written monographs on the science communication of the proto-feminist Margaret Cavendish, Duchess of Newcastle; and the 18th century scientist, assay master and political adviser Joseph Harris of Breconshire.
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Astronomy
Martin has written several peer reviewed papers on Astrobiology and Astronomical themes and has a great interest in all aspects of astronomical observations. He is a contributor to many journals and magazines and has written six books on aspects of observing the night sky
Science and Science Fiction
Martin is also interested in the interface between Science, Science Fiction and Society and has written or colloborated on many academic papers
Commission for Dark Skies
Martin’s work with the Commission for Dark Skies resulted in assisting the Brecon Beacons National Park in surveying the night sky for their successful bid for the International Dark Sky Association’s Dark Sky Reserve Status – the first such reserve in Wales.
He is an International Dark Sky Reserve Steering Committee member for both Brecon Beacons and Snowdonia National Parks
He has continued to work with the national park in order to promote public astronomy and in 2014 he became the Director of the Brecon Beacons Observatory, a public educational resource at the National Park Visitor Centre.
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Working with Dark Sky Wales, he promotes Wales as a dark sky nation and is involved in surveying the night sky and consultancy for the Gower AONB, Lleyn AONB and Clwydian AONB.
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Membership of Professional Bodies
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Fellow of the Royal Astronomical Society
Fellow of the Higher Education Academy
Officer, Commission for Dark Skies
1990 - 1991
Queen Mary College
City and Guilds: Black and White Photography
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1999 - 2001
University of Glamorgan
BSc Astronomy & Science Fiction
(First class honours)
2008 - 2009
University of Glamorgan
MSc Science Communication
(Distinction)
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2009 - 2012
University of East London
BA English Literature
(First Class Honours)
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2013 - 2014
Open University
Course S382 Stellar Evolution
Course Q46 Mathematics
2016
Open University
Course S383 The Relativistic Universe
2017
Open University
OpenLearn Certificate: Oceanography.
2018
Open University
OpenLearn Certificate: Active Galaxies
OpenLearn Certificate: The Big Bang
OpenLearn Certificate: Comparing Stars
2020
OpenLearn Certificate: Icy Bodies, Europa and Elsewhere
OpenLearn Certificate: Introduction to Homer's Iliad
Course A229 Introducing the Classical World
OpenLearn Certificate: Welsh History and its Sources
2022
OpenLearn Certificate: Astronomy with an Online Telescope