This week is World Space Week, an international celebration of science and technology.
The United Nations General Assembly declared in 1999 that World Space Week would begin on 4 October each to year to commemorate the launch of the first human-made Earth satellite, Sputnik 1, on this day in 1957.
You might wonder why someone from the RSPB is writing about World Space Week. Well it’s because this year the theme is satellite navigation.
This revolutionary technology has enabled us to better understand one of the natural world’s greatest mysteries – migration.
Every year around 4,000 species, which make up 40 per cent of the world’s birds, take off in search of more suitable places to feed and breed.
We know that most birds use a combination of skills to find their way, but the sun is probably the most important signpost for migrating birds.
Even night-flying migrants usually set off at sunset, so they can get their first directions from the setting sun. They then follow the positions of the moon and stars.
In one experiment, scientists allowed birds to fly round inside a planetarium. As the artificial stars moved around the artificial sky, the birds adjusted their positions to keep on course – just as though they were on a real migration!
Tracking birds on their migration is really important for conservation as it helps us understand the challenges they face on their long journeys, from extreme weather to food shortages and human persecution.
This means we can work with our overseas partners to ensure that threatened species are protected when they leave our shores.
To mark World Space Week, we’re at the Ulster Museum on Saturday. Come along from 10am to 3pm for an introduction to satellite tracking.