My name is John Maclean and I am a Fellow of both the Royal Astronomical Society and the Royal Geographical Society. As an astronomer, My research area is asteroids, comets and meteors and was a founder member of the UK Meteor Network. For the last 12 years I have also been a cruise ship lecturer, delivering lectures on astronomy and astrophysics to the guests on the many cruise lines I sail on. I am a Resident Astronomer for Viking Ocean and I am regularly a guest speaker on Cunard, Saga, Regent, P&O. Oceania, Fred Olsen and more. If any other cruise lines are interested in engaging my services, you can see my showreel below.
In 2022 I was honoured to be part of the group that won the RAS Group Award for Geophysics for our work in tracking, retrieving and analysing the “Winchcombe Meteorite.”
Check out the Blog and Gallery pages for the latest updates on my travels!
Check out the Blog and Gallery pages for the latest updates on my travels!
NASA Ambassador
I was proud to be the NASA Ambassador for the OSIRIS-Rex Asteroid Sample Return Mission which successfully brought a sample of Asteroid Bennu back to Earth in 2023.
Testimonial
“I had the distinct pleasure of being a fellow guest speaker with John Maclean on a recent cruise aboard Cunard’s Queen Victoria. As a NASA retiree and an astronomer wannabe, I found Johns lectures to be most interesting, informative and inspirational. He is a gifted lecturer who has the innate ability to make the complexities of our universe understandable to all. John speaks with authority and knowledge and makes learning about astrophysics downright “Fun”.
Tangible proof of John’s ability to inspire the next generation of explorer was demonstrated by Joanne, a young lady in his audience. Joanne informed me that John’s lectures motivated her to go back to college to pursue a degree in Astronomy…the realization of a lifetime dream.”
“I had the distinct pleasure of being a fellow guest speaker with John Maclean on a recent cruise aboard Cunard’s Queen Victoria. As a NASA retiree and an astronomer wannabe, I found Johns lectures to be most interesting, informative and inspirational. He is a gifted lecturer who has the innate ability to make the complexities of our universe understandable to all. John speaks with authority and knowledge and makes learning about astrophysics downright “Fun”.
Tangible proof of John’s ability to inspire the next generation of explorer was demonstrated by Joanne, a young lady in his audience. Joanne informed me that John’s lectures motivated her to go back to college to pursue a degree in Astronomy…the realization of a lifetime dream.”
Jim Kennedy – Former Director of the Kennedy Space Center.
