Cosmic radiation is the subject of a lecture in the Science in Radstock series at Radstock Museum on Tuesday at 7.30pm.

The speaker on A Thin Hard Rain from Outer Space - the 100-year Story of Cosmic Rays is Dr Roger Moses, from Bristol University.

He said: "Cosmic radiation is still in some ways as mysterious as when it was discovered, a century ago. Some individual particles have enough energy to boil a kettle and take about a month to cross the universe.

"The radiation dose they give is a major hazard to space travellers and a minor risk to both crew and electronics in high-flying aircraft."

Dr Moses said it is also probable that cosmic rays are vital to development of life because they are one of the causes of spontaneous mutations in living cells.

His talk, supported by a demonstration, will cover the history of his topic, bringing it up to date with the latest space and ground observations.

Dr Moses, who lives in Pensford, completed his undergraduate study in Bristol, continuing to a doctorate and 14 years of research into the nature and origin of cosmic rays. He teaches at Bristol and the University of the West of England.