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Today
  • Prof Ian Morison – Wonders of the Southern Sky

    A talk which will look at some of the most interesting objects in the southern skies and how the Small Magellanic Cloud helped solve a fundamental question about the Universe.

  • Alex Binks – Young Stars in our Backyard

    Online via Zoom

    Age is a vital property to get right in astronomy, but it's really tricky! Correctly estimating the age of a star (or a cluster of stars) means we can test our understanding of the sequence of events throughout a star's life. On larger scales this leads to clues about the evolution and ecology of our […]

  • Dr Julian Onions – Crazy Interstellar Rockets

    Online via Zoom

    What sort of rockets or spaceships could we use to go to the distant stars. We will explore some of the crazier designs that have been proposed over the years, most of which have some possibility of working. The future may be nearer than we think!

  • Steve Clifton – Astrophotography Then And Now

    Online via Zoom

    This is a not too technical look at the imaging process in the pre-digital age and contrasting that to what can now be achieved with modern amateur equipment. Steve has had a lifelong interest in astronomy and was a keen Astrophotographer back in the 80’s and 90’s. He took up the hobby again in 2014 […]

  • Mike Frost – Against The Odds: A Patagonian Eclipse

    Online via Zoom

    On December 14th 2020, the path of a total eclipse crossed the northern part of Patagonia  (Chile and Argentina). The previous year I had seen a beautiful eclipse from northern Argentina, and I was looking forward to another visit to South America. Of course, events got in the way. The coronavirus pandemic shut down travel across the […]

  • Paul Pope Lecture – Dr Fran Bagenal – Juno Mission to Jupiter – Extended!

    Online via Zoom

    FREE PUBLIC TALK - https://youtu.be/oZM-yX1JFy8 NASA’s Juno mission was launched in August 2011 and has been in orbit over Jupiter's poles since 4th July 2016. The mission has now been extended until late 2025. This talk will present the main scientific results to date and what we might expect to come in the extended mission. […]

  • Pete Williamson – The Moons of our Solar System

    Online via Zoom

    Pete takes us on a journey through some of the major moons looking for the possibility of life. Pete Williamson FRAS is an astronomer, broadcaster, educator and consultant for educational telescope networks. See Pete's website for his full bio.

  • Paul Fellows – Fire and Ice: The volcanic worlds of the Solar System

    Online via Zoom

    The exploration of the solar system has led to the discovery and study of volcanic processes on other worlds and in some very surprising places. What can this tell us about the formation of the planets and also about the prospects for the possibilities of life beyond Earth?

  • Damian Hardwick – The Life of Albert Einstein

    Online via Zoom

    Albert Einstein is one of the greatest physicists in history. But it is important to remember that although he had a brilliant mind he was still only human, and throughout his life Einstein's name is synonymous with the word genius. He had triumphs as well as many tribulations, and tragedy to contend with during his […]

  • Dr Andrew Gascoyne – Solar Physics: The Coronal Heating Problem….Solved?

    Hybrid: University of Wolverhampton & Zoom Room MA030, Wulfruna Building, Wulfruna Street, Wolverhampton, United Kingdom

    Dr Andrew Gascoyne is a Senior Lecturer in the School of Mathematics and Computer Science. Prior to that he worked as a postdoctoral research associate at The University of Sheffield on the STFC funded project entitled "Magnetic Features and Local Helioseismology".

  • Gary Poyner – An Introduction to Variable Star Observing

    Hybrid: University of Wolverhampton & Zoom Room MA030, Wulfruna Building, Wulfruna Street, Wolverhampton, United Kingdom

    Observing Variable Stars is a fun, rewarding and scientifically useful way to spend your time observing the night sky.  This talk assumes no prior knowledge of variable star observing, and briefly describes the type of variable star you might encounter when starting out, how to make the observation - either with the eye or electronic […]

  • Prof Don Pollacco – The PLATO Mission – The Habitable Zone Explorer

    Hybrid: University of Wolverhampton & Zoom Room MA030, Wulfruna Building, Wulfruna Street, Wolverhampton, United Kingdom

    Professor Don Pollacco (Warwick University) is the head of the Science Management branch of the PLATO (PLAnetary Transits and Oscillations of stars) mission consortium, scheduled for launch in 2024. The main goal of the mission is the detection of terrestrial planets at distances up to and including the habitable zone of bright, Solar-like stars. The […]

  • Dr Jonathan Smoker – Astronomy at the European Southern Observatory, Chile

    Hybrid: University of Wolverhampton & Zoom Room MA030, Wulfruna Building, Wulfruna Street, Wolverhampton, United Kingdom

    A general introduction as to why we do astronomy and my personal story of how I became a professional astronomer working at the European Southern Observatory (ESO). We will talk a little bit about Chile and why it has become a worldwide centre for astronomical observations. A typical day's work at Paranal Observatory (The Very […]