“Twenty Festivals…How it all began…”
A throwaway comment by Gary Walker to Sandra Voss on a staircase somewhere in the Observatory Science Centre in 2003, quote: “What a fantastic place to hold an Astronomy festival”. What happened next? Come and find out when the Festival begins on Friday 30th August.
About Gary
I became interested in astronomy at the age of twelve after reading library books by Patrick Moore. I went on to own and build many telescopes over the years. In 1996 I left my career as a carpenter/builder and started my own telescope company.
In 2000 Pulsar Observatories was founded and is now Europe’s most successful supplier of home observatories.
In 2003 whilst on a working visit to the Observatory Science Centre, I suggested to Dr Sandra Voss that it would be a fantastic venue for an astronomy fundraising event that could bring newcomers and families to the centre..
Twenty years later it’s a celebration and credit to everyone involved…
This talk is about simulating the possible orbits of planets around binary stars.
About Behnood
Behnood is an Astronomy PhD student at the University of Sussex. His passion for the sky began around 16 years ago, a love that has changed his life forever. Although he is an academic astronomer, he still considers himself an amateur astronomer and an astrophotographer who loves the sky and enjoys stargazing.
In this talk Nik will explain how the modern amateur astrophotographer can take advantage of equipment located in remote and exotic locations abroad. It’s possible to purchase time on this equipment or just purchase the data. Another option is to set up your own equipment in a remote location. He willl cover the pros and cons of both scenarios as he is very lucky to have access to both for his astrophotography. There will be lots of very pretty pictures and the talk will be non-technical so suitable for all audiences.
About Nik
Nik Szymanek is an astrophotographer based in North Essex and has been using CCD cameras to image the deep sky since they were first introduced in the early 1990’s from a back garden observatory. He has written a monthly ‘Masterclass’ astro-imaging column in Astronomy Now magazine for the last eleven years as well as three books on astronomical imaging.
In 2004 he travelled to Berkley, California, to receive the Astronomical Society of the Pacific’s Amateur Achievement Award for outreach and image-processing techniques, some of which have been used in collaborations with professional astronomers.
Nik is a member of the British Astronomical Association and is a regular speaker to astronomy and photographic societies. Other interests include meteorological photography and playing drums in heavy rock bands. He is also an ‘ambassador’ for the Telescope Live remote imaging platform and provides them with astro-imaging video tutorials.
Join Eva-Maria on a journey into the enigmatic realm of dark energy, the unseen force accelerating the expansion of our universe. In this talk, she will guide you from the ground-breaking discovery of dark energy to the forefront of current research, unravelling its profound implications for the cosmos. Designed for curious minds of all backgrounds, I will illuminate the latest theories and experiments, revealing how dark energy shapes our universe's fate. Come along as we explore one of science's greatest mysteries, transforming our understanding of the cosmos and our place within it.
About Eva-Maria
Eva-Maria Mueller is currently an Ernest Rutherford Fellow and proleptic lecturer at the University of Sussex studying the large-scale structure of our Universe to decipher the mystery of Dark Energy. Previously, she was a Dennis Sciama Fellow at the Institute of Cosmology and Gravity at the University of Portsmouth, and a research fellow at the University of Oxford. Eva-Maria gained her PhD from Cornell University researching extensions to the cosmological standard model.
Defying the notion of the silent graveyard, planetary systems refuse to die quietly. Instead, a significant fraction show one or more signs of dynamical reanimation, with strong indications of general mayhem during and beyond the 'death' of their suns. In this talk, I will give a brief tour of these surviving planetary systems, which now orbit white dwarfs, and which provide unprecedented insights into exoplanets -- including their water content -- through a process known as 'pollution'. I will present the latest developments, including transiting planetary material we detected in the habitable zone of a nearby white dwarf, and early results from the James Webb Space Telescope.
About Jay
Jay was born and raised in Southern California, where he completed his Ph.D. in Physics at the University of California, Los Angeles. He was subsequently a fellow at the Gemini Observatory on the big island of Hawaii, and later a Senior Fellow at the Institute of Astronomy in Cambridge. He took up a faculty position at University College London in 2013, and is known for his foundational contributions to the discovery and characterization of white dwarf planetary systems. His small team investigate these stellar remnants as a tool to better understand planetary dynamics and chemistry, as well as the evolution of single and binary stars, and are enthusiastic users of the Hubble and James Webb Space Telescopes.
Missed the May 10th aurora storm? As darker nights approach, this talk discusses how to find the aurora, where it comes from and what it looks like.
About Pete
Pete Lawrence has been a presenter on the long running BBC Sky at Night television programme since 2005. He has been an astronomical consultant for the popular BBC Stargazing Live television series since it began, and appeared on the programme in 2014 as an aurora expert. Pete also writes many of the guides used by the BBC to support the programme. He compiles and writes the monthly Star Guide for the Sky at Night Magazine as well as carrying out equipment reviews on their behalf and acting as their resident imaging expert. He has held this position since the magazine started in 2005.
Pete is highly regarded in the world of astrophotography specialising in capturing time specific events. Many of his images have been published in books, magazines and online across the world. As well as having several decades experience as an astronomical observer, he also holds an honours degree in Physics with Astrophysics from the University of Leicester. As part of his astronomical duties, Pete also acts as an expert guide on specialist trips including those in search of the elusive Northern Lights and solar eclipses. He was awarded the Davies Medal by the Royal Photographic Society in 2014, for his significant contribution in the field of imaging science.
"Ah, space. Bit of a waste of time, isn't it? I mean, don't get me wrong, I love a Hubble image or two. And the astronauts look like they're having fun up there. But honestly, what's the point? We spend millions of taxpayer's money doing it, and nothing these lot do, nothing that they work on matters one little bit to my life."
Sound familiar? Maybe you've heard this down the pub one too many times and always wondered how to answer these questions. Come, join me for dinner and soon you'll have all the answers for even the most senior space sceptic.
About Jeni
Dr Jenifer Millard completed her Astrophysics PhD in 2021, wherein she studied "The Stuff Between the Stars" at Cardiff University. Although those moments of discovery, to be the first person in the world to know something about the Universe that we didn't know before, were undeniably thrilling, during her PhD, Jeni realised that her true passion lies in sharing her love of space with the world. She is now the Managing Editor of Fifth Star Labs "Sky Guide" App, writer and host of the popular "Awesome Astronomy" podcast, BBC space expert, and science presenter for BBC1 Wales' "Weatherman Walking" series. She is one of Cardiff University's 30ish Award Winners for 2022, recognising the movers and shakers in the alumni community. When not getting giddy about space, you'll find Jeni kicking back with a movie or galavanting around the UK (or the world, when budget allows).
In our current understanding, our Universe emerged from an incredibly hot, dense state roughly 14 billion years ago. While initially incredibly hot and full of light as the Universe expanded it cooled, eventually becoming dark, entering a period known as the “cosmological dark ages”. During this period dark matter and gas, attracted by the force of gravity, developed into structures, eventually leading to the formation of the first stars and galaxies, lighting up the Universe. This earliest period of galaxy formation is now accessible thanks to the James Webb Space Telescope (Webb). Webb not only allows us to identify examples of early galaxies but learn about their detailed physical properties. Webb has already thrown up surprising results including many more super-massive black holes in the early Universe than expected.
About Stephen
Stephen Wilkins is a Professor of Astronomy and Public Understanding of Science at the University of Sussex, just outside Brighton. Stephen obtained his Masters in Physics from the University of Durham before receiving his PhD from the University of Cambridge. Stephen then worked as a research fellow at the University of Oxford before joining the faculty at Sussex in 2013. Stephen’s main research focuses on understanding the formation and evolution of galaxies, particularly the first stages in the distant early Universe. To do this Stephen combines observations from telescopes including Webb and Hubble with supercomputer simulations. Outside his research Stephen is also a keen advocate of public understanding of science. Highlights include his leadership of three exhibits at the prestigious Royal Society Summer Science Exhibition and dozens of talks.
In this talk, Namrah will guide you through the world of exoplanet science. Exoplanets are planets that orbit stars outside our solar system. We will begin with an overview of the various populations of exoplanets that have been discovered so far. Next, we will explore how scientists characterize these exoplanets by studying their atmospheres. Finally, we will discuss the ongoing search for habitable planets and the quest to find the next Earth-like world.
About Namrah
Namrah recently completed her PhD at the University of Oxford, where she focused on studying exoplanets with hydrogen-rich atmospheres. Originally from Arizona, she earned her undergraduate degree in engineering at the University of Arizona. During her undergraduate studies, Namrah interned with NASA's OSIRIS-REx asteroid sample return mission, which ignited her passion for planetary science and exploration.
