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March 2020
The Physics of Supernovae by Prof Ian Howarth
Professor Ian Howarth This talk will be a gentle introduction to the physics of 'core collapse' supernovae (think pictures, not equations!). Working from a largely historical perspective, Professor Ian Howarth will outline how we know that these are the end-points of the evolution of the most massive stars, and their role in generating most of the heavy elements that exist in the nearby universe. Biography Having concluded that choosing an interesting subject was more important to him than a ‘marketable’…
Find out more »Viewing with the Great Equatorial Telescope
Flamsteed viewing session with the Great Equatorial Telescope at the Royal Observatory Greenwich. Bookings are restricted to members only. Depending on numbers, we may be able to accommodate guests but we won’t know until much nearer the date. These Flamsteed sessions are free to members but places are limited and advance booking is essential. If you would like a place, please contact us as soon as possible. Use of the telescope is of course weather-permitting. If we are unable to…
Find out more »Romney Observing Evening: 22 or 23 March 2020 – CANCELLED
THIS EVENT HAS BEEN CANCELLED
Find out more »Documentary Screening: 13 Factors that Saved Apollo 13 – ONLINE
13 Factors that Saved Apollo 13 As the 50th anniversary of Apollo 13 approaches, the Flamsteed is delighted to present a unique screening of an excellent British-made documentary. 13 Factors that Saved Apollo 13 explains how the ill-fated Moon mission succeeded in returning astronauts Jim Lovell, Jack Swigert and Fred Haise safely back to Earth, thanks to extraordinary ingenuity – and a huge amount of luck. ** MOVING ONLINE ** Because of the coronavirus situation, this documentary screening will no…
Find out more »April 2020
Chasing Interstellar Visitors by Dr Colin Snodgrass – ONLINE
Dr Colin Snodgrass In 2017 a strange object was discovered by near-Earth asteroid surveys, with the appearance of a small asteroid, but an orbit that showed it to have come from another star. Dr Snodgrass will describe what we learned about this object, called ‘Oumuamua, and what we are now learning about the second interstellar object, comet Borisov, which was discovered in September last year and is currently being observed with large telescopes as it departs from the Sun. In…
Find out more »Astrophotography – A Beginner’s Guide – ONLINE
Lunar Eclipse above Blackheath ** ONLINE EVENT ** Flamsteed Members: PLEASE CHECK YOUR EMAIL FOR A LINK TO REGISTER FOR THE ONLINE EVENT If you haven't received an email, please contact us for details. This workshop is intended as a basic introduction to astrophotography, using DSLRs or compact system cameras. We will introduce the sort of equipment that you might need for basic astrophotography, camera settings for taking the best astro images and the types of image that you can…
Find out more »Flamsteed Trip to University of London Observatory – CANCELLED
THIS EVENT HAS BEEN CANCELLED We have arranged a trip to the University of London Observatory, Mill Hill on Saturday 25th April from 8.00pm until 9.30pm. There are 24 places available and BOOKING IS REQUIRED. The cost of the tour will be around £10.00 per head. Details on the final cost and arrangements to pay will be sent soon. About ULO Although initially established as a University of London facility (still reflected in the name), the Observatory has been exclusively…
Find out more »History of Astronomy: Cook, the Transit of Venus, Aftermath and Legacy, by Stewart Coulter – ONLINE
** ONLINE EVENT ** Flamsteed Members: PLEASE CHECK YOUR EMAIL FOR A LINK TO REGISTER FOR THE ONLINE EVENT If you haven't received an email, please contact us for details. Cook was commissioned by the Admiralty to command a scientific voyage to the South Pacific Ocean to observe the transit of Venus – the first opportunity to determine the distance of the Earth from the Sun. The talk will draw upon links with RGO, ROG, NMM and the Royal Naval…
Find out more »May 2020
Ad Astra: An Illustrated Guide to Leaving the Planet – A talk by Dallas Campbell – ONLINE
Dallas Campbell Fifty years ago, 'we chose to go to the moon'. Project Apollo was the culmination of some 400,000 people working to meet John F Kennedy’s impossible deadline, with technology that didn’t yet exist, to explore a place that we knew nothing about. It has become one of human history’s defining moments. Join TV science presenter and author Dallas Campbell for a grand tour of the science and history of human space flight. From forgotten stories of the early…
Find out more »History of Astronomy – ‘The life and work of Professor Georges Lemaître’ by Rev Dr Jeremy Yates – ONLINE
Georges Lemaître Georges Lemaître (1894-1966), a Jesuit-educated Belgian Catholic priest, mathematician, astronomer, and professor of physics at the Catholic University of Leuven, was the first to identify that the recession of nearby galaxies could be explained by a theory of an expanding universe. His theory was observationally confirmed soon afterwards by Edwin Hubble. Ironically, it was Lemaître who was the first to derive what is now known as Hubble's law, or the Hubble-Lemaître law, and who made the first estimation…
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