Astronomy Lectures
Mapping the Moon – Head North from the Sea of Tranquility
2009 is the International Year of Astronomy, celebrating how 400 years ago in 1609, astronomers made the first ever astronomical observation with a telescope, looking at the moon. They immediately drew simple moon maps. Ever since, man has created more and more intricate maps of its surface and features - 19th century maps of the moon were more accurate than maps of Africa and South America of the time. The lecture shows how the fascinating and complex markings on the moon’s surface have intrigued us for centuries.
The Deadly Universe - 10 Ways It Could Kill Us
The Cosmos is a dangerous place, filled with forces we can barely imagine, creating unimaginable Doomsday possibilities. From Asteroid and Comet impacts to Black Holes and High Energy Gamma Ray radiation, there are many catastrophic scenarios we could encounter. This lecture looks at the 10 greatest risks that we face in the Universe, assesses if they pose a real danger to earth and considers if anything can be done to stop them.
Animals in Space - Paving the Way for Human Spaceflight
From the earliest space flights just after the Second World War to today, animals, insects and other organisms have been sent into space. They provide the background research that helps scientists predict and understand the effects of being in space. The data gathered from these pioneer travelers makes safe human spaceflight a practical reality. From understanding the short term effect of weightlessness to assessing the long term risks of exposure to cosmic radiation, this lecture looks at the contribution these mainly unknown animals make to our understanding of the hazards of space travel.
Measuring the Universe – How do we know its such a big place?
From the Ancient Greeks to today, understanding the size of the Universe has been an enduring quest. How can astronomers calculate the huge distances involved without leaving earth? Learn how attempts to measure the size of the Universe resulted in Captain Cook landing in Australia and how observing distant stars and galaxies allows us to look back down the corridors of time.
Spots on the Sun – Blemishes on its perfect face
Sunspots have intrigued man since the Ancient Chinese. We now know that their patterns follow a complex 11 year cycle and they indicate cataclysmic events within the sun’s body. This lecture discusses how man has discovered why these curious solar phenomena occur, explains the serious effects they can have here on earth and looks at why the sun was recently at is most dormant in over 100 years.
Analysing Starlight – Understanding the Stars
Measuring and analysing starlight provides incredible information about the stars and galaxies that populate the Universe. Studying the colours of star light and it's brightness provides huge amounts of detailed information about their chemical make up, size and age. This lecture looks at the many techniques that astronomers use to look at starlight and how this leads them to develop ideas on the way the Universe works.
The Milky Way – Across Our Galaxy
The band of light that can often be seen on a clear dark night is our view through the local galaxy of which the solar system is a part. This lecture looks at its appearance, size, age, composition and structure. Understanding “The Galaxy” tells us a great deal about the rest of the Universe.
Exploring the Solar System - Getting to know our Neighbours
From the inner planets, boiling hot and close to the sun to the frozen wastes of Pluto and beyond, the lecture voyages around all the principal objects in our solar system and looks at our current understanding of how they orbit the sun, what they are like and how they were formed. Discover how life on Mars has captured man’s imagination and why Pluto is no longer a planet.
Sundials – Telling the time with a shadow
Sundials have been around since the earliest times. Despite being known as the simplest form of clock, they can be very accurate timepieces and often are sophisticated works of art. How do they work? How accurate are they? Why are there so many different types? What do you do if there is no sun or it is nighttime?
A History of Astronomy - from Megaliths to the Hubble Telescope
The study of astronomy is probably the oldest science. Since early man, understanding the night sky has been important for man's survival and growth. Outlining the progress man has made in understanding the solar system and the mechanisms that drive the Universe, the lecture provides a summary of 5,000 years of human endeavor.
A History of Astronomy in Australia - From Aboriginal beliefs to modern observatories.
Australian Aborigines have passed down from generation to generation their knowledge of the night sky and how it came to exist. In the last two and a half centuries, modern Australian astronomers have made important contributions to our knowledge of the Universe. The lecture shows how astronomy has shaped Australian history and the significant research Australia has made and continues to make to astronomy.
Astronomy and Photography - from Sun Pictures to CCD's
Many of the early inventors involved in photography were astronomers and the two sciences have been closely linked since the very earliest days. Many of the great discoveries in astronomy since the middle of the nineteenth century have relied on photography. Modern professional astronomers rarely look through telescopes, they use them as giant cameras to photograph the night sky. The lecture reviews the technology of photograph as it applies to astronomy, from early, complex chemical plates to modern digital devices.
An Evening with the Telescope - Astronomers at Work
We imagine astronomers spend their time looking though the eyepiece of a telescope. While this was true for hundreds of years, today they are more likely to be sitting in front of a computer screen, controlling a telescope that might be on the other side of the world or even in space. Learn how the work of astronomers has changed since the telescope's invention in 1608 and how the modern astronomer carries out his research.
Observing The Night Sky - for presentation out of doors.
A tour of the objects visible in the night sky including observable planets, the moon, stars, nebula and galaxies. A history of the constellations that can be seen and the myths and legends associated with them.