Some of The Local Group participants will give presentations to adult and youth groups and schools. A selection of presentations are listed below, most of which can be tailored to the needs of the audience. Assistance can also be provided to Scouting and related organisations in working towards their 'Astronomer Badge'. For further details and pricing please e-mail astro@thelocalgroup.org.uk
Typical Presentations:
The Space Elevator: Simon Allen
Getting into space is expensive. This presentation looks at a lower cost alternative, first proposed in the 1920's. Today's technology could change a dream into reality.
The Celestial Sphere: David Pulley
Understanding how the stars move across the sky is fundamental to knowing when and where to look. We examine this motion and see why the length of the solar day differs from that of a star day. This leads on to how astronomers specify the position of an object in the night sky and how their positions change with time seeing what the night sky looked like in the times of Aristotle.
Stellar Evolution and the Winter Night Sky: David Pulley
The winter night sky gives us a good opportunity to examine the various phases in the life of a star, from birth in the Orion Nebula to their death in the Crab nebula. Along the way we can examine some of the myths from the ancient civiisations behind the constellations and some of the paintings from the old masters depicting these stories.
Binary Stars: David Pulley
Binary systems provide astronomers with a wealth of information about star evolution and in many cases provide the only means of unravelling the mysteries of the night sky. We will examine the first observations of binary systems by William Herschel in the 1780's to making your own measurements of light curves.
A Tour of the Night Sky: David Pulley
Using a planetarium software package a tour will be made of the night sky looking at stars, planets and constellations and explaining how to find your way around the sky~ where is the pole star and where do you look to find planets. An explanation of the size of the solar system and universe will be given. Weather permitting, observing with binoculars or a small telescope is possible (for autumn and winter months).
The iPad Astronomer : Simon Allen
The introduction of the iPad has attracted the astronomer. This talk reviews what is available and the power of the iPad to display, calculate and educate. The presenter is the author of the iPad Astronomer. www.ipadastronomer.com.
The Triangle: Simon Allen
The triangle underlies the whole of astronomical calculations. This talk goes from first principles to the solving of all 2D triangles. Suitable for all from 10 years upwards.