Sunspots ~ Barry Soden

Sunspots are temporary phenomena on the photosphere of the Sun that appear visibly as dark spots compared to surrounding regions. They correspond to concentrations of magnetic field that inhibit convection and result in reduced surface temperature compared to the surrounding photosphere. Sunspots usually appear as pairs, with each spot having the opposite magnetic polarity of the other.  Barry’s talk will be on the history of observation of sunspots, and the understanding we now have of their nature and their effects on our planet.

At home in Laniakea ~ David Hornsby

The Laniakea Supercluster is the galaxy supercluster that is home to the Milky Way, our galaxy, and therefore to our Solar System and the Earth.  David will describe the latest thoughts on how we define this supercluster which is our home.

A visit to the Mullard Space Science Laboratory ~ Edgar Walker

The UCL Mullard Space Science Laboratory (MSSL) is the United Kingdom's largest university space research group. MSSL is the Department of Space and Climate Physics of the University College London.  Located close to Redhill in Surrey, Edgar recently paid them a visit.