Open Dome Event – A Yardstick for our Solar System, 28th June 2013

[Guest dawson]

Nottingham Trent University:

 

The solar system is our galactic back yard and nothing compared to the size of the Galaxy or the entire observable Universe. But still space probes need decades to travel through it. However already ancient astronomers were able to determine distances between Earth, Moon and Sun.

 

Mr Ahmed (AstroCom) will be illustrating how basic naked eye observation and geometry led us to determine the distance to the Moon and the Sun more than 2000 years ago. He will also talk about how in the 16th century this yardstick helped us to determine distances to our planets.

 

The event will start at 4pm at the NTU observatory where visitors will get a tour of the NTU observatory and the chance to see the Sun with the observatory’s solar scope or small telescopes if the weather allows it.

 

If the weather is not good, a small planetarium session will be offered in the observatory pointing out objects of interest.

At 5pm we will continue to CEL 015 for the talk on A Yardstick for our Solar System.

 

Booking is required for this event. Please contact Daniel Brown to register.

 

For further information about the optical observatory, please visit the observatory website.

 

From:

 

http://www.ntu.ac.uk/cels/outreach/events/140930.html

 

James

 

(I'm not going as it clashes with work)

[Guest endure]

Thanks. I really enjoyed the last one. I hope I won't have to take notes  

[Guest dawson]

Richard, if you go you'll have to report back and give us a bit of a summary Or try and get hold of the slides!

 

I'm teasing. But if there are some learning points, and you've got time to type them up that would be useful.

 

James

[Guest Tibbz2]

Indeed I always enjoy reading about events and stuff like this

[Guest endure]

I'll see if I can use my undoubted charm to blag a set of slides but I hope I'm not doing it because you're both too idle to go yourselves 

[Guest dawson]

Haha, i'll be stuck at work. I doubt you'll get the slides so make good notes

[Guest endure]

Just had an email. Due to low numbers it's been cancelled.

[Daz Type-R]

Why do they decide to do these events on a weekday?

 

How many people are still at work at 4pm on a Friday afternoon?

 

I`m not surprised it has been canned to be honest, 4pm on a Saturday and I would be there!

[Guest endure]

Presumably because the people who are giving them do so during their working hours?

[Guest Tibbz2]

True, but they would get a much larger attendance if they were at 'better' times which is a shame

[Guest dawson]

I think in the summer they try to get some solar observing in before the lecture, so it needs to be early while the sun is still above the observatories horizon.

The other thing is i suspect they do not get much (if any funding) for the events, so its a "like it or lump it" cenario i guess, and as said above it wohld be easier to fit it into the working day rather than having to go home and come back in to work at 8pm; they also use current students to host talks and to help out making tea and selling home made cakes and they are probably readily available at the end of the day, but may be scarce at 8pm on campus.

I agree its near impossible for me to get there for 4 or even 5 on a wednesday.

James