Capturing new worlds: How to image an exoplanet. A feature article exploring how astronomers are seeking to take direct images of planets orbiting stars other than our own. Including what they have achieved so far, what they are planning next and how we may one day be able to see an ‘Earth-twin’ orbiting a star like the Sun. Published in the May 2019 issue of Astronomy Now magazine. Read it here.
It’s probably fair to say that I’m a bit of a science nerd. In fact, it’s a little more than that. I think that science is essential to how we develop as a species. It is an ongoing search for truth and understanding. It is how we rise above our own parochial views and engage with the bigger picture of the world around us. So when science comes under attack, I’m not going to just stand idly by. Continue reading
There’s something fascinating about the moon. It’s traditional among astronomers to grumble about the moon, and the full moon in particular, as the massive amount of sunlight that it reflects makes it nigh on impossible to see anything else in the night sky. But, personally, I’m a big fan of the Earth’s partner in crime. And so I was keen to make the very most of last night’s spectacular lunar eclipse. So much so that Molly (my Labrador) and I decamped into the garden for the night. Here’s our set up…
After a run of frustratingly cloudy weekends, last Saturday finally brought clear skies. And so it was with some enthusiasm that we opened up our astronomical society’s observatory for a public viewing session. We had to go for quite a late start, as the sky didn’t even begin to get dark until 10.30pm, but it was most definitely worth the wait. Continue reading
It was a lovely clear night on Saturday and I had the good fortune to be on the rota to open up the observatory for the evening. So wrapped up in several layers of thermals, fleece and hats, my fellow stargazers Alison, Stephen, Toby and I spent a very pleasant few hours gazing up at the night sky. Continue reading
Simon Perks 