The Colour of Space

Join Dr. Adrian Jannetta for a fascinating exploration of the universe over five weeks!

We will cover planets, stars and constellations in the sky at this time of year and take deep dives into relevant concepts. Suitable for beginners of all ages.

Week 1 / The Winter Night Sky

This week will focus on the stars and constellations visible in the night sky. Jupiter will be shining brightly in the evening sky, so we’ll take a tour of the giant planet and its moons.

Week 2 / The colour of space

Astronomers can’t get a complete picture of the universe using ordinary, optical telescopes. This week we’ll examine how the universe would look if our eyes could see other frequencies of light. From radio waves to gamma rays – some of the most exotic objects in the universe – pulsars, black holes, gamma-ray bursts – are better seen in colours we can’t naturally detect with our eyes..

Week 3 / The Moon

This week – a tour of our nearest neighbour in space. Identifying craters and mares with binoculars and telescopes. The origin of the moon. Tides. The evolution of the Earth-moon system.

Week 4 / Modern cosmology

It has been almost 100 years since astronomers discovered that the universe is expanding. This week we’ll recap the evidence for the expansion and what possible fates await the universe in the distant future. We’ll explore evidence for dark matter and dark energy and why some astronomers think we just don’t understand gravity as well as we should.

Week 5 / The Spring Night Sky.

This final session bookends the course with a tour of the coming spring night sky. The planet Venus will reappear in the evening sky so we’ll take a closer look at the planet described as “Earth’s evil twin”! The constellations Ursa Major (and the asterism known as The Plough) are high in the sky. We’ll take a flight to the heart of the Virgo Cluster of galaxies where a cosmic monster lurks.

This course will be delivered via Zoom. If you haven’t used Zoom before, please go to www.zoom.us and look at the tutorials. Once you have booked, you will find the Zoom invitation in the Online Event Page on Eventbrite. You will also receive an email with the invitation 24 hours before the event. If you can’t find the invitation, please email berwickea@gmail.com.

All bookings are subject to our Terms and Conditions. If you book this course online, we will hold your personal data in accordance with our privacy policy. If you do not wish us to hold your personal data, please book by post (see www.berwickea.co.uk) and do not supply an email address.