IOP Christmas Lecture 2016 - Extreme Astronomy: Observing the Hawaiian Skies
The best places to observe the night sky also have some of the most extreme conditions on the planet. British astronomers have been visiting Hawai'i to access the telescopes at an altitude of 4,200m on the summit of Mauna Kea!
In this lecture, Darren Baskill will discuss his personal perspective on making astronomical observations in harsh conditions using the UK Infra-Red Telescope (UKIRT) on Mauna Kea. You will also get to witness his amazing astrophotography and get some tips on taking great photos of the night sky!
Date: Thursday 15 Dec, 18:00 ââ¬â 19:30
Location: The Lecture will take place in Lecture Theatre C, Building 46, Room 2005
FREE Mince Pies! There will be a limited number of festive refreshments available in the Physics and Astronomy Foyer from 18:00.
About Dr Darren Baskill
After many enjoyable years at the University of Leicester, where I did a degree in astro-physics, a PhD in X-ray astronomy, and was then the calibration scientist for the EPIC-MOS camera's on board the XMM-Newton space telescope, I moved to the Royal Observatory Greenwich to take up my "hobby" of public outreach full time.
At the Royal Observatory Greenwich, I was an astronomy educator, presenting and developing planetarium shows using the E&S Digitstar 3 system. I still freelance at the observatory.
Since 2009, I have been the SEPnet Physics outreach officer at the University of Sussex, where I manage the outreach programs of both the Physics & Astronomy, and Maths departments. I also teach undergraduates, both lecture courses and in the labs.
Over the years I've written numerous magazine articles on astronomy, contributed to the Oxford Dictionary of Astronomy and the book "30-second Astronomy" (published in 2013).