Faculty of Technology
University supports BBC's national Stargazing Live event
Mon, Jan 16, 2012
They will join other local astronomical groups at the Spinnaker Tower to provide an evening of education and entertainment on Tuesday 17 January. The iconic Portsmouth landmark is hosting the free event, inviting people of all ages and astronomical ability to learn about and share their interest in our skies and stars.
The event is just one of hundreds around the country which are linking up with the BBC’s popular Stargazing Live show which sees Professor Brian Cox and Dara O Briain broadcast live from the control room of the Jodrell Bank Observatory.
During the event, which runs from 5 - 10pm, guests will be whisked to the top of the tower and invited to stargaze 100 metres above Portsmouth Harbour.
Staff from the University’s Institute of Cosmology and Gravitation (ICG) are stationed on two different levels of the tower representing 'Suns and Planets Across the Galaxy' and 'The Universe Beyond. They will give expert information on topics such as 'exo-planets,' dark matter and astronomy in general, as well as providing hands-on activities for younger guests. And at the base of the tower where non-ticketed activities are held, ICG staff are hosting a ‘genius bar’ to answer the public's questions about the Universe.
The ICG’s Dr Karen Masters said that the event was a fabulous opportunity to join thousands of stargazers across the country and to help the general public understand more about the night sky.
She said: “The secrets of our universe continue to intrigue and perplex everyone from the world’s leading cosmologists to people who just look up at the stars when they’re out for the evening. This is a fantastic opportunity in a great location for people to look up and discover more about where planet Earth fits into the bigger picture.”
The live event is being covered by local television and radio who will broadcast directly from the Spinnaker Tower. During the evening the Tower’s lights will be switched off to reduce light pollution for the duration of the event and to allow amateurs and experts alike to see as much of the night sky as possible.
Other local organisations are joining in with the South East Physics network providing atom-building with Lego and a particle zoo, while students at the Portsmouth Grammar School have designed a Solar System exhibit and will demonstrate hands-on physics experiments.
Tickets for the activities leading up the Tower are now sold out but people can still attend non-ticketed activities on the ground floor.
And later in the week, Karen and colleagues from the ICG are running three more events at Gunwharf Quays under the title ‘Astronomy in the City’ on clear nights only from Thursday 19 – Saturday 21st January. Members of the public are invited to come along and get a closer look at the night sky through simple telescopes.
Dr Masters said: “We’ll be focussing on the stars, nebulae and the moons and stripes of planet Jupiter because it’s one of the planets that is most visible to us at the moment, but people can chat with us about what interests them. We'll do our best to answer any question about stargazing, the Universe or being a scientist.”
Astronomy in the City will meet at Gunwharf’s plaza - near the tail of the whale statue between 5-8pm on 19, 20 and 21 January but will be cancelled on nights with poor weather conditions. Please check the website for updates.
Stargazing Live starts this evening at 8.30pm on BBC 2 and continues Tuesday and Wednesday evenings at 8pm.