Space Weather and the Earth’s Magnetic Shield

Wednesday, 7th October 2015 – Space Weather and the Earth’s Magnetic Shield – Prof. John Shaw

The Earth’s magnetic field shields the Earth from the solar wind and high energy particles that are released from the sun during solar storms. Is the magnetic shield constant or does it change, can it collapse completely? What do we know about the behaviour of the magnetic field in the past? What could happen to civilisation if the field decreases? The answers to these and many other questions can be found in the ancient recordings stored in ceramics and rocks. John Shaw gave us a fascinating account of how the earth’s magnetic field protects us from harmful rays and particles ejected from the surface of the sun, and went on to explain what might happen if the magnetic field disappeared. He rounded off the talk by showing us how to make a DIY megnetometer, mainly using a handful of household objects.

2013: Year of the Comets

Wednesday, 5th June 2013 – Phillip Pendred had a science career, specialising in haematology and blood transfusion, but has a wide range of other interests, including potholing, abseiling, cycling and dinghy sailing. Having spent 15 years in France following his retirement, he returned to the UK and is now a violinist in the Southport Orchestra!

However, it is his interest in Astronomy that brings him here to talk to us about comets. Appropriately, in 2013, it is predicted that a couple of bright comets will appear in our night skies, so come and learn all about comets with Phillip’s talk on 5th June. You might even learn how you can become a comet discoverer at home – without even moving from your armchair!

From Man on the Moon to Life in Cyberspace

Here’s a marvellous opportunity…read on!

At the North West U3As AGM in Chester Cathedral on Thursday 23 May, which is also to be a U3A Festival with lots of ancillary activities, there is a talk by Professor Nigel Linge (University of Salford) from 3.00 – 4.00 p.m. Any U3A member can attend the day, which is chock full of interesting things to do (see the NW U3A AGM 2013 invite and download the programme and booking form here)  The cost is just £5 to cover refreshments and you don’t have to attend the AGM at all – just do something different.

Professor Linge’s lecture, entitled, “From Man on the Moon to Life in Cyberspace”, takes 1969 as its starting point and explains how the early development of the Internet was achieved. It then goes on to trace the evolution of both the Internet and the World Wide Web to the point where today virtually every aspect of daily life has been impacted and influenced. Mankind may well have made a giant leap on reaching the Moon in 1969 but cyberspace has potentially had a far greater impact on us all since then!

Nigel Linge is Professor of Telecommunications at the University of Salford. An electronics engineer by profession, he is an experienced academic with over 25 years’ service and offers a series of popular general interest lectures that showcase the engineering achievements that lie at the heart of our telecommunications revolution and examine how our lives have been transformed.

Astronomy Day

This event is now SOLD OUT

The Liverpool John Moores University Astrophysics Department is holding its 8th Annual Merseyside Astronomy Day on Saturday 27th April 2013.

The day combines a series of talks by professional astrophysicists with the excitement and interest of a day out at Spaceport. The talks are spread throughout the day with some time to explore the Visitor Centre, take in a “Dome Show”, talk to fellow enthusiasts or simply admire the views of the stunning Liverpool skyline. Entrance to all the talks is free, but normal costs to enter Spaceport will apply (£5.50 for concessions). Spaces in the talks are strictly limited, so we strongly recommend that you book your place in advance.

Talks
Dr. Ben Davies, Senior Lecturer at LJMU:
“How to make a Supernova”

Dr. Chris Davis, Astronomer in Charge for the Liverpool Telescope:
“Astronomy at NASA: Life after the Hubble Space Telescope”

Dr. Ross McLure, Reader in Astrophysics at the University of Edinburgh:
“Hunting the earliest galaxies in the Universe”

Prof. Carole Mundell, Professor of Extragalactic Astronomy at LJMU:
”Big Bangs and Black Holes”

Further information about the day can be found on the website: www.astro.ljmu.ac.uk/MAD

Biology with high energy physics and rockets

Wednesday, 3rd October 2012 – Well, what a treat we had! Eddie Snell, son of our own Keith Snell, gave us a fascinating talk about the use of high-energy crystallography to analyse and deduce the molecular structure of complex biological macromolecules. Having refreshed us on just exactly what matter consists of – atoms (containing protons, neutrons and electrons) combined together to form molecules – Eddie explained how we find out the shape of these molecules using particle accelerators such as the Large Hadron Collider at CERN and the Diamond Light Source, the UK’s national synchrotron science facility, located at the Harwell Science and Innovation Campus in Oxfordshire. Eddie is a top specialist in the field of high energy crystallography and has worked at NASA, so he also talked about his work with the Space Shuttle and International Space Station programmes. A truly energetic afternoon!

Exoplanets and the Liverpool Telescope

Tuesday, 5th April: Space is such a hot topic in science at the moment, with Brian Cox’s recent BBC TV series, “Wonders of the Universe” exemplifying the BBC’s commitment to popularising science, that we were particularly pleased to welcome Dr Andy Newsam.

Andy Newsam is Director of the National Schools’ Observatory and Reader in Astronomy Education at Liverpool John Moores University, and was the Institute of Physics Lecturer for 2009, which was also the International Year of Astronomy.

Andy gave a fascinating talk about the search for planets outside our own solar system (exoplanets) using various methods (Doppler Wobble, Transits and Interstellar Lenses), and how The Liverpool Telescope is playing an important part in this search effort.

Some links for further reading:

Exoplanets:
www.exoplanet.eu
www.exoplanet.org

Liverpool Telescope:
telescope.livjm.ac.uk

National Schools’ Observatory:
www.schoolsobservatory.org.uk

More on Exoplanets

The Mail on Sunday magazine recently included a full-page spread on some of the more interesting Exoplanets so far discovered. It also briefly describes six methods of detecting these exoplanets. Click on image for full size graphic.

The Great Moon Hoax

Tuesday 2nd March 2010: we had an extremely interesting, nay – thought provoking, talk from Dr. Steve Barrett from Liverpool University Physics Department entitled “The Evidence that the Apollo Moon Landings were Faked”.  Steve talked on how science is treated in the media, and presented the skeptics’ arguments, followed by systematic rebuttals of each of them.
Read the Great Moon Hoax – Steve’s talk about the Apollo Moon Landings