Professor Mike Cruise The image is an artist’s impression of gravitational waves generated by binary neutron stars.Credit: R. Hurt/Caltech-JPL In 1916 Albert Einstein predicted that his new theory of gravitation, now called General Relativity, included wave modes which could propagate in vacuum a little like electromagnetism. These modes- the “gravitational” waves- were predicted by Einstein […]
Hugh Allen 2024 is the bicentenary of the birth of Sir William Huggins, the Victorian pioneer of astronomical spectroscopy. The talk is a celebration of William’s life and work, and also of the contribution of his wife and scientific collaborator Margaret Huggins. By using extracts from William and Margaret’s scientific papers and correspondence, and illustrated […]
Join us for a packed day of talks exploring the life and work of Victorian polymath, Sir John Herschel. Sir John Herschel (1792-1871), son of the astronomer William Herschel and nephew to Caroline Herschel, was the most influential natural philosopher of the Victorian period. His long career encompassed astronomy, mathematics, physics, geology, chemistry, as well […]
Richard Cox and Professor Mike Edmunds Image credit: Richard Cox Jantar Mantar translated means Instrument Calculation which refers to the functions of the instruments for astronomical measurements documenting the heavens based upon the principles of Galileo. The Jaipur site, the largest of the four existing Jantar Mantars has 18 instruments. This site was created in […]
Dr Emily Winterburn Wednesday 3rd April 2024 7.30 pm in the BRLSI, can be attended either in the BRLSI or remotely on Zoom Meet John Herschel, much less famous today than either his father or his aunt yet in his day he represented the very definition of what a scientist should be. In 1824, as the […]
Monday 4th March 2024 7.30 pm in the BRLSI, can be attended either in the BRLSI or remotely on Zoom Part of a BRLSI series of events around International Women’s Day to celebrate Extraordinary Women. The image is from the book cover (see below), credit: Bodleian Library Ada, Countess of Lovelace, (1815-1852), is sometimes called […]
Elisabetta Strickland Friday 1st March 2024 7.30 pm in the BRLSI, can be attended either in the BRLSI or remotely on Zoom Part of a BRLSI series of events around International Women’s Day to celebrate Extraordinary Women. The image is at Somerville College, the artist is James Rannie Swinton (1844).Photo credit: Somerville College, University of […]
Nicholas Pallett Friday 2nd February 2024 7.30 pm in the BRLSI, can be attended either in the BRLSI or remotely on Zoom Johannes Kepler (1571-1630) – astronomer, mathematician, visionary, dreamer, explorer, astrologer is best known for his laws of planetary motion, providing one of the foundations for Isaac Newton’s theory of universal gravitation.An illustrated talk […]
Dr Isobel Romero-Shaw Friday 5th January 2024 7.30 pm in the BRLSI, can be attended either in the BRLSI or remotely on Zoom The image is a still from a video simulation of merging balck holes © NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center Gravitational waves — ripples in the space-time fabric of the Universe — were […]
Hazards, Situational awareness and responsible use of space Dr Philippe Blondel Friday 1st December 2023 7.30 pm in the BRLSI, can be attended either in the BRLSI or remotely on Zoom Lecture 4 of 4 on the theme ‘Conserving the Planet’ in association with the Herschel Museum of Astronomy Image shows the distribution of space […]