​School classes and university guest lecturing 

Our astronomer is available to give entertaining and educational talks on various aspects of the sun and the asteroids. We will only charge £30 (schools) or £75 (higher education) plus reasonable travel and materials expenses. Topics available for presentation include:
 
School level

• Where on Earth is the Earth? – our place in the Universe

    

• Asteroids and the death of the dinosaurs

 

• Mars missions; Space weather and the effects of the Sun, on Earth and astronauts

 

• The physics of the Sun (Highers/’A’ level)

 

• An introduction to applied maths in astronomy (Highers/’A’ level)

 
Higher Education level

• An introduction to orbital dynamics (0rbital elements; Newtonian forces; orbital velocity and acceleration)

 

• Distance and scale within astronomy (units; stellar parallax; modulus equation, Cepheids; supernovae)

 

• Asteroid orbits: Identification and evolution through gravitational, non-gravitational and collisional forces (types; Tisserand criteria; collision dynamics; Yarkovsky effect)

 

• The nature and reality of asteroids (nomenclature and identification; classifications, families)

 

• Stellar structure (equations of state; hydrostatic equilibrium; pressure / density and introduction to polytropes)

 

• Solar energy (Kelvin-Helmholtz; fusion processes; energy transport; radiation and convection regions)

 
Topics and classes will be taught at the median level of students’ abilities which will be discussed and agreed beforehand with the course coordinator or class teacher / lecturer.

Our astronomer holds enhanced DBS certification.

Please contact us to discuss or arrange a booking.