 |
Talk - Lewes Astronomers
On August 29, 1975, if you had been gazing at the firmament
in the direction of the constellation of Cygnus at precisely
the right time, you would have witnessed what looked like the
birth of a new star. It’s one of the few documented times
that a nova has exploded to such a magnitude that it could be
seen with the naked eye. In his talk to The Lewes Astronomers
tonight, Dr Robert Smith from Sussex University, will be explaining
the phenomenon of novae in a lecture called ‘Stars That
Go Bang In The Night’. "Witnessing a novae explosion
is a once in a lifetime event," explains Robert, "so
I shall be focusing on dwarf novae which explode more frequently
although not so violently. They can rise in hours and often
only stay at their brightest for just 24 hours." So, when
an explosion is spotted in actual space, cyberspace ignites,
and within hours, amateurs around the world swing their telescopes
into action and watch the show. The lecture will last for about
an hour and cover the best ways to observe such a celestial
event as well the physics behind the explosions (gravity, apparently,
and Dr Smith warns that the science will be pretty detailed).
The evening will end - cloud cover permitting - outside with
a look at the current empyrean treats.
We’d love to see some new people come along,’ says
Alice Smol from The Lewes Astronomers who organises these monthly
lectures. ‘Southover Grange is a beautiful building and
there’s tea and coffee for everyone.’ Intellectual
stimulation, gorgeous surroundings and a caffeine high - all
for £2.50. JM |
|
|
Reassuringly explosive: stellar
damage, late at night |
