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GALEX: The Andromeda Galaxy

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Projects - GCSE Drawings

News: 11th April

External lecture: CEB gave the talk 'Archaeoastronomy - the dawn of Science' to some 35 members of Cranbrook and District Science and Astronomy Society

26th March

Friends outing: 17 Friends joined CEB for an excellent visit to LOFAR, the new Radio telescope at Chilbolton. The Tour and talk was arrnged through Oxford Astrophysics and we were looked after by 2 Post Grads from the Department

23rd March

Outreach lecture: CEB gave the talk 'Archaeoastronomy - the dawn of science' to some 60 members of Bristol Astronomical Society

22nd March

Sun-Earth day lecture: CEB gave the 10th Sun-Earth Day lecture 'Finding other Earths - the success of exoplanets searches' to some 35 Friends and visitors in the Ellis Theatre

20th March

Spring Sky observing: As the Sun set due west, Venus then Jupiter appeared in the only gap in cloud. The 10 inch viewed Venus for the first time in a while and showed its half-illuminated phase as it approaches Greatest Eastern Elongation (GEE). The clouds quickly closed in and the evening was abandonned

15th March

Lecture: CEB delivered the talk 'The oldest GOTO telescope in the World' to a group of some 30 members of Andover Astronomical Society

1st March

House visit: The last House visit of the academic year took place as 10 pupils form B1 Shell came up to the Dome. Though there was a good deal of moisture and the temprature was mild, the sky was clear and enabled Jupiter and 3 moons to be seen in the ETX and the First Quarter Moon in the binos, with good shadows on the Terminator. The 10 inch turned for the first time to Mars as it approaches Opposition. At 90x and 170x it showed the Northern ice-cap clearly and some darker markings were visible in the central disc

GCSE Observing: 4 Hundreds astronomers came up as the cloud closed in. Just a couple of gaps allowed 2 stellar density measurements and some poor drawings of M42 to take place

23rd February

House visit: 9 pupils from LI Shell came up to the Dome. The sky was cloudy

Next House visit: Thursday 1st March (B1)

17th February

Outreach lecture: CEB gave the talk 'Archaeoastronomy - the dawn of Science' to some 25 members of Swindon Stargazers astronomical society

13th February

Astronomy for All lecture: CEB gave the first of the 2012 series 'Finding other Earths' to a diverse audience at Green Templeton College Oxford

7th February

GCSE Observing: Despite the bright light of the Full Snow Moon and slight high haze (giving poor seeing) 3 Remove and 11 Hundred pupils came up to the Dome to do final Controlled Assessemnt observations. The extremely low temperature (-4 outside the Dome) meant that drawings were done quickly and efficiently. Binos were used for M45 and Stellar Density counts and the ETX for M42. The 10 inch, for a change, tracked Jupiter and 4 moons. Mars was bright and viewed in the ETX.

6th February

School visit: 11 year 11 pupils (all doing GCSE Astronomy) and 2 staff from Wootton Bassett and a Primary School teacher came up to the Dome. Unfortunately the evening was milder and completely foggy

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