News Letter #14

The final Newsletter of the academic year comes (to the day) on the 100th anniversary of the great Tunguska asteroid impact in Siberia. You are all most welcome to the Summer School lecture (given by myself): 'Tunguska - the legacy 100 years on', which will take place in the Bradleian theatre on Thursday 31st July at 5.15pm.

Apologies to any who had planned to come to the Summer Sky Tour. Work to irrigate the adjoining cricket pitch was potentially hazardous in terms of dust and dirt, so the Telescope was put under wraps. It will open again after the end of term.

The final hardware arrived and was installed in May, completing the telescope restoration; two very high-tech gearboxes from Germany mean that the drives are now zero-backlash and accurate enough to start CCD imaging and potential real Science, as well as being able to find more elusive dim objects.

The Summer School all-day course 'Archaeoastronomy' filled up very quickly, and the 1st August Solar eclipse (which is 22% partial from here) coincides with the last day of the course and the pagan feast of Lughnasadh (Lammas), the day potentially associated with the construction of Silbury Hill (beginning of the harvest). The course will see the start of the eclipse at the Dome from 10.30am (where you are welcome to join us) and will then move to Avebury to walk to Silbury Hill to watch the Druid climb to the top by 1pm. If you wish to follow in your own transport, there will be Solar goggles to watch the eclipse progress.

Despite an almost total absence of Sunspots, some good H-alpha observing was carried out this term and the Public Solar Open day was blessed with clear skies.

Next year's Diary is in production and will include the same diet of observations and non-weather dependent Q&A sessions. We will also add an evening where you are invited to bring your own telescopes or binoculars.

The 2008 Blackett Science lecture will take place at 8pm on Tuesday 25th November: We are fortunate to have the World's most successful planet hunter, Dr Don Pollacco from Queen's University Belfast, who will lecture on 'Discovering Extra-Solar planets'.

Next year has been designated International Year of Astronomy (IYA 2009); this will be accompanied by many events around the World and a particularly large 'European Astrofest' in London in February.

The College is now playing a leading role in UK Astronomy education: To coincide with IYA 2009, a new Specification for GCSE Astronomy 2009+ is being launched and the first full year of Astronomy at 6th form level is being offered via the new Extended Project Qualification.

At the suggestion of our President Philip Wetton, I also hope to run a Friends' tour to C.E.R.N (in Geneva) in the Spring, including a visit to the brand new Large Hadron Collider (LHC); more information will follow.

The Friends' 4th Anniversary Drinks will take place at 6.30pm on Saturday 27th September at the Dome, to which all rejoining Friends are invited.

All comments relating to the Friends' programme are most welcome and as ever do ring 07792 311 371 if you wish to check my availability. Any queries or suggestions please email me at ceb@marlboroughcollege.org.