Conference (2013)
Conference
The conference programme is divided into morning and afternoon sessions with tea and coffee breaks. Tickets can be purchased for a single session or in any other combination (see the tickets page for details). The conference programme was organised by Ian Ridpath. He is joined by Iain Nicolson in charing the conference. Find out more about Ian and Iain on our Meet the Chairmen page. Each talk lasts 30 minutes. The complete programme appears below. Click on each title for more information.
We are sorry, but we are now sold out of tickets for Sessions Three and Four of the conference (Saturday). We still have tickets for the Friday sessions. Please book now to avoid disappointment.
Photography by Max Alexander.
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Friday, February 8, 2013
Session 1 (morning)
10.00 The molecule that made the Universe
Steve Miller, University College London
10.35 Cracks in the crust – rift valleys on the Earth and planets
Mike Kendall, University of Bristol
11.10 Coffee break
11.40 From daguerreotype to CCD – how photography changed astronomy
Craig Mackay, Institute of Astronomy, University of Cambridge
12.15 Can you hear black holes collide?
Nils Andersson, University of Southampton
12.50 Lunch break
Session 2 (afternoon)
14.30 An astronomer’s life: trips to the mountain tops
Brigette Hesman, University of Maryland and NASA Goddard Space Flight Center
15.05 The Skylon spaceplane – flying into orbit
Alan Bond, Reaction Engines Ltd
15.40 Tea break
16.15 Secrets of the superstars
Ian Bonnell, University of St Andrews
16.50 Galaxies in the ultraviolet
Barry Madore, Carnegie Observatories
17.30 Conference adjourns
18.00 Exhibition closes
Saturday, February 9, 2013
Session 3 (morning) – Sorry, this session is now sold out
10.00 The night sky in 37,440 exposures
Nick Risinger, SkySurvey.org
10.35 Mining the fossil record of the Milky Way
Brad Gibson, University of Central Lancashire
11.10 Coffee break
11.40 A brief history of Stephen Hawking
Lucy Hawking, Journalist and author
12.15 Cox and Ince at AstroFest
Brian Cox and Robin Ince
12.50 Lunch break
Session 4 (afternoon) – Sorry, this session is now sold out
14.30 Storm chasing on Saturn
Brigette Hesman, University of Maryland and NASA Goddard Space Flight Center
15.05 Do we need the Moon?
Maggie Aderin-Pocock, University College London
15.40 Tea break
16.15 The Hubble constant: Measuring the age and size of the Universe
Barry Madore, Carnegie Observatories
16.50 Remembering Patrick Moore
Allan Chapman, Jon Culshaw, Jane Fletcher, Chris Lintott, Brian May, Iain Nicolson & Robin Rees
17.30 Conference ends
18.00 Exhibition closes
Conference programme subject to change due to circumstances beyond our control.