A free talk for families with children aged 9 years and above by Dr Bob Fosbury, an astronomer who worked for 26 years at the European Space Agency (ESA) as part of ESA’s collaboration with NASA on the Hubble Space Telescope.
Sir William Herschel accidentally discovered Infrared radiation in 1800 through a simple experiment using a prism and thermometer to measure the heat in each colour of the spectrum. He noticed that a higher temperature occurred where there was no visible light. Scientists have been exploring this ‘invisible light’ ever since. Dr Fosbury will explain the importance of infrared in astronomy in the 21st century, helping scientists to discover black holes and life on other planets and look back in time to how galaxies were formed.
Please note: the talk will be held in the Servants’ Hall education room at No. 1 Royal Crescent and afterwards, families are invited to visit the Herschel Museum of Astronomy (10 minutes walk) and its new ‘Invisible Light’ exhibition about infrared (exhibition is open from 16 March – 31 December 2019; normal admission charges apply).
Please email Karen Power, Learning & Engagement Assistant, to reserve places (40 available; a maximum of 3 places per family). kpower@bptrust.org.uk
Image ©ESA