A (Potted) History of the Telescope
Ninian Boyle (BBC Sky at Night, Venturescope)

As an experiment, the INTECH cafe will stay open until 6:30pm this evening. Come early for hot and cold food and drinks. If there is demand, this may be repeated on other lecture dates.

Lecture: The telescope is the tool of astronomers, but was it Galileo who invented it? How did it develop and where is it heading? Ninian will guide you through the myths and reality of this most extraordinary and versatile of scientific instruments.

Ninian Boyle is an experienced astronomer and Equipment Expert for the BBC Sky at Night Magazine. He is a Fellow of the Royal Astronomical Society and a member of the British Astronomical Association, and runs the telescope dealership 'Venturescope' based here in the South.

The Search for Extraterrestrial Life in the Universe
Prof Malcolm Coe (Southampton University)

Lecture: Perhaps the biggest question facing humankind is whether or not life exists elsewhere in the Universe. In the last 10 years there have been huge strides by astronomers and others towards answering this question….but we are not yet quite there. Probes to other parts of our Solar System, astronomical observations of planets around other stars, and theoretical understanding of how stellar systems evolve are all greatly helping in this quest. This talk will provide the latest scientific ideas and thoughts on this important topic.

Professor Malcolm Coe obtained his PhD in astrophysics from Imperial College, London before going off to work for NASA at the Goddard Space Flight Center for several years. Subsequently he moved to Southampton University where he has been since. He has given over 200 talks to non-specialist audiences of all ages.

Another INTECH event that might interest you:

Telescope Amnesty

Free drop-in advice session. Followed by a planetarium show about what you can look out in the night skies, by members of the BBC Sky at Night team. Planetarium tickets £6/£5. Click for further details.

Tour of the Universe
Dr Maggie Aderin-Pocock (Astrium)

Lecture: Go on a mind-expanding journey through space and time. From Earth, we travel through the solar system, out of our galaxy and beyond. As we go, Maggie gives details of the objects observed, considers the probability of finding life, and undertakes demonstrations with the audience.

Dr Aderin-Pocock has spent her career making bespoke instrumentation ranging from land mine detectors to telescopes systems. Maggie works for Astrium Ltd where she leads the optical instrumentation group. Here she works as a space scientist monitoring the variables of climate change. Maggie received a fellowship from the STFC enabling her do more science communication.

What Can We Know About the Universe?
Prof Russell Stannard OBE (Open University)

Lecture: An introduction to the remarkable advances that have been made in our understanding of the universe, and also to the questions that remain - some of which might never be answered.

Professor Russell Stannard is Emeritus Professor of Physics at the Open University. A high energy nuclear physicist, he has carried out research at CERN in Geneva and at other laboratories in USA nad Europe. He is a trustee of the John Templeton Foundation - an organisation promoting better relationships between science and religion. A prolific writer for both adults and children, his books are translated into 20 languages and have been shortlisted for many religious and scientific book prizes. He is particularly known for his "Uncle Albert" books. He has been a frequent broadcaster on TV and radio and has been a regular contributor to Radio 4's Thought for the Day.

Black Holes, Black Magic and Interstellar Travel
Prof John Brown (Astronomer Royal for Scotland, Glasgow University)

Lecture: Addressing the topics of gravity and relativity, their role in various cosmic bodies including black holes and their implications for travel over cosmic distances, illustrating some of the issues using magic effects.

Professor John Brown is Regius Professor of Astronomy and leader of the Astronomy and Astrophysics Research Group in the Department of Physics and Astronomy at the University of Glasgow, Scotland. As Astronomer Royal, he gives frequent planetarium shows and talks for schools, the public and amateur astronomical societies, and is also involved in using conjuring and other art forms to promote interest in science.

Impacts from Space and the Death of the Dinosaurs
Dr Paul Roche (Faulks Telescope Project)

Lecture: Millions of years ago, a huge asteroid strike is thought to have led to the death of the dinosaurs. What happened then, and could it happen again?

Dr Paul Roche is Director of the Faulkes Telescopes Project. He is also the UK National Schools' Astronomer (funded by PPARC), working all over the country with school groups, teachers, universities and amateur astronomers. Paul still dabbles in research, mainly working in the field of X-ray binaries and hot stars. He was previously a Lecturer in Astronomy at the University of Sussex and a research fellow at Southampton University.

Toys in the Sky: The Challenges of Space to the Human Mind
Neville Poulton (Astrium)

Lecture: Our exploration of the Final Frontier is almost entirely reliant on our skills in engineering & design of spacecraft; sometimes manned, sometimes unmanned, but always autonomous. So we will take a brief look behind the scenes. Some spacecraft fly low, usually looking at our planet; others fly high and provide us with incredible quality TV pictures or with mobile phone communications; some even travel the Universe in search of the Ultimate. All are ultra reliable. But how do you design structures when there’s no gravity? How do you point spacecraft in the right direction when there’s no north or south? And how do you control them?

They Really Did Land: Apollo at Forty
Piers Bizony (AETV)

Lecture: In this stunningly illustrated talk, Piers Bizony, one of Britain's leading space historians, talks us through the momentous events leading up to the first lunar landing in July 1969. Using high-definition photos taken during the mission, Bizony explains why Apollo 11 was such an amazing achievement. he also looks at NASA's plans to send people back to the moon by the year 2020. THEY REALLY DID LAND is a truly thought-provoking cultural exploration of this great adventure.

Piers Bizony is the author of Atom, the best-selling book linked to the recent BBC TV series. His other books include The Man Who Ran the Moon, an investigation into the politics of the space age, and 2001: Filming the Future, an award-winning account of the making of the world's greatest space fiction film - Stanley Kubrick's 2001.

10th September

PAST

Voyage to the Edge of the Universe... and Beyond
Dr Roberto Trotta (Oxford Astrophysics and Imperial College London)

Lecture: One of the most surprising discoveries in cosmology is that most of the Universe's contents are dark - i.e., 25% of the "cosmic recipe" is made of the mysterious dark matter, while 70% is in the form of an even more puzzling "dark energy", which appears to be ripping the Universe apart. Recent cosmological observations have revealed the existence of this "dark Universe", and shown that the stuff we are made of is only a tiny fraction of the cosmos. This spectacularly illustrated lecture will take you to the edge of the visible Universe, and beyond, into the mysterious realm of the Multiverse. Join the astronomers' and particle physicists' quest to shed light on the nature of the dark matter and the dark energy of the Universe!

Dr Roberto Trotta studies the characteristics of the Big Bang and works to determine the properties of dark energy and dark matter in the Universe. He takes part to many public engagement with science activities, involving children, students and adults and he regularly gives talks about astronomy and cosmology to very diverse audiences. He is a very experienced lecturer and presenter, and his science communication activities have won several awards, including the BA Lord Kelvin award and the Michelson Prize at Case Western Reserve University.

8th October

PAST

Galaxy Zoo
Alice Sheppard (Galaxy Zoo forum)

Before the lecture: as part of World Space Week, satellite engineers from EADS Astrium are bringing displays and objects to INTECH and will be available to chat to visitors before the lecture. Find out how satellites navigate, their part in your daily life, and how to design and build something to survive 15 years in space without any maintenance.

Lecture: There are hundreds of billions of galaxies in the Universe, each one different. A telescope photographed a million of them and the Galaxy Zoo team invited the public to help them classify the pictures. It now has over 150,000 volunteers and has been so successful that other science projects might start using volunteers in the same way. What have they discovered? And how can you take part in this project - and be part of real science?

Alice Sheppard got into astronomy not by qualifications but by interest - and so can all of you. She looks after the discussion forum of the Zoo, answers questions and hopes to help make citizen science available for everyone

11th November

PAST

Are we Star-dust or Nuclear Waste? The Story of the Birth and Death of Stars
Dr Robin Catchpole (Cambridge University)

Lecture: Stars are the origin of almost everything around us and their deaths, either by slowly fading away or in giant explosions, represent the ultimate triumph of gravity over matter.

Dr Robin Catchpole, recently retired as Senior Astronomer at the Royal Observatory Greenwich, spent much of his career in South Africa, has used the Hubble Space Telescope and done research on stars and galaxies.