Tag Archive for: observatory

Win a Free Astronomy Trip to the Alps

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The European Southern Observatory is organising an Astronomy Camp at the beautiful (if awkwardly-named) Astronomical Observatory of the Autonomous Region of the Aosta Valley, in the Italian Alps. It’s pictured above, and sounds like an impressive place to hang out for a week of lectures, hands-on activities, observing sessions… and winter sports and excursions. Here are the details:

  • 26th December 2016 to 1st January 2017
  • Open to students aged 16-18 years (ie. born 1998, 99, 2000).
  • Working language: English
  • Camp fee: €500… but read on!

How to apply

The camp is open to maximum 56 secondary school students from a list of countries including the ESO Member States (which includes the UK). There are more details and a web form on the Camp web page, and you’ll also need to submit a video. Your film should be in English, last no longer than three minutes, and be on the theme: “I would most like to discover/invent …… because……..”.

Submission deadline: 4th October 2016.

The applicant with the best entry from one of ESO’s Member States will win an ESO bursary to cover the complete cost. In the UK, the Royal Astronomical Society will also contribute to costs for the country’s best entries.

This sounds like one of those things you never quite dream you could win, but somebody has to, and for those who do it could be a life-changing experience. The full programme (on the camp website) looks jam-packed, exhausting, and huge fun. Get your application in, and please please let us know if you’re one of the 56 students. Send us a postcard, at least!

Heading image: ESO/V. Vicenzi.

Kielder Observatory trip – 26th February

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Another month, another four schools, another 30 students; we seem to be making a habit of trucking people up to the Kielder Observatory. No snow this time, so our intrepid driver Steve bounced us up the track, and we managed to get some good observing in before the high cloud closed over. Luke from the Observatory then gave us a joyous romp through the exciting bits of astronomy and cosmology (absorption spectra! Woo! — no, really, I did go a bit giddy about absorption spectra), and all too soon we were back on the coach heading home.

The thin cloud layer and absent moon made for a relatively lousy night for photography, so there aren’t many shots:

Here’s Becki welcoming us to the Observatory, as we huddle in the one vaguely-warm part of the site and get properly dark-adapted:

Luke’s observing station, with 3- and 5-inch refractors set up and ready to go:

…and a group observing from that station, a few minutes later:

The 16” Reflector was in use. Here it is slewing across the sky while my shutter was open:

…and here’s an arty shot of the housing. The smudge of stars left of centre is – if I’m not mistaken – the Pleiades cluster.

Finally, my best shot of the night: Becki’s observing group out on the deck, with Orion directly above the telescope. Top left of Orion is Betelgeuse, looking much more red than Rigel, down the bottom-right of the constellation.

As ever, it’s quite a trek out to the Observatory (as Becki put it: Kielder is the most remote village in England, so the Observatory is outside the most remote village), but it’s well worth it, particularly if you’re lucky with the weather. Keep an eye on Kielder’s Events page (or this handy availability checker) and book yourself into a session!

Big thanks to the Observatory staff, and we’ll hope to be back again soon.