Introduction to Astronomy - November

Come along and have fun learning about how space telescopes revolutionise astronomy!

This months discussion builds on our talk in October about large ground-based telescopes are ideally located in remote and elevated locations to minimise light pollution, atmospheric distortion and to get above most of the water vapour which absorbs infrared wavelengths.

Firstly, we will review the atmospheric absorption of most light wavelengths before introducing the astronomers ultimate solution. Space Telescopes Part I will introduce you to six famous space telescopes before focusing, no pun intended, on the Galex, Hubble andSpitzer Space Telescopes which view the universe in ultraviolet, visible and infrared wavelengths respectively.

From there, we will discuss how images from these telescopes are combined and colourised to give insight into astronomical processes and provide the pretty pictures we see on the internet.A case study of these techniques used on the Matariki open star cluster is included, followed by how the field of astrometry also uses space satellites.

Space Telescopes Part II in November, after recapping the main points from Part I,  will focus on the Fermi Gamma-Ray Telescope,Chandra X-Ray Observatory and James Webb Space Telescope followed by a discussion of the Cosmic Microwave Background satellites.

Both parts stand on their own,but we encourage you to come along and enjoy both.