TOUR OF THE UNIVERSE

with Media Partner BBC Sky at Night Magazine

October 2014

 

 

 

'A first and a triumph'

... Professor Chris Lintott, astrophysicist and co-presenter of the BBC Sky at Night television programme.

 

'I can honestly say one of the best, if not the best production of astronomy I have seen on a live stage'

... Peter J Williamson, FRAS

'Consummate professionals.  Highly engaging and refreshing'
... Chris Wood, Vectis Astronomical Society
 

TOUR OF THE UNIVERSE launched at Downton Moot, Wiltshire on 27 September 2014 where a 250+ crowd joined us in an outside medieval amphitheatre for a taste of our National Tour with media partner BBC Sky at Night Magazine.  It was a huge success ...

... and was followed by the big theatre official launch at Dorking Halls on Saturday 4th October 2014 where with host and co-presenter, rocket scientist Neil Phillipson, Professor Chris Lintott, and myself we brought our unique take on astronomy to a 400+ audience.

 

From there we presented at The Nottingham Playhouse, the Altrincham Garrick Playhouse, Manchester, The Epstein, Liverpool, The Atkinson, Southport, the King's Theatre, Cardiff and The Cresset in Peterborough.

 

Just the most fabulous three weeks.  Amazing audiences.  Overwhelming feedback, both on scene, but also on Twitter and Facebook. 

 

And this is not the end.  We've already been booked for the major SOLARSPHERE Event in Wales in August next year, with more offers in the pipeline.

 

And TOUR OF THE UNIVERSE 2 - a bigger and even better tour - is already being planned!

 

If you missed us this year - join us in 2015!

 

Below are some of the highlights ...

 

Co-host, Neil Phillipson, and me, presenting the 'news segment'

at the inaugural Dorking Halls event.

The chat show segment with Professor Chris Lintott

Book-signing at Dorking Halls

In action at the Nottingham Playhouse

 

Neil in full flow!

 

The Altrinchum Garrick, Manchester

Twenty seconds to go but what to do with a microphone?!

 

The historic Epstein Theatre in Liverpool - all set to go!

 

BBC's Stargazing Live's Mark Thompson with host, Neil Phillipson,

pre-show at The Cresset, Peterborough

 

Book-signing with Mark, post-show, Peterborough

 

And again ...

 

Another fan ... starting young!

 

Just the most amazing journey!

An enormous thank you to our amazing special guests:

 

Professor Chris Lintott

Will Gater

Mark Thompson

Dr Maggie Aderin-Pocock

Dr Rhodri Evans

 

Equally enormous thank you to my host, co-presenter and friend, Neil Phillipson and Adele Horton - organiser, all-round invaluable wonder-worker, and friend.

So many happy memories!

Join us next year when we'll be doing it all again, and more!

 

TOUR OF THE UNIVERSE: Official Website

 

ENCOUNTERS 2014

 

Presentation
at the
Historic Library Airdrie Observatory
Monday 6 October

From left, Aileen (secretary) Jack (operator), Jim and Bob (curators) and me

with the famous 6" Cooke refractor at the historic Airdrie Observatory.

Image credit:  Alan Watson

 

A wonderful evening with some truly fabulous people who were warm, welcoming and enormously enthusiastic.  I was honoured to be their first female speaker, and felt amongst friends.  What a trip and what an unforgettable evening. 

A big sincere thank you to all!

 

 Image credit: Alan Watson



ASTRONOMY FM

UNDER BRITISH SKIES

Sunday 17 August 2014

2000hrs BST

 

 

COMET 67P/CHURYUMOV-GERASIMENKO

and

the ESA and NASA ROSETTA MISSION

 

Comet 67P/C-G imaged on 7 August 2014 by the Rosetta spacecraft's OSIRIS narrow-angle camera when 65 miles away from the 2.5 mile wide nucleus.

 

 

I was extremely privileged to join Richie Jarvis and Paul Harper, the hosts of Astronomy FM Under British Skies, for a live radio show in which we discussed the thrilling ESA/NASA Rosetta Mission to Comet 67P/C-G.

 

Our special guests included: Dr Colin Snodgrass, Marie Curie post-doctoral Fellow at the Max Planck Institute and co-ordinator of the ground-based observations of professional observers.  He is also a specialist on the Rosetta OSIRIS camera team; Dr Claudia Alexander, a Rosetta Project Scientist at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) and Dr Padma Yanamandra-Fisher of the Space Science Institute and Rosetta co-ordinator for amateur observers.

 

Pre-records for this programme were also contributed by Dr Matt Taylor, ESA Rosetta Project Scientist, and Dr Joel Parker, a Director at the Southwest Research Institute, Project Manager/Science Team Member on several space missions, including LRO and New Horizons, and Deputy Principal Investigator for NASA's Rosetta ALICE instrument.

 

It was a fascinating broadcast and is now available as a podcast below:

 

Click here for the Astro FM UBS Rosetta podcast

 

Look out for more Astronomy FM Under British Skies radio shows as the exciting Rosetta spacecraft drops its lander onto Comet 67P/C-G's surface and continues its journey towards perihelion in August 2015.