As you would expect my presentations are all Variable Star related. I make no excuse for this, as it's best to talk about stuff you know about!
Talks on Variable Stars don't usually lend themselves to nice astronomical photographs, but I do include lots of interesting animations to graphically demonstrate certain aspects of how variable stars behave, and which tends to keeps the general audience interested. These talks are aimed at both observers and 'armchair' astronomers, with the exception of the 'How to observe Variable Stars' presentation, which is definitely one for the active astronomer interested in making valuable Variable Star observations.
I'm prepared to travel up to 150 miles to talk to Astronomical Societies, but this could be extended depending on circumstances. Travelling expenses only (fuel diesel).
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Currently doing the rounds...
Variable Stars - How and Why They Vary!
A talk explaining why some stars vary in brightness - Pulsating, Symbiotic and Cataclysmic stars are covered. Slightly technical. PowerPoint presentation. Running time 60 minutes.
Stella Novae
From ancient records to modern day, this talk looks at Novae through the centuries - what the early astronomers thought Novae actually were, and finally a more detailed look at some landmark discoveries of the 19th/20th centuries. Running time 1 hour. PowerPoint.
An Introduction to Variable Star Observing
Would suit a mixed group of active and armchair astronomers. Here I give a brief account of the science behind a selection of Variable Stars, explain how to observe them and discuss the reasons why we observe them. Running time 60 minutes. PowerPoint.
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The Monster in the Crab
The story of the largest black hole yet detected - OJ287. This is an update to a talk I put together 12 years ago. It details the discovery of OJ287, Pro-Am campaigns to observe it since the 1990's, the results of these campaigns up to 2019 and the association with gravity waves. Running time 60 minutes. Powerpoint presentation.
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This page last updated May 8th 2023