Upcoming Events
If you would like to contact us about any of the events below please email astroevents@qub.ac.uk.
Queen's Astronomy Day
Come and join the Astrophysics Research Centre at Queen’s University Belfast, in conjunction with NI SciFest 2020, for a day of astronomy and space related activities between 11am and 4pm on February 22, 2020 in the Lanyon Building.
There will be a wide variety of indoor activities for all ages throughout the day, including hands-on activities, an ask-an-astronomer station, a demonstration of the Northern Lights using the Queen’s University Planeterella, and short talks by Queen’s astronomers.
Weather permitting, there will be small Solar telescopes outside the Lanyon Building showing visitors any sunspots, prominences and other features visible on the Sun that day. WARNING: NEVER LOOK DIRECTLY AT THE SUN WITHOUT SPECIAL EYE PROTECTION.
No matter the weather, there will be lots to see and do! This is a free drop-in event. No prior registration is required. Please turn up and learn about space!
Talk schedule
Throughout the day we have a range of 15-20 minute talks by Queen's astronomers.
| Start time | Topic | Speaker |
|---|---|---|
| 11:30 | How useful is Astronomy | Dr. Sam Grant |
| 12:00 | Supernova in the Milky Way | Michael Fulton |
| 12:30 | Finding planets around distant stars | Dr. Ernst de Mooij |
| 13:00 | Finding your way around the night sky with a planisphere | Dr. Ernst de Mooij |
| 13:30 | Blowing up a planet with lasers: A how-to guide | Owen McBrien |
| 14:30 | Solar Eclipses - Astrophysics Tourism | Dr. Ryan Milligan |
| 15:30 | AIDA: Where Activism Meets Asteroids | Dominik Kiersz |
Also check out our evening event, an Evening Of Astronomy At Queen's: Astronomy Question & Time Star Watch. Doors open at 6:30pm, event starts at 7:00pm
An Evening Of Astronomy At Queen's: Astronomy Question Time & Star Watch
Do you have a burning question about black holes? Do you want to know more about interstellar comets or exoplanets? A panel of world-leading astronomers from Queen’s University Belfast, in conjunction with NI SciFest 2020, will be available to answer your questions during this 1 hour panel, starting at 7pm on February 22, 2020 in the Larmor Lecture Theatre, Physics Building, next door to the Whitla Hall on Queen’s University’s main campus. Doors open at 6:30pm .
You can submit questions for the Astronomy Question Time through this online form
Weather permitting, from 8pm - 10pm, a Star Watch will be held in front of the Lanyon Building to give everyone the opportunity to look at stars, galaxies and nebulae. An array of telescopes will be set up members of the Astrophysics Research Centre at Queen’s University Belfast and the Irish Astronomical Association. The Star Watch will be an outdoor event, and if it is clear it will be cold, so please dress warmly.
These events are free, but due to limited seating, registration is required for the Astronomy Question Time. The telescope viewing (weather permitting) is open to anyone and does not require any prior registration.
Also check out our day-time event, Queen's Astronomy Day, from 11am to 4pm in the Lanyon Building at Queen's University.