Our local star, the Sun, dominates everything in the solar system. Worshipped as a god from the earliest of times, at one stage astronomers believed that people lived inside the Sun! Today our knowledge of the Sun has dramatically increased. The Northern Lights, or Aurora Borealis, are caused by flares coming from the Sun and striking the Earth. However, there is a potential danger because if these flares are powerful enough they can overload the very sensitive electronic equipment we rely on today. It has happened in the past and will probably happen again in the future.
- Duration: 60 mins
- Online Zoom event: Join from your computer, phone or tablet (no replay available)
Meet the Host, Martin
Martin studied for his degree in astrophysics while working as a guard on British Rail in the 1970s. Before taking early retirement he was Curator of Astronomy at the Yorkshire Museum in York, and in 1998 he was presented with an MBE for services to astronomy and education. Martin is a Fellow of the Royal Astronomical Society and also currently sits on the council.
Today, in addition to presenting lectures, Martin writes a monthly feature for local newspaper ‘The Craven Herald’, which covers the Yorkshire Dales. He has his own weekly radio show on a local community radio station, Drystone Radio. Martin was recently filmed for an episode of BBC ‘Antiques Road Trip’ as guest expert on the York based telescope and instrument maker Thomas Cooke, to be shown in 2021.