• Thursday 9th Sept: The Solar System
• Thursday 23rd Sept: The Milky Way Galaxy 
• Thursday 30th Sept: 13.73 Billion Light Years and all about telescopes 
• Thursday 7th Oct: The Earth & Moon

A synopsis of each talk is presented below.

Tickets for each talk will be £3 or you can purchase tickets for all 4 for £10; refreshments included. Tickets available in advance from Anne Kent on 01252 684906 or at the door. The Vestry Hall is situated behind Christ Church in Gally Hill Road, Church Crookham, GU52 6LH.

All proceeds will go to Christ Church Community Project. 

The Solar System, 
Thursday 9th September

• How was the Solar System formed and how does the Sun work?
• We will look at all the planets in detail with the exception of Earth – which merits a talk of its own.
• Why does Mercury’s day last twice as long as its year?
• What is the surface of cloud covered Venus like?
• Why is Mars red and have we discovered water there?
• What are the current spacecraft missions and what are the difficulties of reaching the planets?
• Why is Jupiter so important to planet Earth?
• Where did Saturn’s rings come from?
• Why is Pluto no longer a planet?

The Milky Way Galaxy,  
Thursday 23rd September:

• A journey from the edge of our Solar System through the Milky Way Galaxy.
• What is a Galaxy and just how big is the one in which we live?
• What are Comets; why are they so important to us and where do they come from?
• How are stars born and how do they die? Here we will go into detail about the death of our own Sun.
• What are Supernovae, Neutron Stars, Planetary Nebulae and black holes and how are they formed?
• What can we see in the night sky with our eyes, with binoculars and with telescopes?

13.7 Billion Light Years and all about Telescopes,  
Thursday 30th September

• We will journey from our Galaxy to the edge of the universe.
• Carl Sagan said “There are more stars in the Universe than there are grains of sand on all the beaches of planet Earth”. We will discuss this.
• What is the fate of the universe?
• How do we measure distances to the planets, stars and galaxies?

The final part of this talk will be devoted to telescopes.

• Understanding telescopes, a review of the various types and what to look for in buying one
• How do we find objects in the night sky which we cannot see with the naked eye?
• The use of star charts.
• Where are the largest telescopes in the world and just how big are they?

Earth (The Blue Marble) and the Moon,
Thursday 7th October

• How did the Moon form and why is the Moon so important to us?
• Why do we see only one side of the Moon?
• Why do we have two tides per day?
• All about eclipses of the Moon and Sun.
• Meteor Showers.
• What are the dangers of impacts from space and can anything be done to avoid them?
• The International Space Station.