The astronomer's guide to the galaxy

Exoplanets are incredibly diverse, and many look very different to our Solar System planets. One particularly unusual type are hot Jupiters, Jupiter-sized exoplanets that orbit their host stars ~10x closer than Mercury orbits the Sun, making them immensely hot and dynamical. These planets are so far away that we can't see them directly, but using the powerful James Webb Space Telescope, we can use the indirect technique of "eclipse mapping" to reconstruct maps of their atmospheres without ever seeing the planets themselves. I will show you how we do this, and present exciting new results.

Sunspots are fascinating environments on the surface of the sun and are very often the origin of violent “space weather” events which are a direct threat to global electrical and communication systems upon earth. e.g. Carrington event in 1859 and the more recent 2003 Halloween solar storms. Consequently, the UK research councils are investing heavily in space weather modelling and prediction.  

Astrophotographer Lee Pullen charts his attempts to produce a respectable photo of the night sky from his back garden in Bristol’s light-polluted city centre! He’ll reveal technology and techniques that can lead to surprisingly good results, while sharing a gallery of stunning stars, glittering galaxies, and notable nebulae. After experimenting for 10 years, he’s ready to tackle the ultimate challenge: a showdown against the Hubble Space Telescope!