Astronomy Courses
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Armagh Planetarium can present courses and lectures on astronomical topics aimed at adult audiences.

 

Illustrated with extensive and stunning imagery and involving audience participation, these can be held on site at Armagh or at locations province-wide. These courses have previously been presented at QUB School of Education and the Tara Centre where they have proved very popular.

Armagh Planetarium can also deliver one-off lectures for clubs, societies and special events. Several titles previously presented are listed below. Given notice, we can also create a presentation on the astronomy or space topic of your choice.  If you would like us to talk to your group, please contact Colin Johnston (028 37512947) info@armaghplanet.com for details of pricing and availability.

If you are interested in hosting one these or any other astronomy-related courses please contact Colin Johnston (028 37512947) info@armaghplanet.com for details of pricing and availability.

 

Individual lectures

PDF icon We can also present one-off talks for audiences of all levels. See PDF for details.

Visit the Northern Ireland Amateur Astronomical Society for a report on one of our talks.



The Night Sky Course (five two-hour sessions)

This short course is aimed at complete beginners who want to know more about the wonders of the night sky. No prior knowledge or equipment is required. The course takes a season by season look at the stars in their constellations and the stories and myths behind them. We will show you how to spot satellites and planets too. If you want to know more about the amazing objects we can all see at night, this is the course for you.

 

Space Exploration (five two-hour sessions)

This course will examine the history of mankind’s exploration beyond our planet. Beginning with ancient fantasies of voyages to the Moon we will follow the story to humans walking on the Moon and sending robots to the planets. We will examine our adventures in space from the Cold War Space Race to today’s International Space Station, investigating stunning science missions such as the Hubble Space Telescope and Apollo 13 and other epics of human heroism and tragedy.

 

Our Place in the Universe Course
(ten two-hour sessions)

This class covers the same material as the Night Sky course, but goes further, describing in depth our current knowledge of the Universe and the amazing objects it contains. The course is aimed at those new to the field and will be descriptive rather than mathematical. It will follow human understanding from prehistoric times to the latest discoveries from spacecraft. No prior knowledge is required. If you have ever wanted to take a first step into the world of astronomy, this course is for you.

No prior knowledge is required. Over the ten weeks the class will discover fascinating topics including:

• What can we see in the sky tonight?
• Our neighbours in space: the Moon, planets and the Sun
• Space junk: meteors, comets and asteroids
• The lives of the stars
• Black holes, pulsars and other strange objects
• The origins of the Universe and Solar System
• Stargazing through history from Newgrange to NASA
• "Are we alone in the Universe?" and other big unanswered questions

 

When Do Our Next Courses Take Place?

We will present the 'The Night Sky’ course in Spring 2010 on Wednesday evenings starting on 28th April 2010 (date to be confirmed) at QUB School of Education. This class will run from 7 to 9pm
.
‘Space Exploration’ will be presented on Tuesday mornings starting on 27th April 2009 (date to be confirmed) at QUB School of Education. This class will run from 10 am to noon.



How do I Enrol?

Please note that enrolment must be made through QUB School of Education (not through the Planetarium). Please watch this website for further information.