Pythagorean Astronomy: ExoMars

Posted on 19 December 2014 by Chris North

It has been announced that the UK will lead the design and build of Europe’s next rover to Mars. Part of the European Space Agency’s ExoMars programme, this robotic explorer will drill down up two metres to search for signs of microbial life beneath the Martian surface. To find out about the rover, its mission, and the challenges
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Pythagorean Astronomy: Adventures of Philae

Posted on 27 November 2014 by Chris North

Chris North On 12th November 2014, the Philae lander separated from its mothership, ESA’s Rosetta spacecraft, and made history by making the first ever soft landing on a comet. It wasn’t quite as soft as hoped, with Philae experiencing more than its fair share of ups and downs, but it provided an nerve-wracking few days
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Pythagorean Astronomy: MAVEN to Mars

Posted on 5 November 2014 by Chris North

In late September, two new missions arrived ion orbit around Mars. One was India’s first mission, the Mars Orbiter Mission, while the other was NASA’s MAVEN spacecraft. MAVEN’s goal is not to study the surface of the planet but its atmosphere, with the aim of determining how it is changing and how it may have changed in the
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Pythagorean Astronomy: AstroCamp 2014

Posted on 30 September 2014 by Chris North

Chris North Autumn and spring are the time of year when you typically find star parties – groups of astronomers meeting to do some stargazing, share hints and tips, and generally socialise. One of the friendliest I’ve been to is “AstroCamp”, which meets twice a year at a campsite on the outskirts of Cwmdu, between
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Pythagorean Astronomy: in conversation with Alastair Reynolds

Posted on 18 August 2014 by Chris North

August marked the arrival Loncon 2014, the annual science fiction convention which visits a different city every year. There’s also a lot of science fact presented at such meetings – we were showcasing the results from Herschel and Planck, for example. In fact there are a lot of places where, to a greater or lesser
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Pythagorean Astronomy: National Astronomy Meeting 2014

Posted on 30 June 2014 by Chris North

Between 23rd and 26th June 2014 over 600 astronomers gathered in Portsmouth for the annual National Astronomy Meeting. This meeting, organised by the Royal Astronomical Society, provides the opportunity for physicists, astronomers, space scientists and cosmologists to discuss the latest developments in their areas of research. It covers a huge range of topics, so cosmologists
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Pythagorean Astronomy: Cambridge Science Festival and Gravitational Waves from Inflation

Posted on 1 April 2014 by Chris North

For the 31st March episode of Pythagoras’ Trousers, I reported from the Cambridge Science Festival, specifically at the Institute of Astronomy‘s open afternoon. As well as speaking to a number of the exhibitors (and vistors) at the Institute, I also spoke to a few of the cosmologists about the latest results from the BICEP2 experiment
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Pythagorean Astronomy: asteroids, supernovae and National Astronomy Week

Posted on 28 February 2014 by Chris North

Once a month, I take a look at some of the latest news in astronomy as part of Pythagoras’ Trousers, a weekly science show broadcast on Radio Cardiff. The show’s main presenter is Rhys Phillips, a research engineer and musician who graduated from the School of Physics and Astronomy in 2008, but once a month he hands
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