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This talk is part of the Tyndall Lecture Series 2008, organised by the Institute of Physics in Ireland, and aimed at 15-18 year old students.
Our Sun may appear tranquil and constant but is it in fact a seething ball of million degree electrified gases. Recently the view of our closest star has been transformed due to several dedicated, space-based observatories. Using the latest images and movies, Dr Walsh will track the flow of energy from the initial nuclear reactions at the heart of the star right down to our own terrestrial environment. In particular, it now possible for us to observe the Sun in stereoscopic 3D! Along the way, we will listen to the Sun as it rings like a bell and investigate how the Sun’s magnetic field changes dramatically every eleven years. Then surfing along in the solar wind, we’ll explore whether the Sun really is the “ultimate neighbour from hell” as together we'll run for cover from solar storms and try to predict the effect of space weather upon Planet Earth.
Robert W Walsh
Dr Robert Walsh, 38, from Lisburn, Northern Ireland studied mathematics at St Andrews University before gaining a PhD in Solar Astrophysics from the same institution. He works as a senior lecturer in the Centre for Astrophysics at the University of Central Lancashire in Preston, England. His area of research interest is the Sun – in particular he works with the European Space Agency (ESA) and NASA using space-based observatories to examine the Sun’s outer atmosphere (the corona). Dr. Walsh has been given the prestigious title of ‘Scientist for the New Century’ by the Royal Institution of Great Britain while in 2005, he was presented with the Lord Kelvin Award for Physical Sciences and Mathematics by the British Association for the Advancement of Science. He has given numerous, high profile lectures across the UK and throughout the world. ‘To say the Sun is important to us is an understatement,’ says Dr Walsh. ‘We are here because it is here, providing the light and heat required for life on Earth. It really is our life-giving star.’
Contact: rwwalsh@uclan.ac.uk
Admission tickets (€3, £2 per head) for all venues will be issued on a first-come-first-served basis. Reservations may be made for all venues. Booking should be made by telephone or email to the contact listed below. Reservations will be confirmed only if payment is received within five working days of the telephone or email booking.
Talk duration: 1 hour
Audience: 15-18 year olds
Venue: Tuesday 29 January, 2.00 p.m., Thornhill College, Londonderry
Local contact: Vida Given (tel 07833 663731)
Attendance: 148
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