Kielder Observatory Podcast Kielder Observatory Astronomical Society

This month we record the podcast at the observatory itself, and it's a Dan fest. Host Ian Brannan is joined by Director of Astronomy Dan Pye, and Director of Astrophotography Dan Monk, to discuss a couple of hot topics and give you some top tips heading into April!

On April 8th there is due to be a total eclipse which will be best viewed in the United States, but discover Kielder's plans to bring this event to you LIVE from one of our astronomers who is heading to Texas to take in and share the spectacle with you.

Plus with the constant likelihood of an Aurora display at this time of year, Dan Monk explains how to maximise your chances of getting an awesome photo, and shares his adventures to Iceland chasing the phenomenon..!
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The spring equinox is approaching, and in this month's episode Director of Astronomy at Kielder Observatory Dan Pye joins us to look ahead to an interesting time of year as the seasons change! Plus will look at a few news stories from the universe including the discovery of the oldest Black Hole ever found, lurking near the very dawn of time!We are also joined by 2 CEOs, as way say goodbye and look back on the time of Catherine Johns, who has been CEO of the observatory since 2019. We also meet new CEO Leigh Venus, who has spent many years in culture and tourism, and both speak about why CEO of Kielder Observatory is a job like no other!  
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February is the month of love, and in this episode of the Kielder Observatory Podcast discover how to see a heart light years away in space! Our Director of Astronomy Dan Pye explains the other celestial events occurring through February including our Pye in the Sky challenge!The main theme of this episode is the Aurora, our science communicator Ishbel Wright has recently ventured north of the Arctic Circle as part of a university project to install a network of cameras to give us a better understanding of this phenomenon. But of course she also saw the northern lights for herself more intensely than ever! As we move towards another peak time to see the Aurora in the UK, we also give you a few tips to improve your chances of bagging a photo for yourself!

 

Aurora Borealis, Arctic Circle, Night Sky, Planetary Conjunctions, Venus, Heart Nebula, Cassiopeia, Pleiades, Constellations, Andromeda Galaxy, Science Communicator, Ionosphere, Tromso Norway, Astronomy, Astrophysics, Star Clusters, Caroline Rose Cluster, Ishbel Wright, Dan Pye
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In this episode we are joined by some of the team behind out "Kielder Narratives" project: Composer Will Todd, Poet Dan Simpson, and musician & Producer Chad Male join Ian Brannan & Director of Astronomy Dan Pye to tell the story behind the work, and we will also hear the final production in full too!

Kielder Narratives is a collaborative project which builds upon the work we have already delivered with Southpaw Dance Company as part of Kielder Dark Skies.We wanted to find different ways of engaging the communities in and around Kielder, so that they themselves can tell their story of working, living and playing in such a unique environment.

Funded by Arts Council England, Kielder Observatory were able to commission a poet, Dan Simpson, to complete a residency in the area- engaging with local communities to find out what the dark skies mean to them. The poet co-created poems, plays, songs and spoken word pieces to help articulate the thoughts and feelings of the communities were work in. 
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This month we are joined by Adrian West, an astronomer with over 30 years' experience. Better known as Virtual Astro, he has one of the largest independent astronomy and space accounts on social media. He's passionate about the night sky and inspiring people to look up.

Adrian is author of the book "The Secret World of Stargazing", and is now touring the UK with his show "The Night Sky Show Live". You can see Adrian performing in the North East at the Sunderland Empire on January 6th 2024.

For more info visit thenightskyshow.co.uk 
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In this episode we hand over to Amber, age 6 (nearly 7!) from Sunderland who came to visit and take part in one of out many family events. Rather than a grown up talk all about it, we thought it best to hear about the experience from one of our younger guests!

Rockets & More is one of the summer events which has become a firm part of the Kielder programme, ultimately ending with kids building and launching their own rockets into the sky!There are many family events all year round, they take place much earlier at around 5pm, and suitable for a variety of ages. Find out more about them at kielderobservatory.org and book your visit.
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