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Brian May returns to AstroFest

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Brian May and Chris Lintott will be signing copies of their renowned astronomy books Bang! and Cosmic Tourist at European AstroFest this Saturday. And for those of a diabolical disposition Brian will also be signing his newest stereo bestseller, Diableries, Stereoscopic Adventures in Hell. These and a range of astronomy and stereo books and cards will be available from the Canopus/London Stereoscopic Company stand 30 on the lower ground floor.

Brian will also join John Mason in signing copies of Patrick Moore’s Yearbook of Astronomy 2014: Special Memorial Edition. Brian wrote a moving tribute to Patrick to introduce this special edition of the legendary yearbook. Copies of the book will be available from the Astronomy Now stand.

Exhibition tickets for AstroFest will be available on the door priced at £8. Pick up a copy of the February issue of Astronomy Now to get £2 off adult admission to the exhibition. Conference tickets for Saturday are now sold out and a few tickets remain for Friday’s conference. Exhibition tickets are available for both days.

Photo: Max Alexander.

Photo: Max Alexander

BRIAN MAY CO-AUTHORING ‘STARMUS’ ASTRONOMY BOOK

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DUE 2014

An exciting book in development !!! Here’s what co-author, David Eicher says on this fascinating prospect….

ASTRONOMY
6 December 2013

A short time ago, Brian May asked me to work on a book with him and friend Garik Israelian, an amazing Armenian-Spanish astronomer who works on supernovae, black holes, and other fun stuff. You probably know Brian as the legendary guitarist of the rock group Queen and also a Ph.D. astrophysicist and member of Astronomy magazine’s Editorial Advisory Board.

This is going to be a really exciting book, published by the talented Robin Rees of Canopus Books in London, and we’re aiming to have the book out by next summer. It is a huge resource book of material on space exploration, astronomy, and the meaning of existence (!) that resulted from the Starmus Festival, a great event held in June 2011 in the Canary Islands. Two years ago, Garik organized this event to commemorate the 50th anniversary of manned spaceflight. The five-day conference brought together numerous legends in space exploration and was centered on honoring Yuri Gagarin, the first human in space. Among the speakers were Buzz Aldrin, Bill Anders, Neil Armstrong, Yuri Baturin, Charlie Duke, Victor Gorbatko, Alexei Leonov, Jim Lovell, Claude Nicollier, and Sergey Zhukov.

Starmus 2011
Stgarmus 2011

But the talks weren’t limited to space exploration — they also included a broader view of civilization on Earth, cosmology, life in the cosmos, worlds in the galaxy, and our relationship to the rest of the universe far down the road. Speakers also included great minds in many related areas, including Adam Burrows, Richard Dawkins, Rich Goldman, Garik Israelian, Brian May, Michel Mayor, Leslie Sage, Joseph Silk, George Smoot, Sami Solanki, Jack Szostak, Jill Tarter, Kip Thorne, and Robert Williams.

Starmus also included some amazing fun when Brian joined Tangerine Dream for a Sonic Universe Concert, producing a festive night of rock and roll.

This book will consist of the incredible talks and presentations given by many of the world’s most celebrated astronauts and cosmonauts, as well as important discussions of the origins of life, evolution and exobiology, extrasolar planets, supernovae, black holes, the Big Bang, how astronomy has changed humanity, the ethical questions of whether we should deeply explore space, and much more. The book will be published in honor of Yuri Gagarin and also in honor of Neil Armstrong, who we lost last year.

It is going to be quite a volume, and we’ll hope to have it available at the 2014 Starmus Festival, slated for September 22–28, at Tenerife and La Palma in the Canary Islands. I will be there and will enjoy participating in the event and covering it for Astronomy magazine!

David Eicher writes for Astronomy Magazine

The Herschel Museum of Astronomy

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The Herschel Museum of Astronomy in Bath is delighted to announce that Dr Brian May CBE, Fellow of the Royal Astronomical Society has agreed to become their new Patron, stepping in to the role left vacant by the death of Patrick Moore in 2012.

The internationally acclaimed rock star, song writer, producer and animal rights campaigner, put his interest in astrophysics on hold as Queen became a global success.   Thirty years later he completed his PhD at Imperial College, London in 2007.  In 2006 he co-authored his first book, Bang! The Complete History of the Universe, with Sir Patrick Moore and Dr Chris Lintott. This illustrated astrophysics book, was followed in 2012 with the release of a greatly anticipated sequel, The Cosmic Tourist.

Brian May was a friend and colleague of Sir Patrick Moore and the man he credited with igniting his love of astronomy.  He says, In common with every one of my generation who took up astronomy as a hobby or as a profession, I was inspired as a boy, by Sir Patrick on ‘The Sky At Night’ – on the TV just at the time I was supposed to go to bed !  The inspiration lasted my whole life.

Sir Patrick had a longstanding involvement with the Herschel Museum of Astronomy in New King Street,  where Herschel discovered the planet Uranus on March 13th 1781.  As a great educator and enthusiast he supported the museum and helped raise its profile.

The Herschel Museum of Astronomy, an independent museum in Bath, is situated in the Georgian townhouse where William Herschel and his sister Caroline lived from 1777 to 1782.  The staff were all agreed that there was only one possible replacement for Sir Patrick and wrote to Brian May inviting him to be the Patron of the museum. We are thrilled and delighted to welcome Brian May as our new Patron, says Curator Debbie James. His knowledge of astrophysics and gift for inspiring enthusiasm for astronomy in others make him the perfect ambassador for the museum. William Herschel came to England as a professional musician and then fell in love with astronomy, Brian May continues the link between music and the stars.  We couldn’t think of anyone better suited for the role.

Brian May accepted the invitation. I’m honoured to follow in the footsteps of Sir Patrick, as Patron of the Herschel Museum. Patrick had a great affection for the museum, and I think he felt an affinity for Herschel himself, a man who, like Sir Patrick, devoted his whole life to science.

It’s an inspiring place, giving a first-hand glimpse into the life of one of the world’s finest astronomers, and a reminder that the dedication of one man can change the perception of the whole world.  I hope to be a good patron, and an ambassador for this important part of Britain’s scientific heritage. 

BRIAN MAY TO BE PATRON OF HERSCHEL MUSEUM OF ASTRONOMY IN BATH

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Brian MayBATH CHRONICLE
10 December 2013 by Paulwiltshire

Queen guitarist Brian May has agreed to become the new patron of Bath’s Herschel Museum of Astronomy.

The fellow of the Royal Astronomical Society will step into the role left vacant by the death of Britain’s best-known stargazer, Sir Patrick Moore, last year.

The rock star, songwriter, producer and animal rights campaigner put his interest in astrophysics on hold as Queen became a global success. Thirty years later he completed his PhD at Imperial College, London in 2007, a year after he had co-authored his first book, Bang! The Complete History of the Universe, with Sir Patrick and Dr Chris Lintott. The illustrated astrophysics book, was followed last year by the release of a sequel, The Cosmic Tourist.

Dr May was a friend and colleague of Sir Patrick, the man he credited with igniting his love of astronomy.

He said: “In common with everyone of my generation who took up astronomy as a hobby or as a profession, I was inspired as a boy, by Sir Patrick on The Sky At Night – on the TV just at the time I was supposed to go to bed! The inspiration lasted my whole life.”

The museum in New King Street is based in the house where William Herschel discovered the planet Uranus in 1781 and where he and his sister Caroline lived from 1777 to 1782.

Curator Debbie James said they were delighted that May accepted their invitation: “His knowledge of astrophysics and gift for inspiring enthusiasm for astronomy in others make him the perfect ambassador for the museum. William Herschel came to England as a professional musician and then fell in love with astronomy, so Brian May continues the link between music and the stars. We couldn’t think of anyone better suited for the role.”

Dr May added: “I’m honoured to follow in the footsteps of Sir Patrick, as patron of the Herschel Museum. Patrick had a great affection for the museum, and I think he felt an affinity for Herschel himself, a man who, like Sir Patrick, devoted his whole life to science. It’s an inspiring place, giving a first-hand glimpse into the life of one of the world’s finest astronomers, and a reminder that the dedication of one man can change the perception of the whole world. I hope to be a good patron, and an ambassador for this important part of Britain’s scientific heritage.”

 

PATRICK MOORE’S YEARBOOK OF ASTRONOMY 2014

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NEW BOOK – PATRICK MOORE’S YEARBOOK OF ASTRONOMY 2014

Patrick Moore Yearbook 2014 coverPatrick Moore’s Yearbook of Astronomy 2014 :[Available at Amazon]
Special Memorial Edition [Unabridged] [Hardcover]
Patrick Moore (Author)

Release Date: 21 Nov 2013

Shortly before his death in December 2012, Sir Patrick Moore began the annual task of planning the fifty-second consecutive Yearbook of Astronomy with his friend and colleague Dr John Mason. This special 2014 edition therefore serves as a fitting tribute to the life and work of a man who worked on this unique reference book for over half a century. The 2014 Yearbook contains all of the usual articles that no stargazer should be without: an authoritative collection of charts and astronomical data, articles by some of the world’s leading astronomers, and a month-by-month guide to events to look out for over the coming year – from planets and eclipses, to comets, meteors, nebulae and phases of the Moon. But it also includes a special section of articles devoted to the memory of Sir Patrick himself. Written by notable contributors and Yearbook authors past and present, these articles recall Sir Patrick’s many contributions to astronomy, as well as anecdotes and personal memoires of this remarkable man. ‘A first-rate curtain raiser for a year that offers a stream of astronomical treats’ Observer Science Books of the Year

Hardcover: 432 pages
Publisher: Macmillan; Main Market Ed. edition (21 Nov 2013)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 144724396X
ISBN-13: 978-1447243960
Product Dimensions: 21.8 x 13.8 x 4 cm

COMET ISON IN GLORIOUS 3-D

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After days of intense study of the Government’s dastardly decision to extend the failed badger cull by a preposterous 8 weeks – a desperate attempt to put a sticking plaster over a gaping wound … I needed a break.

Comet stereos never lose their magic for me. Even if I am taking liberties with Nature …

This wonderful photograph of comet ISON by Damian Peach screamed out to me. The delicate tracery of that fabulous tail – the exquisite thought that it might develop into a Great Comet at the end of the year …

Comet ISON by Damian Peach

So I carefully separated it from its star background …

Comet ISON extracted from star background

And then, having done the opposite trick as well (removing the comet form the star field) I was at liberty to start generating a stereo pair – to be viewed in parallel, free-viewing, or if you have your OWL stereoscope handy … enjoy !!!!

Comet ISONS stereo

Cheers !

Bri

COMET ISON – ON THE WAY

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13th Oct, 2013

20131008_ison-skycenter_f840_4 Stereo_2_for_web_690x382

Direct link

The first proper pictures of Comet ISON are beginning to appear. This comet is approaching – and has been predicted to be the ‘Comet of the Century’. Of course we have heard this before ! Comets are hard to predict.

But this is looking pretty good so far.

Here’s my shot at producing the FIRST stereo of Comet ISON 2013 !

www.planetary.org/multimedia/space-images/small-bodies/comet-ison.html

Bri

PS – It’s in the late night/ early morning skies right now … not far from Mars.

OUR NEW ZODIACAL DUST PAPER IN ASTRO-PH !!!

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21/12/12

Check out our new Astronomy paper, due to be published in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society next month.

http://xxx.lanl.gov/abs/1212.4759

My illustrious PhD supervisor, Prof Michael Rowan-Robinson, has put an amazing amount of work into amalgamating the results of my doctorate and his models of Zodiacal Dust … producing an argument that an interstellar component to the dust, flowing through the Solar System may have been detected. It’s something close to my heart, because I wanted to publish this part of the research in the 1970s but was dissuaded.

Well, it’s nice to be ‘out there’ again. And all thanks to my esteemed Prof.

Cheers

Bri