WillGater.com

The more observant of you reading the website may have noticed a new page at the top called ‘talks’. This is where I will advertise any forthcoming talks, lectures etc. that I am doing.

When I get back from Germany one of my first talks will be to the Torbay Astronomical Society in Torquay. I will be speaking on the Hubble Space Telescope - the title of the talk is ‘Not just pretty pictures - The science behind Hubble’s greatest images’.

I’m very much looking forward to speaking there as I know the society is particularly friendly and active and it is a while since I have given a talk there.

The latest news release from the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope is out now on the ESA Hubble website - www.spacetelescope.org. It’s the story of how a galaxy we thought (for quite a long time as it happens) was really young is in fact very old.

“The NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope has found out the true nature of a dwarf galaxy that astronomers had for a long time identified as one of the youngest galaxies in the Universe. Astronomers using the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope have made observations of the galaxy I Zwicky 18 which seem to indicate that it is in fact much older and much farther away than previously thought.”

Image credit: NASA, ESA and A. Aloisi (ESA/STScI)

One of the projects which the ESA/Hubble group here in Germany is involved with is the International Astronomical Union’s commission on Communicating Astronomy With The Public.

Part of this project involves the publication of a journal for science communicators (with a focus on astronomy communicators). The journal hopes to be a repository of ideas and information as well as tips on communicating astronomy with the public.

The first issue has now been released online to coincide with the 2007 Communicating Astronomy With The Public conference held in Athens. I have an article (co-authored with Raquel Yumi Shida) on the use of new media in communicating astronomy. Entitled ‘I Tune, You Tube, We Rule’  you can download it to read for free online here.

Finally it’s here! - News from the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope
NGC3603 - An extreme star cluster bursting into life!

This is the release & Hubblecast I have been working on for the last few weeks. It is now online and you can read the full amazing story here. Also why not view the latest Hubblecast (no.9) here.

Image credit: NASA, ESA and the Hubble Heritage (STScI/AURA)-ESA/Hubble Collaboration