Spring Astronomy
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- Start Date: 25 May 2025End Date: 25 May 2025Sun (Daytime): 11:00 - 16:00In PersonFull fee £49.00 Senior fee £39.00 Concession £32.00
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What is the course about?
Discover what is available to see in Spring: stars, nebulae, galaxies in the constellations of the end of winter and spring and how useful signs can guide you round the night skies.
What will we cover?
What’s to see at sunset (e.g. Jupiter) and before midnight.
If you have a telescope, you might try to find and observe Uranus.
The early morning sky, including 4 unobservable planets.
The amateur axis – Plough, Polaris and Cassiopeia.
Orion and Taurus (which has the lovely star-cluster – the Pleiades) will be with us for a week or two.
Looking forward through Spring, including Gemini, Cancer and Leo.
Using telescopes and binoculars.
Joining a local (or national) astronomical society
Where to find relevant information
OPTIONAL (depending on timing and students’ responses) Right Ascension and Declination.
What will I achieve?
By the end of this course you should be able to...
Point out to anyone, who wants to know, that is Jupiter, not a plane.
Enjoy looking at the more familiar current night sky.
Have an idea or two for things to see over the Spring.
Be more confident in using binoculars or a telescope.
Decide whether to join an astronomical society.
Know about sources of useful information.
OPTIONAL: understand Right Ascension and Declination.
What level is the course and do I need any particular skills?
This course is designed for students who have already been gently introduced to Astronomy, but the most important qualification is an interest in the night sky.
How will I be taught, and will there be any work outside the class?
Most of the teaching will be illustrated presentations, augmented by students’ questions and comments.
Are there any other costs? Is there anything I need to bring?
Bring a notepad and pen. There are no additional costs for the course.
When I've finished, what course can I do next?
HS326 Science Friday Lates with Radmila Topalovic: Navigating the Night Sky: Spring/Summer
HS312 Summer Astronomy
HS293 Astrophysics: an introduction
HS313 The Search for Life Beyond Earth
HS328 Science Friday Lates with Radmila Topalovic: Going back to the Moon: NASA's Artemis mission.
Rad heads up Science & Engineering at Kaplan International College in London Bridge, having spent more than seven years at the Royal Observatory in Greenwich developing and delivering world-class education programmes. She holds a degree in Physics with Astrophysics and a PhD in Astrochemistry, and has taught physics, maths and astronomy for almost ten years. Her biggest passions are quantum physics and astrobiology. https://twitter.com/Rad_T
Please note: We reserve the right to change our tutors from those advertised. This happens rarely, but if it does, we are unable to refund fees due to this. Our tutors may have different teaching styles; however we guarantee a consistent quality of teaching in all our courses.