Public Lecture: Fuzzy Blobs - A Guide for the Perplexed

Stephen Tonkin presents a lecture “Fuzzy Blobs - A Guide for the Perpexed” in the Whittle Theatre.

For millennia people have wondered about the misty patches in the night sky, which became called "nebulas" - clouds - and the advent of the telescope merely increased the number we could see without greatly adding to our knowledge of what they are. The true nature of these enigmatic "fuzzy blobs" has only been known for a century or so, and they reveal a tremendous amount of information about the life and death of stars, the structure of the Milky Way galaxy, and the nature of the Universe itself.

Stephen Tonkin is a Fellow of the Royal Astronomical Society and has authored many articles and several books on practical aspects of astronomy. He taught astronomy to adults and children for more than 40 years. He is the Dark Skies Advisor to the International Dark Sky Reserve on the Cranborne Chase AONB. He writes a monthly column in BBC Sky at Night Magazine.

This lecture is open to Members, and to non-Members for a small fee. Please click here to reserve your place.