Venus 2012 events programme
Monday 13, 20 and 27 February
Astronomy for All Lecture Series
A series of three lectures at Green Templeton College organised as part of the Public Engagement with Science and Technology initiative and the first astronomical events of the Venus transit year.
Monday 13 February
Finding Other Earths
Speaker: Charles Barclay, Director, Blackett Observatory, Marlborough, and Associate Fellow, Green Templeton College.
Monday 20 February
Cosmic Lighthouses - Supernovae and the 'Dark Universe'
Speaker: Dr Kate Maguire, Oxford Astrophysics.
Monday 27 February
Astronomy and Controversy - the Oxford Observatories 1772-1939
Speaker: Dr Roger Hutchins, Magdalen College, Oxford.
More information about the Astronomy for All Lectures 2012
Monday 28 May at 6pm to 7pm
Just A Black Dot?
On 5 June 2012, Venus will appear as a perfect black dot crossing the face of the Sun. This is known as a transit and is a very rare event to view from Earth. Only Venus and Mercury are placed to do this, and only then when there is an exact alignment of orbits. Though occurring in pairs a few years apart, this is generally a 'once-in-a-lifetime' experience.
The talk will look at the historical importance and Oxford's connections, the details of this year's transit and the modern relevance of making accurate transit observations.
Speaker: Charles Barclay, Director, Blackett Observatory, Marlborough College and Associate Fellow, Green Templeton College.
Please note that registration is essential if you wish to attend this lecture. Register here.
More information about this event
Friday 1 June 9.30am to 2.40pm
Venus 2012 Schools event
Planetary Paths
Please note that this event is for invited Key Stage 3 groups only and schools involved will be contacted by Oxford Astrophysics.
Saturday 2 June at 2pm
Exploring the Distant Universe
A public lecture for the family.
Over the next ten years our understanding of the Universe will be transformed by a new generation of both space and ground-based telescopes.
Speaker: Stephen Wilkins, Oxford Astrophysics.
Please note that registration is essential if you wish to attend this lecture. Register here.
More information about this event
Wednesday 6 June
Inaugural Wetton Lecture
Telescopes of the Future
Speaker: Professor Roger Davies, Philip Wetton Chair of Astrophysics at Oxford University, President of the Royal Astronomical Society
More details to follow.
This lecture is aimed at Oxford astrophysicists but it is open to interested members of the public.
Venue: Martin Wood Lecture Theatre, Martin Wood Building, Parks Road, Oxford.
Venus 2012 Newspaper Competition for schools
Closing date Tuesday 1 May 2012
The Department of Physics and Green Templeton College, University of Oxford, invite school students to create an A3 illustrated newspaper-style article to promote and raise public interest in the transit of Venus 2012.
The newspaper competition is open to individual students in two age ranges: Years 6, 7, 8 and Years 9, 10, 11.
More information about the competition including competition rules and entry form
Safety note: no aspect of the transit should be viewed directly without specialist solar filtering. Never look at the Sun directly. Never look at the Sun through an optical instrument.