Creative Space and COVID-19
With all that’s been going on lately, we’ve had to re-evaluate how we run the business and find a new way of working. So we’ve come up with a new business model that aims to keep everyone safe. We’ve been successfully using Zoom for face-to-face meetings and webinars. We’ve been able to offer all ofContinue reading “Creative Space and COVID-19”
A cosmic weekend on the Stade
Despite fears about the novel coronavirus, Hastings-based astronomy outreach company, Creative Space, had a hugely successful Space@TheStade weekend at Stade Hall. This space-themed public engagement event, which took place in Hastings Old Town over the weekend of 14th and 15th March 2020, was all about connecting with the local community of Hastings and St Leonards,Continue reading “A cosmic weekend on the Stade”
Bouncing boulders on Comet 67P
A 67P Churyumov-Gerasimenko update by Melanie Davies FRAS In September 2019, at a major planetary sciences conference (EPSC-DPS), scientists lead by Jean-Baptiste Vincent presented evidence of curious bouncing boulders on Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko. EPSC-DPS is the joint meeting of the European Planetary Science Congress and the Division of Planetary Sciences, and last year was held in Geneva,Continue reading “Bouncing boulders on Comet 67P”
Looking East: The rise of the Chinese Space Programme
Melanie Davies looks back at ancient Chinese rocketry and delves into the impressive emergence of the space industry in China Some might argue that the birth of the space age can be traced back to 3rd century China when the word ‘rocket’ first appeared during the Three Kingdoms period (220 – 280). In 228 theContinue reading “Looking East: The rise of the Chinese Space Programme”
Here’s what we do…
We’ve just updated our online Gallery. Check out what we’ve been up to lately by clicking through the carousel of spacetastic new images! Here’s a taster from creative-space.org.uk/gallery:
Practical astronomy made simple
Many astronomy enthusiasts are thoroughly put-off when attempting to set up their first telescope. I’ve developed this course to bust any ideas that astronomy is hard work, and to make it easy and accessible for all. Students on this one-day course will be learning how to set up and use a simple telescope; how toContinue reading “Practical astronomy made simple”
An all new astronomy show for GCSE students
The power of family engagement at it’s best: how my daughter became the inspiration for a new planetarium show. With my youngest daughter having just started her GCSEs, she spent a good part of last year deciding on her options. It was predetermined that she would study Triple Science, giving her a deeper understanding of physics.Continue reading “An all new astronomy show for GCSE students”
A new Saturnian hexagon high above the clouds
Using data captured by the Cassini spacecraft, scientists working at the University of Leicester have recently detected a high-altitude hexagonal feature, towering high above the clouds. As part of a long-term study, they discovered a North Polar Stratospheric Vortex (NPSV). This newly discovered detail, abundant in hydrocarbons, could be influenced by a much larger featureContinue reading “A new Saturnian hexagon high above the clouds”
New content for summer school shows
This year we took our pop-up planetarium to several organised summer schools. We were able to run bespoke drop-in shows, enabling families, often with babies and very young children, the flexibility to spend as little or as much time inside the dome as they liked. For these shows we ran our Sensory Astronomy Show. ButContinue reading “New content for summer school shows”
Announcing an all new workshop: Digital Cosmos
A new workshop for the new academic year; Digital Cosmos combines science, technology and art (the S, T and A in STEAM!). Using computers, iPads and mobile phones, participants in this educational workshop will learn about astronomy whilst improving their IT, literacy and numeracy skills. The workshop integrates different activities using varied digital media. It’sContinue reading “Announcing an all new workshop: Digital Cosmos”
Molecular zoo found in Sculptor Galaxy
A group of research scientists led by Ryo Ando from the University of Tokyo have peered into the starburst galaxy, NGC 253 – also known as the Sculptor Galaxy – to reveal a collection of diverse molecules in never-seen-before resolution. Starburst galaxies like NGC 253 are active star-forming galaxies, and have been major players inContinue reading “Molecular zoo found in Sculptor Galaxy”
Exo Belts found orbiting Proxima Centauri
Similar to the Asteroid Belt and Kuiper Belt, astronomers using the ALMA Observatory in Chile – part of the European Southern Observatory – have found rings of cold dust orbiting the closest star to the Solar System, Proxima Centauri (or Proxima for short). Proxima – a red dwarf star – is just over four lightyearsContinue reading “Exo Belts found orbiting Proxima Centauri”
A sensory astronomy show for babies and toddlers
Using an awesome fulldome film created by the Royal Observatory Greenwich, Creative Space has developed a planetarium show suitable for little people as young as 6 months old. Amanda Twyman, PA to the Head of Early Years at Hazelwood School Nursery & Early Years Centre in Oxted, Surrey, challenged us with the task of creating a show thatContinue reading “A sensory astronomy show for babies and toddlers”
Big telescopes: the future is nearly here
For over 400 years, stargazers have aspired to see ever more detail of celestial wonders and ever deeper into space. Melanie Davies reports on a new breed of giant telescopes that will deliver tantalising astronomical data to a new generation of astronomers. In the late 1990s and early 2000s, a raft of 8-meter class, singleContinue reading “Big telescopes: the future is nearly here”
A blast from the past
It’s been 30 years since a giant star in the Large Magellanic Cloud exploded; the nearest supernova explosion recorded in hundreds of years. To mark the 30th anniversary of this cosmic observation, images from ground- and space-based telescopes have been combined to reveal the evolution of SN1987A. This new multi-wavelength image, released on 24th FebruaryContinue reading “A blast from the past”
Glowing rings of a dying star
Researchers have found the remains of a planetary system orbiting a white dwarf star. Researchers from the University of Warwick have acquired the first direct image of a debris disc in orbit around the core of a burnt out star. The white dwarf star, SDSS1228+1040, lies about 463 lightyears away in the constellation of Virgo. AlthoughContinue reading “Glowing rings of a dying star”
Cosmic twins
Supernova pairs have been used to accurately measure cosmological distances. Within the last 20 years, astronomers have discovered that the Universe is expanding at an ever increasing rate due to dark energy. One technique used to detect this increase is to measure the distances to bright supernovae. Only a Type 1a supernova is used forContinue reading “Cosmic twins”
Star maps
This is one of a series of star maps I’ve just produced for a Stargazing Guide. This will be printed at a fairly tiny size, so I had to limit the amount of detail I put into the illustrations. Leaving things out was the hardest part of this job – especially when there are so manyContinue reading “Star maps”
The Pleiades
Bringing a little sparkle to the autumn nights. The Pleiades is an open star cluster in the constellation of Taurus. This enigmatic group of stars is known by many names; the Seven Sisters, Messier 45, and Melotte 22 to name but a few. The Pleiades rise in the east just after sunset from the beginning ofContinue reading “The Pleiades”
Eclipse of the supermoon
It’s not often, in southern England, that we get the chance to see a total eclipse of the Moon. But in the early hours of Monday 28th September, I was lucky enough to witness a triple lunar event. Not only was it a total lunar eclipse, it was the largest supermoon of 2015 (being closest to Earth onContinue reading “Eclipse of the supermoon”
A mysterious binary star
An enormous magnetic binary star system has been discovered by Canadian PhD student, Matt Shultz of Queen’s University, Ontario. The object is unusual because giant stars rarely have magnetic fields; and giant binary stars with magnetism are even less common, accounting for only about 2% of stars in the Milky Way. The discovery was made usingContinue reading “A mysterious binary star”
A shattered lunar landscape
Astronomers using gravity maps from NASA’s twin GRAIL (Gravity Recovery And Interior Laboratory) satellites have discovered that the Moon’s upper crust – the megaregolith – is highly porous. The GRAIL satellites, Ebb and Flow, determined the Moon’s gravity field by measuring tiny movements of the spacecraft due to the push and pull of gravity uponContinue reading “A shattered lunar landscape”
Cosmic cappuccino
Just released by the European Space Agency (ESA), this stunning image shows Mars’s southern polar ice cap, as rarely seen before. This is a permanent feature, composed of frozen water and carbon dioxide, and is 3km deep in places. It looks flat in this amazing image, but is in fact a mixed terrain of peaks, troughs andContinue reading “Cosmic cappuccino”
Chasing the eclipse
Melanie Davies writes about the 2015 solar eclipse – the last one visible from Europe for more than a decade On the morning of Friday 20th March 2015, we’ll be in for an astronomical treat… an eclipse of the Sun. A total solar eclipse happens roughly once a year somewhere in the world, but weContinue reading “Chasing the eclipse”
Rosetta: The comet chaser
There are not many space missions that have touched the hearts and minds of people throughout the world as much as Rosetta. Named after the Rosetta Stone – a slab of volcanic basalt responsible for revealing the mysteries of ancient Egyptian hieroglyphics – this intrepid comet chaser has inspired a generation of science explorers, uncovering mysteries bound up in its icy companion, comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko.
Close encounter of the first kind
Finally, a much-anticipated astronomical event that didn’t leave us disappointed! The close encounter of Comet Siding Spring with Mars on 19th October 2014 resulted in some great imagery and, hopefully, some interesting science to come. Siding Spring passed a mere 87,000 miles above the red planet: less than half the distance between the Earth andContinue reading “Close encounter of the first kind”
Supernova: A blast from the past
Have you ever wondered where the expression “we’re all made of stardust” came from? Well, I’m not sure who first coined the phase, but we are indeed made of stellar stuff. Carbon-based lifeforms (us), silica in the rocks, and oxygen in the atmosphere – all of the elements found within our bodies and in theContinue reading “Supernova: A blast from the past”
The Eleven Dwarfs
The International Astronomical Union (IAU) caused a cosmic stir when it kicked Pluto out of the planet gang, demoting it to ‘dwarf planet’ status. The decision by the IAU – the body responsible for naming and categorising astronomical objects – was, and still is, hotly contested.
The fluctuations of our super star
We’ve all been enjoying the summer Sun, but how many of us stop to think about the dynamics of our local star? Throughout history, the Sun has been worshipped and celebrated with rituals and festivals throughout the world. And there’s good reason for celebration; sunshine gives us light and heat – vital ingredients for lifeContinue reading “The fluctuations of our super star”
Strange New Worlds
Until fairly recently, it was generally thought (and taught) that the planets in our solar system were formed more or less where they currently reside on their solar orbits. Within the the last few decades, planetary scientists have had to re-think this theory.
Saturn: Jewel of the Solar System
If ever you’ve seen Saturn through a telescope, you’ll know why it’s often called the jewel of the Solar System. And May will be the best time this year to see this gem of a planet. Saturn is at opposition on 10th May; a time when the planet is opposite to the Sun in theContinue reading “Saturn: Jewel of the Solar System”
Harvest Moon
This is September’s Harvest Moon; the full Moon associated with bringing in the harvest as the fullness of the moon, and therefore its brightness, appears to last for several days.
Is chemical evolution underway on Enceladus?
Many hypotheses abound regarding the conditions under which life began on Earth, and many origin scientists have compared these scenarios with conditions on other worlds with the hope of discovering extraterrestrial life. As space science and technology surge ever forward, the possibilities for life developing elsewhere within the Solar System – and beyond – continueContinue reading “Is chemical evolution underway on Enceladus?”
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Creative Space is a not-for-profit Community Interest Company. Our mission is to educate, inspire and enthuse our audiences by sharing our passion for space.
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Creative Space CIC, Innovation Centre, Highfield Drive , St Leonards, East Sussex TN38 9UH
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