A free talk about the Sun is taking place at the University of Central Lancashire* later this month.
On Thursday 26 June, Emeritus Professor Don Kurtz will take attendees on a journey to explain how astronomers were finally able to determine the distance of the Sun.
It is a story of a cold castle tower, a dungeon, a Great Dane, a hypochondriac, Shakespeare, a child prodigy, a genius, sea battles and voyages of discovery, royal observatories, a clockmaker, a gentleman returned from the dead, and even Dixieland jazz – all leading to the greatest payoff of all time.
The angular size of an object of unknown size does not provide us with enough information to determine how distant that object is– Emeritus Professor Don Kurtz
Professor Kurtz, who spent 44 years working as an astrophysics professor at the University of Cape Town and the University of Central Lancashire, said: “The angular size of an object of unknown size does not provide us with enough information to determine how distant that object is.”
“How far away is the Sun?” will take place at 6.30pm in the University’s Harrington Lecture Theatre, on the Preston Campus, with refreshments being served from 6pm.
Register for free tickets online and email Dr Victor Debattista with any questions.