Derek Rowley @ Piazzi Smyth Observatory
British Deaf Astronomical Association (BDAA) was running a series of short courses in Astronomy at the Bedford School during in November 2008 with a super supporting by Bedford Astronomical Society.

Taking an astronomy course – variety on offer covering all age groups and levels of experience, to help you take your interest further.

Here the website linked for astronomy course at :-

British Deaf Astronomical Association
Astro-Course for the deaf astronomers.
Any correspondence in regarding BDAA’s deaf astronomy course, please contact: Chris Hurren (General Secretary)

Bedford School
Astronomy Courses
www.bedfordschool.org.uk
Tel:  01234 362285

Planet Earth Education
www.theplanetearthcentre.btinternet.co.uk
Tel: 0161 6539092 

University of Birmingham
www.ph.bham.ac.uk/prospective
Tel: 0121 414 4563

University College London
www.ucl.ac.uk
Tel: 0207 679 3943

University of York
www.york.ac.uk/physics
Tel: 01904 432241

Cardiff University
www.astro.cf.ac.uk
Tel: 02920 874144

Liverpool John Moores University
www.astro.ljmu.ac.uk/distance
Tel: 0151 231 2900

University of Central Lancashire
www.studyastronomy.com
Tel: 01772 893540

Lancaster University
www.lancs.ac.uk
01524 593639

www.sat24.com
Sat24.com provides realtime satellite images. The images provide an excellent view on the clouds in the sky and an indication of the meteo weather over the European continent.

The website provides for a specific zoom for countries and regions like France , Germany , Netherlands , Spain , Swedenand Scandinavia, the UK , Italia , Greece , etc.

Especially in the Mediterranean countries like France, Spain, Italia, Greece and even large parts of Turkey, one can see where the sun and the sunshine is going for the weather of today.

The satellite images are a great instrument to give us a peek from the sky on the climate surrounding the European countries from the satellite images a clear view can be seen on fires that normally occur in the summer season andvolcano eruptions or using infrared images to allow you see at nights for your clear skies.

Go have a look :- www.sat24.com

What is a Radio Telescope?
Some objects can not be seen with an optical telescope, but the radio waves that give out can be detected with a radio telescope – Karl Jansky built the first radio telescope in 1932 in USA.

Fact about Karl Jansky
He was an American physicist and radio engineer who in August 1931 first discovered radio waves emanating from the Milky Way. He is considered one of the founding figures of radio astronomy.

Radio Telescope in UK
The 76.0 m Lovell radio telescope at Jodrell Bank Observatory for over 50 years the giant, it has been a familiar feature of the Cheshire landscape and an internationally renowned landmark in the world of astronomy.

At the Visitor Centre, you can walk half way around the telescope, and view the telescope from many angles, on our Observational Pathway. You can also find out more about the telescope, and the history of Jodrell Bank, on a series of information boards around the Pathway.

Coronagraph
A coronagraph is a telescope that can see things very close to the Sun, click here for more reference about it.

Above image from SOHO Coroagraph
A bright comet just discovered on Wednesday 17th November 2010  by Polish comet hunter Michal Kusiak is about to disappear forever that problem is, it is diving toward the sun.  Click below the link to view a movie of the death plunge above.

See the movie, and another Comet followed the same path to death (into the Sun) on Sunday 14th November 2010.

Winter Sky

Why the constellations change through the yearly?
Because the Earth spins on it’s axis so we see the constellations differently – this is also why we have seasons.

See the movie of seasons.

Click here for the Sky Map of :-  Winter, Spring, Summer and Autumn.

This artist’s concept shows us the first time Deep Impact encountered a comet – Tempel 1 in July 2005.

Deep Impact, now in an extended mission called EPOXI, have flown to Comet Hartley 2, today at 02:00 / 2pm.

See Mission News :- EXPOXI Mission.

Click here for NASA to host live news.

Trick or Treat

Trick
Backyard stargazers with binoculars or telescopes — and dark, clear skies — should be able to see a tricky Comet Hartley 2 this week.  The comet will have passed through the constellation of Gemini (The Twin), continuing its journey across the night sky in the direction of the constellation of Canis Minor (The Lesser Dog).
See the SkyMap from Sky & Telescope.com for  a path of Comet Hartley starting from tonight till November 15th 2010.

Treat
A witch friendly advice at Green Witch where you can treat to buy Telescopes and Binoculars for Astronomy, Nature & Leisure and Wildlife from Green Witch.

How does a rocket work?
If a balloon is filled with air and then released, it speeds along – a rocket works in the same way but it’s a mixture of hydrogen gas and oxygen fuel explodes all the time to push hot gas out of the back of the rocket and propelling it along up into a space.

How do spacecraft land back on Earth safely?
Spacecraft such as Apollo and Soyuz both land in the sea  when they come back to Earth – however, the Space Shuttle is specially designed to land like a normal gliding plane on a runway.

Can spacecraft be re-used?
Until 1981, all spacecraft  were only used once but new types of spacecraft like the American Space Shuttle and the Russian Buran Shuttle can be used over and over again.

Did you know?
A spacecraft has to travel at 25,000 mph to escape Earth’s atmosphere.

That’s me – I always wish!

Can anyone be an astronaut?
When Space travel first began, astronauts were all specially trained aeroplane pilots. Now, however, astronauts can be experts from different sciences who are sent into space to carry out experiments. However, competition is so fierce that as well as being science experts – hopefully astronauts also have to be lucky enough to be chosen! I wish it is me! but I know I will be NEVER go into the space because of my deafness.

How do you become as astronomers?
Anyone can study the Night Sky! – you can stargaze from your back garden and even a small telescope gives a better view of the stars or other objects in the space.  Astronomers usually study astronomy, mathematics, physics or another science at university, and work in observatories around the world as part of their training.  Go-on, You can!

Enceladus

The Enceladus Moon is the sixth-largest moon of Saturn was discovered in 1789 by William Herschel.

In 2005 the Cassini spacecraft performed several close flybys of Enceladus that was  revealing the moon’s surface and environment in greater detail. In particular, the probe discovered a water-rich plume venting from the moon’s south polar region. This discovery, along with the presence of escaping internal heat and very few (if any) impact craters in the south polar region, shows that Enceladus is geologically active today. Moons in the extensive satellite systems of gas giants often become trapped in orbital resonances that lead to forced libration or orbital eccentricity –  proximity to the planet can then lead to tidal heating of the satellite’s interior, offering a possible explanation for the activity.

More facts about Enceladus.