Galaxy UGC 2885 in the constellation of Perseus: 2.5 times wider than our Milky Way and containing 10 times as many stars.  Image credit ESA/Hubble

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Nothing can put the troubles of human life on earth into their proper perspective than taking a step back and contemplating our real place in the universe at large.  And the Cambrian Mountains are just the place to do it: tranquil, barely inhabited and consequently able to boast extraordinary Dark Skies.   The uplands include nine Dark Sky Discovery Sites, part of the Cambrian Mountains Astro Trail, free from man-made light pollution.  And there’s a Solar System geocache, for those who want to combine upland walking with astronomical study (https://www.geocaching.com/geocache/GC3PA5F).  As if that wasn’t enough, there is also an IDA International Dark Sky Park at the Elan Valley Estate, recognised for its  exceptional or distinguished quality of starry nights and a nocturnal environment that is specifically protected for its scientific, natural, educational, cultural heritage, and/or public enjoyment.

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In this webinar, Owen Brazell of the Webb Deep-Sky Society and lifelong star- gazer and photographer, will tell us about his experiences observing, photographing and learning about the multitude of objects (broadly defined – much of the visual excitement outside our galaxy comes in the forms of nebulae and dust clouds) which from our Earth-bound perspective we perceive as making up the heavens.  With a timespan of over 13 billion years to look back into, and including the birth and death of not just stars and planets but entire galaxies, and ever more powerful (and even computer-guided) telescopes available,  this is an inexhaustible and profoundly humbling subject.

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Please register below for a free ticket if you wish to attend, so that we can send you a link to the Zoom. This will be sent out the evening before the webinar takes place.