A long overdue catch-up post, student conference adventures and pray for Opportunity!
Hi there space geek readers!
It has been a good few months since I last created a new post on "Life of a Space Geek", for various reasons such as final TMA preparation and catching up on life in general (this studying lark takes up a huge chunk of your time from October to May and you do not realise just how much until you finally stop).
This time next week I will know if I have passed my first year, I wont lie the last two TMA's on my degree were tough with them being only a few weeks apart and the final TMA is worth such a huge chunk of my overall result that I am slightly nervous. However my confidence in passing with a relatively high mark must be high as I am now enrolled on my next two modules commencing in October. Shout out to my fellow MST124 and SM123 students!
So what else have I been up to since my last post?
I am not ashamed to admit that I had been on at my husband for us to visit the National Space Centre in Leicestershire and now that the football season has finished the first weekend my son and husband had off I was demanding to go!
https://spacecentre.co.uk/
And it did not disappoint me, it may not look very big from the outside but it is filled with wonderful displays covering topics such as space travel, training to be an astronaut, the solar system, meteorites and the electromagnetic spectrum!
And the best part about the National Space Centre is the Planetarium! Yes it may be a little childish for some and although i already knew about what the show was talking about it was engaging and exciting! It aims to explain the beginnings of the universe in a way that for those of us that do not have any prior knowledge will understand it. The second best part I would have to say was the 42m high Rocket Tower which you can travel all the way to the top in a glass elevator (dont worry it isnt like the one from Charlie and the Chocolate Factory - it does stop at the top)
If you haven't already been I would highly recommend for families as a day trip.
Last month saw me attend the Open University Student Conference 2018! This was a fab way to find out exactly what the OU Student Association do and a chance to meet other students. The weekend consisted of workshops, tours, eating lots(!), fancy dress, quiz's and voting!
One of the highlights for me was meeting one of the tutors from my first year module, yes I was a little starstruck but it was fantastic to listen in person to one of the tutors responsible for writing S111 - I now know there is some very clever bits of equipment that measure how much water a tree will take in during the day and how much a tree will expand and contract! Check out the following for stats on the tree being monitored at the OU https://treewatch.net/
Another highlight was meeting Andrew Norton - OU Professor of Astrophysics Education on a tour of the Observatory at the OU (yes they have their very own observatory!) Yes I had already had a tour of the observatory back in October however with another chance during the day I couldnt resist and joined the group to walk there. I was introduced to Andrew and when asked who in the group was interested in space/studying I of course mentioned I was. A solar telescope had been set up outside the observatory, a beautiful looking gold one and we were all invited to have a look through it. The telescope was pointed directly at the sun and what i saw amazed me. A bright orange/reddish disc showing the sun in all its glory including solar flares located at the ridge of the disc!
Here is one such telescope, pricey but in my mind well worth its money!
https://www.tringastro.co.uk/coronado-personal-solar-telescope-pst-05-angstrom-11092-p.asp
I was in my element and thoroughly enjoyed listening to the Professor, so much so he kindly met with me the following day and showed me the whole range of telescopes the OU has as well as a useful talk on the content of SM123 Physics and Space and the PHD's that the OU offer. I knew I was looking forward to this module and meeting with the Professor has confirmed that i made the right module choice!
Finally those of us that follow everything to do with Mars and its rovers that we currently have on the red planet are waiting patiently to find out if one such rover will survive the current major dust storm that Mars is experiencing. Opportunity rover is currently in a state of hibernation after being caught in one of Mars seasonal dust storms. After spending 15 years on the red planet I have my fingers crossed that the machine can survive this period of uncertainty and wake itself up once the dust clears!
It is machines like these that help us to understand more about the red planet and I love to see the images that have been sent back from them that shows in detail what the planet is like.
https://www.cnet.com/news/nasa-mars-dust-storm-may-finally-be-calming-down/
Before I sign off I have another book recommendation! I have kindly been lent Albert Einsteins autobiography as written by Walter Isaacson, it is one hefty read but is thoroughly enjoyable! If you are interested in what made Albert Einstein grab yourself a copy :)
Till next time readers!
Em
It has been a good few months since I last created a new post on "Life of a Space Geek", for various reasons such as final TMA preparation and catching up on life in general (this studying lark takes up a huge chunk of your time from October to May and you do not realise just how much until you finally stop).
This time next week I will know if I have passed my first year, I wont lie the last two TMA's on my degree were tough with them being only a few weeks apart and the final TMA is worth such a huge chunk of my overall result that I am slightly nervous. However my confidence in passing with a relatively high mark must be high as I am now enrolled on my next two modules commencing in October. Shout out to my fellow MST124 and SM123 students!
So what else have I been up to since my last post?
I am not ashamed to admit that I had been on at my husband for us to visit the National Space Centre in Leicestershire and now that the football season has finished the first weekend my son and husband had off I was demanding to go!
https://spacecentre.co.uk/
And it did not disappoint me, it may not look very big from the outside but it is filled with wonderful displays covering topics such as space travel, training to be an astronaut, the solar system, meteorites and the electromagnetic spectrum!
And the best part about the National Space Centre is the Planetarium! Yes it may be a little childish for some and although i already knew about what the show was talking about it was engaging and exciting! It aims to explain the beginnings of the universe in a way that for those of us that do not have any prior knowledge will understand it. The second best part I would have to say was the 42m high Rocket Tower which you can travel all the way to the top in a glass elevator (dont worry it isnt like the one from Charlie and the Chocolate Factory - it does stop at the top)
If you haven't already been I would highly recommend for families as a day trip.
Last month saw me attend the Open University Student Conference 2018! This was a fab way to find out exactly what the OU Student Association do and a chance to meet other students. The weekend consisted of workshops, tours, eating lots(!), fancy dress, quiz's and voting!
One of the highlights for me was meeting one of the tutors from my first year module, yes I was a little starstruck but it was fantastic to listen in person to one of the tutors responsible for writing S111 - I now know there is some very clever bits of equipment that measure how much water a tree will take in during the day and how much a tree will expand and contract! Check out the following for stats on the tree being monitored at the OU https://treewatch.net/
Another highlight was meeting Andrew Norton - OU Professor of Astrophysics Education on a tour of the Observatory at the OU (yes they have their very own observatory!) Yes I had already had a tour of the observatory back in October however with another chance during the day I couldnt resist and joined the group to walk there. I was introduced to Andrew and when asked who in the group was interested in space/studying I of course mentioned I was. A solar telescope had been set up outside the observatory, a beautiful looking gold one and we were all invited to have a look through it. The telescope was pointed directly at the sun and what i saw amazed me. A bright orange/reddish disc showing the sun in all its glory including solar flares located at the ridge of the disc!
Here is one such telescope, pricey but in my mind well worth its money!
https://www.tringastro.co.uk/coronado-personal-solar-telescope-pst-05-angstrom-11092-p.asp
I was in my element and thoroughly enjoyed listening to the Professor, so much so he kindly met with me the following day and showed me the whole range of telescopes the OU has as well as a useful talk on the content of SM123 Physics and Space and the PHD's that the OU offer. I knew I was looking forward to this module and meeting with the Professor has confirmed that i made the right module choice!
Finally those of us that follow everything to do with Mars and its rovers that we currently have on the red planet are waiting patiently to find out if one such rover will survive the current major dust storm that Mars is experiencing. Opportunity rover is currently in a state of hibernation after being caught in one of Mars seasonal dust storms. After spending 15 years on the red planet I have my fingers crossed that the machine can survive this period of uncertainty and wake itself up once the dust clears!
It is machines like these that help us to understand more about the red planet and I love to see the images that have been sent back from them that shows in detail what the planet is like.
https://www.cnet.com/news/nasa-mars-dust-storm-may-finally-be-calming-down/
Before I sign off I have another book recommendation! I have kindly been lent Albert Einsteins autobiography as written by Walter Isaacson, it is one hefty read but is thoroughly enjoyable! If you are interested in what made Albert Einstein grab yourself a copy :)
Em
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