Follow-up Materials

Here are follow-up materials for some of my recent public presentations.

Please don't hesitate to contact me with any questions or comments.

The Aurora in 2025/26

Presented to Brighton Astro on the 2^nd October 2025.

• THe lecture slides are available as a PDF file.
• Here are links to the videos included in the presentation:
• Aurora over Norway, taken from the deck of the Hurtigruten's MS Richard With. The video is in real time, showing how quickly the aurora changes.
• The April 2024 Total Solar Eclipse over Waxahatchie, Texas.
• The Sun, like most stars, is dynamic. This shows plasma raining down from a coronal loop, as seen by Nasa Solar Dynamics Observatory.
• Videos of gas gently following out of the Sun, taken with the NASA/ESA SOHO LASCO C3 camera, can be accessed from their movie theatre website. The dates used in the presentation were the 24^th September to the 2^nd October 2025, and the 7^th-10^th October 2024 (featuring Comet Tsuichshinsan).
• A quick burst of auroral activity on the outskirts of Reykjavik, Iceland (video is in real time).
• Aurora prediction websites include:
• The Geophysical Institute at the University of Alaska, Fairbanks
• Space Weather Prediction Center, from the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
• SpaceWeather.com
• AuroraWatch UK from the University of Lancaster, which is also available as an application for your mobile device
• The Hubble Space Telescope view of the aurora on Jupiter (credit to my mate Jonny Nichols for those observations - we did our degrees together many years ago!)

And a massive thank-you to Hurtigruten for inviting me onto their 12-day Coastal Express voyage along the coast of Norway to see the northern lights back in March 2025! Details of the route (which I really enjoyed and fully recommend!) can be found at Hurtigruten website.

Night Sky Photography

A 1-day beginners course presented at the Observatory Science Centre in Herstmonceux in March and September, 2025.

• Lecture slides are available as a PDF file.

Astrophotography without a telescope
Presented to Brighton Astro on the 1^st February 2024.

• Lecture slides are available as a PDF file.
• Explore the superb astrophotography of Lavant Lavender and family.
• Pete of BrightonAstro suggests trying Photo Pills for planning shots.
• On the cycle home from the meeting, I took the following photographs:
  • One single frame - I took 20 shots in total.
  • The output after aligning and stacking those 20 images, using the free sequator software for Windows.
  • The final version using the free GIMP Image Processing software to change brightness, contrast, saturation and colour balance.
• When a camera is outside for long periods, it cools and so moisture forms on the camera and lens. One question after my talk was "How do you prevent this?". I use a lens heater which warms the lens just enough to prevent moisture from condensing onto the lens. Here is an example on Amazon.
• Collections of my own astrophotography:
  • Astrophotography highlights
  • Starry skies astrophotography
  • Star-trails astrophotography

Observing the Hawaiian Skies
Presented to the Lewes Astronomical Society on Wednesday the 5^th June 2024, and Brighton Astro on the 1^st June 2023.

• Photos & videos from an observing run at UKIRT
• Photos & videos from an observing run at JCMT
• Assorted videos from Hawai'i, including time-lapse movies
• And closer to home, a collection of my astrophotography from mostly around Brighton - my highlights, and a wider collection of starry skies photos.