In his presentation, James will delve into a range of fascinating astronomical topics. It begins by exploring the pre-war history of astronomy, followed by an examination of the contributions made by Jodrell Bank and the Cambridge group. Interferometry, a technique used to combine signals from multiple telescopes, will be discussed, along with the study of cosmic microwave background (CMB) radiation. Pulsars, rapidly rotating neutron stars emitting beams of radiation, will be explored, along with quasars, blazars, and active galactic nuclei, which are energetic phenomena associated with supermassive black holes. The talk will also touch upon radio galaxies and the intriguing 21 cm hydrogen line, which is instrumental in studying cosmic evolution.

Join online if you can't make the meeting room HERE 

About the speaker: James Fradgley

James has an MSc and a BSc in Physics and Astronomy. After retiring, he took a break from the area of astronomy but has since returned. FRAS and a member of the Institute of Physics. Currently serves as the chair of the BNSS Astronomy section and the Southern Group of Astronomical Societies (SAGAS), and has previously served as the chair of several other regional astronomy societies. He frequently gives speeches, mostly to astronomical societies, but he also has many other contacts for outreach, such as schools. I'm more interested in the mechanics of astronomy than observational astronomy since it's too cold!