Large Telescopes and Why We Need Them

By Professor Carolin Crawford. Beyond the Solar System, all astronomers have to work with is the light that falls to the Earth from distant cosmic objects. Newer, larger telescopes are always needed to boost scientific progress, and the next generation of facilities - whether the 42m diameter optical-infrared Extremely Large Telescope, or the Square Kilometre Array of radio dishes - will represent a huge advance. We shall look at the science driving the need for such large telescopes, through history and to the present-day and beyond. Many scientific and engineering challenges are involved in the design and construction of the largest telescopes and their mirrors, and technological developments will be essential to their success. (from gresham.ac.uk)

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400 Years of the Telescope

The Next Big Questions in Astronomy

By Professor Carolin Crawford. For each exciting advance or discovery that takes place in Astronomy, other just as important questions either arise or remain unanswered. In my last Gresham lecture I shall review what the near future might bring – the exciting space missions, satellites and telescopes – and the fundamental scientific challenges they are designed to tackle. (from gresham.ac.uk)

About the Lecturer
Carolin Susan Crawford is a British communicator of science, astrophysicist researcher, lecturer and academic based at the Institute of Astronomy and Emmanuel College, Cambridge.

The Early Universe

By Professor Carolin Crawford. When did the first stars form? And how did they assemble to form the earliest galaxies? We shall look at what happened during the 'dark ages' that span the period between the Big Bang and the first galaxies, and see how the very early Universe came to resemble the one we see around us now.
(from gresham.ac.uk)

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The Early Universe

The Search for Dark Matter by Professor Carolin Crawford

Unlike the stars and galaxies, dark matter does not give off any radiation – we can only detect it through its gravitational pull. It accounts for a quarter of the Universe, yet we do not yet understand what it is made of. The search for a better understanding of dark matter is carried out both out in space and deep underground, and where astrophysics meets particle physics. (from gresham.ac.uk)

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Dark Matter and Dark Energy

How the Earth Moves - Professor Carolin Crawford

Our spaceship Earth is in constant motion – rotating and revolving as it traverses through space. This is a story of our evolving understanding of the geography of Earth’s position in space – a story of parallax, aberration and astrometry that stretches from the ancient Greeks to the most modern satellite, Gaia. (from gresham.ac.uk)

About the Lecturer
Carolin Susan Crawford is a British communicator of science, astrophysicist researcher, lecturer and academic based at the Institute of Astronomy and Emmanuel College, Cambridge.

The Lives of Stars - Professor Carolin Crawford

Stars are a ubiquitous feature of our local Galactic environment. They do not last forever – but form, develop and evolve over timescales of millions or billions of years, eventually to expire in dramatic style. We look at the lifecycles of different kinds of stars, and in particular, what they reveal about our own origins. (from gresham.ac.uk)

About the Lecturer
Carolin Susan Crawford is a British communicator of science, astrophysicist researcher, lecturer and academic based at the Institute of Astronomy and Emmanuel College, Cambridge.

Quasars: the Brightest Black Holes - Professor Carolin Crawford

Quasars are among the most dramatic objects anywhere in the cosmos. They emit prodigious amounts of energy, all due to a supermassive black hole at the heart of a galaxy. Visible far across the Universe, quasars can be used to trace both the early life of galaxies, and the properties of the intervening space. (from gresham.ac.uk)

About the Lecturer
Carolin Susan Crawford is a British communicator of science, astrophysicist researcher, lecturer and academic based at the Institute of Astronomy and Emmanuel College, Cambridge.

Atmospheric Phenomena by Professor Carolin Crawford

When light from the Sun and the Moon enters our atmosphere, it is sometimes reflected, refracted and dispersed by tiny ice crystals, water droplets and dust to produce a whole host of fantastic atmospheric visions. Some are even more common than you realise...

About the Lecturer
Carolin Susan Crawford is a British communicator of science, astrophysicist researcher, lecturer and academic based at the Institute of Astronomy and Emmanuel College, Cambridge.

Exoplanets and how to find them

Each week new observations add to the tally of 'hot-Jupiters' and 'super-Earths' found in orbit around nearby stars. Other planetary systems appear commonplace in our Milky Way, but how closely do they resemble our own Solar System, and what are the implications for life elsewhere?

About the Lecturer
Carolin Susan Crawford is a British communicator of science, astrophysicist researcher, lecturer and academic based at the Institute of Astronomy and Emmanuel College, Cambridge.

Saturn, its Moons and Rings by Professor Carolin Crawford

Saturn is the most beautiful planet in our Solar System. Famous for its bright yet ethereal rings, the gas giant has over sixty natural satellites in orbit around it - and one artificial satellite: NASA's Cassini spacecraft, which provides many of the results and images that will be showcased in this talk. We shall explore the weather observed in the atmosphere of Saturn, the curious structures that develop within the rings, and its wide variety of moons - from smog-shrouded Titan, two-sided Iapetus, to busy Prometheus, and the icy plumes erupting from frozen Enceladus.

About the Lecturer
Carolin Susan Crawford is a British communicator of science, astrophysicist researcher, lecturer and academic based at the Institute of Astronomy and Emmanuel College, Cambridge.