Join us for an evening with astronomer, Mark Thompson as he discusses and signs copies of his new book A Down to Earth Guide to the Cosmos - a fascinating and accessible guide to the night's sky.
About A Down to Earth Guide to the Cosmos
To the beginner, the star-filled sky at night can seem as mysterious and unfathomable as it was to our distant ancestors. But with this book as a guide, the awesome nature of the Cosmos is brought down to Earth.
Learning about the Universe requires two distinct areas of focus: understanding the physical nature of the processes and objects amongst the stars and the ability to find objects and navigate around the sky. Mark Thompson's book combines these two areas in a unique and engaging way, taking the reader in just twelve chapters on the same journey that has taken mankind thousands of years.
The twelve chapters of the book represent the twelve months of the year and each chapter will tackle an astronomical concept, such as how our view of the night sky has changed over the centuries, drawing on real objects in the sky to illustrate the point. Each chapter will be further broken down into three sections; a narrative which covers the concept, followed by a quick guide to the stars of the northern hemisphere for that month and then those in the southern hemisphere.
As fascinating as it is accessible, Mark Thompson's book is a must for anyone who gazes up at the sky at night and wishes they knew more about the final frontier...
About the Author
At the age of 10, Mark Thompson got his first view of Saturn and its rings through a telescope; it ignited a passion that has stayed with him ever since. As an astronomy populariser, he has been keen to show a new, enthusiastic and fresh face to the public and to that end has for the last 20 years, lectured on a vast array of astronomical subjects from the Moon to Black Holes and the end of the Universe. Mark’s research interests have chiefly centred on deep space, the study of stars exploding at the end of their lives and of distant galaxies believed to host super-massive black holes in their cores. Mark has a proven ability to bring complex scientific concepts to the man in the street. Mark is a regular face on The One Show and the Alan Titchmarsh Show along with regular contributions for Discovery News’ website he brings the image of astronomy into the 21st Century with a bang. Mark will also be co-presenting Stargazing LIVE in the new year with Professor Brian Cox.
In his quest to show us a new image of astronomers, Mark, who is now President of Norwich Astronomical Society, has worked extensively with local media from newspaper, to radio and TV and his articles have been published in Astronomy Now, the UK’s national astronomy magazine. His enthusiastic outreach work and contemporary image led him to being elected to the Council of the Royal Astronomical Society in May 2010, the only amateur astronomer on the Council.
Tickets £5 available from Customer Services, floor 2, or click here to purchase online.
Please note: Mark Thompson will only sign copies A Down to Earth Guide to the Cosmos purchased at the event or accompanied by a valid Jarrold receipt. Jarrold reserves the right to cancel or alter events due to unforeseen circumstances.