Physics in the Forest - Gravitational Waves

In April 2018 we opened our new, state of the art Gillian Dickinson Astro-imaging Academy, to further our aims of inspiring and educating as wide an audience as possible about the Universe.

These new ‘Physics in the Forest’ events are designed for the guest that wants to learn that little bit more. We will delve deep into a current topic in Astronomy and discuss the science behind the headlines, while keeping things digestible and understandable.

We will take a look at our powerful new telescopes designed for deep sky imaging and astronomical data gathering, and weather permitting there’ll be a chance to gaze through eyepieces at some of the majestic sights of the Cosmos.

A Focus on Gravitational Waves

In January 2016, scientists at a pair of Observatories in the United States announced the detection of a completely new type of signal from the Universe. The era of Gravitational Wave Astronomy had begun.

The story of Gravitational Waves begins much earlier: Albert Einstein’s theory of General Relativity offered a new perspective on gravity and the nature of space. Since then, scientists from across disciplines have sought to build instruments capable of sensing tiny wobbles in the fabric of spacetime from the most violent collisions in the Universe. 

Join our science team for a night where we will endeavour to explain how Einstein’s theories predict gravitational waves, how they are detected on Earth and what mysteries can be unlocked using this new astronomical messenger.