Robert F. Turner FRAS FILS MBAA (Hons) IFA
University and further education teacher in Astronomy and Archaeology, Bob Turner has over 50 years experience in Astronomy and 10 years experience in pre-history Archaeology and Lithics. As a Fellow of the Royal Astronomical Society and a 50 year plus member of the British Astronomical Association he has toured all over the World co-lecturing with Patrick Moore in Australia, China, Philippines, Africa and the USA and has acted as tour guide on many occasions in his pursuit of total eclipses with three different tour companies.He says,” I first met Patrick Moore in 1957 and were firm friends until his death in December 2012”. “We started escorting trips around the USA observatories taking turns to lecture each evening and this led to many eclipse trips to the far flung places of the world like the centre of Australia the Sahara desert and the Northern tip of Norway” Each year Bob and Patrick worked together on weekend seminars at astronomical venues in Sussex, the Home counties and the Wirral but his favourite was taking over 350 people to Hawaii for an eclipse. Bob has run many courses up and down the UK for amateurs and semi professional Astronomers and Lectures on numerous subjects both popular and academic. He has done considerable research in Solar Dynamics working in Hydrogen Alpha and looking at periodicity in Solar flares. Visiting many of the world observatories he has lectured at both Mount Wilson and Palomar observatories and Kitt Peak as well as many Universities. He also teaches lithics and Illustration and has recently published a book on pre history Flintwork knapping with an in depth knowledge of Pre History. Married to an Archaeologist for 47 years has led to this further interest and Bob now works with a number of the leading people in the pre-history field. His enthusiasm for both subjects makes him an ideal populariser to the general public.
TOPICS:
Astronomy:
The Northern Lights
In the beginning - Creation and the Big Bang
How the stars were formed and continue to shine – all about our Sun
Hubble telescope and what its telling us of the far reaches of space
The Sky at Night – What you can see and what you should look for
The size and shape of the Solar System and the Universe – What’s out there
Rainbows, haloes, Glories and aurora – the phenomena of the atmosphere
Comets and Asteroids and other moving things – Space Guard project
Visiting the Planets and travel to the Stars - is it possible?
Give us back our 11 days - the story of our calendar
Clusters, Nebulae, galaxies and all things beautiful in the night sky
Star charts, navigation and finding your way around the night sky
Archaeology:
Flint in the Stone Age
Palaeolithic to Bronze Age – The story of the Stone Age
Neanderthals and early Homo Sapiens
Where Archaeology meets Astronomy – Standing Stones
