Astronomer Kevin Sweeney had a spellbound audience when he came to the Bower on September 18 to talk about the wonders of the universe. During an hour long slide show he introduced second years and TY students to the world around us, answering the most frequently asked questions about the stars and planets. Why is the sky blue? Why can’t Venus sustain human life? And could the sun explode? It will, but we needn’t worry about it as we will all be long gone! And from a planet that is totally insignificant in the overall scheme of things.
During the presentation, which involved huge numbers never used in maths class, Kevin discussed the very real possibility of landing on Mars in the near future, typical temperatures on Mercury and Venus and the effects of weightlessness on the human body. All accompanied by beautiful shots of the galaxies taken through powerful telescopes.