Anthony Southwell: Spaceship Earth

Description

In this lecture Derby Astronomer, Anthony Southwell, will be taking the audience off the beaten track. Instead of looking out into deep space, Anthony will be looking at the very planet we are living on, the Earth, the ‘spaceship’ we call home. 

Anthony will look at the Earth as a planet, the formation of the Solar System and the Earth’s beginnings, how the Moon came to be, the early Earth, and how the Earth has changed over time because of internal and external processes. The lecture will cover the beginnings and evolution of life on Earth, and, also how life has ‘terra-formed’ the Planet. Last but not least, Anthony, will look at the Earth’s future. 

Join Anthony on a 4.5-billion-year journey through the history of the Earth and get to know the Home Planet a little better. 

Anthony Southwell Biography

Anthony’s interest in Astronomy and Space began at a very young age. Anthony was a very young child when he watched the fuzzy black and white TV coverage of Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin walking on the lunar surface in July 1969. Anthony says that something ‘clicked’ inside him whilst watching Armstrong and Aldrin walking around on a grey surface under a blacker than black sky, from that point on his passion for Astronomy and Space was born, as well as a love for Science in general.   

Anthony has been a member of the Derby and District Astronomical Society (DDAS) for 35 years and has served on the society’s Committee for 30 years, holding a number of positions, including Chairman, Vice-Chairman, Secretary, Public Relations Officer and Editor of the society’s journal, known as ‘Aries.’ Anthony is not on the society Committee at present. 

Anthony’s love of science lead him to the University of Derby, where, as a mature student, he studied a BSc (Hons) degree course in Applied Environmental Earth Science, this course was Geology and Environmental Science orientated. Anthony also obtained a Post-Graduate Diploma in Environmental Management also from the University of Derby.   

Anthony has given talks to his own astronomical society and others and has given number of public lectures and astronomy and spaceflight. In fact Anthony has presented a number of public lectures here at the Quad, topics covered include, Black Holes, Interstellar Travel, the Voyager probes to the outer planets and so on. 

Another pursuit that Anthony is engaged in is model rocketry. He and a friend, who has a 3D Printer, design, fabricate and launch their own model rockets. Anthony is hoping to launch his ‘Endeavour’ two stage model rocket in spring 2023. Anthony also enjoys model-making, examples of which will be on display during his talk.”