14 February 2023
UCLO OBSERVATORY
The first Master's Outing of the year saw Clockmakers and their guests descend on the University College London Observatory for a heavenly Valentine's evening among the stars.
The Clockmakers have supported an annual prize for the top student in astrophysics modules at UCL for some years. In his introduction, Director Professor Giorgio Savini introduced us to some of their ground-breaking work. It was especially encouraging to see that all the prize-winning students have elected to continue their studies in astrophysics, and are now adorning prestigious departments across the globe, no doubt encouraged in part by the Clockmakers' acknowledgement of their successes.
Next came a fascinating tour of the Observatory's assorted telescopes, and the chance to gaze into the night sky. Happily, the night was clear, and as well as the telescopes themselves swinging into position and the domes opening, we were able to see not only the Orion's belt nebula, but also Mars.
The enthusiasm of the guides, both students and staff was quite remarkable, and made for a fascinating evening even for non astrophysicists. The evening concluded with a buffet supper and chance to talk further with the observatory staff.
