Star Stories Impact

3 Jun 202416 Sep 2024 / Stephen Mackintosh / Leave a comment

Here’s some facts and figures highlighting the impact of the Star Stories astronomy programme, running up at Abriachan forest since 2018 (after a pilot in 2017). As principle researcher for the Spark Award grant I’ve been sharing impact data with STFC, who’ll use it to better target future funding for science and astronomy outreach.

Impact Summary

Over 40 face to face events delivered
Close to 1800 total attendees
Highland Astronomy Facebook community grown to 14,000 followers
Wide geographical distribution (see map)
40% of attendees Under 16s
Balanced engagement between male and female
Local schools, scouting and astronomy organisations engaged with
High quality home baking by @Judith Mackintosh

Examples of astronomy topics and themes explored during the events:

Meteors, Venus, Life of Stars, Saturn, Aurora, Variable Stars, Night sky photography, Buying a Telescope, Orion, Island Universes, Scale of the Universe, Mesolithic Stargazing, Renaissance Astronomy, Globular Clusters,Summer and Winter Solstice, Moon, Gravitational Waves, Multiverses, Lord Kelvin, Age of Universe, Planetary Nubulae, Black Holes, Space Telescopes

Astronomy speakers:

Martin Hendry
Steve Owens
Graham Bradshaw
Maarten De Vries
Claire Rayne
Anthony Luke
Eric Walker
Catherine Haymans
Stephen Mackintosh
Glasgow Science Centre team

Storytellers:

Barbara Henderson
John Burns
Suzann Barr
Trish Matthews
Daniel Allison
Allis Balance
Chris Holland
Fiona Macdonald
Clelland McCallum
Gordon MacLellan

Key Findings

To engage wide audiences try to blend science and culture.
Binoculars are an empowering and inexpensive tool to access the night sky with large groups
Well managed social media pages are a great way to build communities and drive engagement
Audiences, particularly young people, are highly engaged by very challenging and abstract cosmology (don’t dumb down)
The ‘wonder’ of the night sky is a highly motivating vehicle to increase engagement in science and mathematics

The Future

Star Stories is now a well established astronomy outreach programme within the Highlands, close to the city of Inverness. Its events continue to sell out each season . Our new programme of events will kick off at the start of the 2024 winter season in October. We look forward to expanding the scope of the work, reaching new audiences and developing new and exciting content that will forge a bridge into science, mathematics and astronomy.

Donated 200mm Telescope for Abriachan

23 May 202223 May 2022 / Stephen Mackintosh / Leave a comment

Fully restored Sky-Watcher 200mm telescope for Abriachan Forest

I recently restored a lovely 200mm reflector, kindly donated to our astronomy programme at Abriachan Forest. This one came from @BigSkyLodges over in the Black Isle. Many thanks to Martin Hind for the heads up.

Just needed a clean and some TLC and now back in good working order. This adds to our 150mm reflector and will compliment our binocular stargazing events when we kick off next season.

A 200mm like this is ideal for observing fainter deep sky objects like galaxies, planetary nebulae and globular clusters.

November Star Stories

3 Dec 2021 / Stephen Mackintosh / Leave a comment

Stargazing next to the round house in Abriachan Forest

Thanks to everyone who braved the subzero temperatures up at Abriachan Forest last Saturday for Star Stories. Our guest storyteller John Burns delivered a captivating one man play and storytelling session up in the forest round house, and even succeeded in ushering out a few stars at the very end.

Afterwards the skies opened up beautifully and we had clear views of the Milky Way and many circumpolar constallations during our outdoor stargazing session. Special thanks to Gretchen for the Jupiter biscuits!

That’s a wrap for this year. Our next event will be the Dark Sky Burns at the end of January 2022 before our guest speaker events in February and March. You can read more details on the full programme here.

The Milky Way glowing through some light cloud and haze at Abriachan.

Starry Skies for New Season of Star Stories

1 Nov 20211 Nov 2021 / Stephen Mackintosh / Leave a comment

Thanks to everyone who came to Abriachan Forest on Saturday night. We had a fantastic opening event to kick off the 2021/22 Star Stories astronomy programme.

We enjoyed clear skies all evening and I was able to offer uninterrupted guiding of the whole night sky from north to south and east to west. Some of the highlights included:

– Views of Saturn and Jupiter low on the southern horizon, with telescopic views of Saturn’s majestic rings.

– A full power Milky Way glowing overhead from north to south with clear visibility of the dark lanes of obscuring galactic dust near the Cygnus Rift.

– Several bright meteors flashing past.

– The Pleiades open star cluster rising in the east followed by Taurus with the red giant Aldebaran.

– The Andromeda galaxy clearly visible naked eye and offering fantastic views in binoculars.

– Numerous bright stars and clusters.

Also a big thanks to the Abriachan team for the Bat walk + talk and Bat box workshop.

Tickets are now available for the next event on November 27th. Please follow my Highland Astronomy facebook page for the latest on tickets and events.

I managed a few pics at the end of the session inserted above (a little out of focus I’m afraid).

Star Stories and the Multiverse

25 Nov 201925 Nov 2019 / Stephen Mackintosh / Leave a comment

Just before lights down. Ready for our journey into the multiverse with astronomer Steve Owens tonight at Abriachan Forest.

We had another fantastic Star Stories session up at Abriachan Forest on Saturday evening, with guest astronomer and author Steve Owen’s taking over my normal astronomy duties with a captivating talk on the multiverse.

Massive thanks to Steve for driving all the way up from Glasgow and delivering two back to back talks due to the fantastic turnout.

Meanwhile Clelland captivated young and old with his dramatic stories up in the Round house. Helpfully, we now all know how to spot a Kelpie!

My wife Judith also put on a great display of creative baking (with help from my younger girls Violet and Nellie) – producing a wonderful array of multiverse inspired cakes. I wonder if Kip Thorne would approve the final product?

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We’ve got two further events in December to look forward to. Dec 11th is Astronomy from the Moon with guest Pof. Martin Hendry, followed by our dark sky Solstice special on the 21st with best selling author and guest storyteller John Burns.

With binocular stargazing and outdoor astronomy if skies are clear.

Please click for Dec 11th ticket link and Dec 21st ticket link.

Summer Solstice at the Shielings

10 Jun 201910 Jun 2019 / Stephen Mackintosh / Leave a comment

Come and join us for an outdoor walk and talk to the Sheilings above Loch Ness. Learn about summer plant lore and old dairying activities from Abriachan’s Suzann and Christine as we walk up the hill.

Once we reach the Shieling local astronomer Stephen Mackintosh will give a talk on ancient astronomy and how many cultures would mark the solstices in days gone by.

Some traditional refreshments will be available at the top after the walk (30 mins uphill).

Meet: Friday 21st June after the Abriachan Highland Games at 8.30pm.

Park at the fank carpark NH559348. For detailed directions please advance email abriachanforest@gmail.com or call 01463 861236. All ages welcome.

Tickets available via Eventbrite.

Due to the outdoor nature of this event it may be cancelled due to very poor weather. Please check the ‘Abriachan Community ‘or ‘Highland Astronomy’ Facebook pages for details on the day. This event is part of the Star Stories Astronomy and Storytelling programme, part funded by the STFC (Science and Technology Facilities Council).

Event image rights: Karl Normington.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/36266724@N06/

GSC On Tour

29 Apr 20191 Sep 2019 / Stephen Mackintosh / 1 Comment

Ross teaching us how to make a comet in a bin bag!

We had a great day of outdoor and indoor astronomy learning with our guests from Glasgow Science Centre on Saturday.

Ross and Andrew travelled all the way up the A9 loaded with space and science kit to kick off our first 2019 daytime event for the Star Stories programme.

Ross ran a fascinating hands-on Comet making workshop in the outdoor woodcraft shed, demonstrating how Comets form and disintegrate as they travel around the Sun.

Meanwhile Andrew presented an indoor planetarium show using a projector and Stellarium software, taking audiences across the night sky and explaining some of the science and mythology of the constellations.

Everyone seemed to have a great time and we’re looking forward to continuing the summer programme with our Summer Solstice event on the 21st June. Please check my facebook page for booking details in the weeks ahead.