BGS ran a mini astrophysics conference to showcase some truly exceptional work from a group of Year 10 students. Using the newly installed solar filter on the observatory telescope, they tracked the movement of a sunspot across 48 hours and calculated the sun’s period of rotation, using advanced geometric analysis. This is the same sort of experiment typically tackled by second-year undergraduate students!
To communicate their findings, the students created professional academic posters and delivered an insightful PowerPoint presentation to a visiting audience, including astrophysicist Matt Lodge from the University of Bristol. Their confidence, clarity, and scientific understanding were outstanding.
Mr Barot (Headmaster and Physicist) commented on how well they answered his questions, noting how clearly they had grasped the science. Students also took the opportunity to ask Matt about his research on exoplanets and about studying physics at university.
Huge congratulations to Kane, Felix, Poppy, Anmol, Gemma, Alex and Sonny for their hard work and outstanding communication.
And a big thank you to everyone who came along to support and celebrate their achievements!
