Flamsteed Astronomy Society

Professor Ian Morison

A gentle introduction to Einstein’s Theories of Relativity and how, over nearly 100 years physicists and astronomers, including those at the Jodrell Bank Observatory, have been testing them to the limit. A recent exciting development is the direct detection of gravitational waves which gives further proof of one of the theory’s predictions.

Ian Morison is an astronomer who served as the 35th Gresham Professor of Astronomy. Though a radio astronomer by profession, now in his 51st year at the Jodrell Bank Observatory, he has been a keen amateur optical astronomer since making his first simple telescope with lenses given to him by his optician when 11.

In 1990 he helped found the Macclesfield Astronomy Society of which he is now patron and he is a past president of the UK’s Society for Popular Astronomy, remaining on its council and acting as its Instrument Advisor.

In 2003 the International Astronomical Union named an asteroid after him citing his work at the Observatory and public lecturing. He writes a regular ‘Telescope Topics’ column for ‘Popular Astronomy’ and has made many contributions to the ‘Sky at Night’ and ‘Astronomy Now’ magazines. Cambridge University Press have recently published three of his books including ‘A Journey through the Universe’ covering our current understanding of the Universe and he has just begun to write an ‘Astronomy Digest’ (www.ianmorison.com) to include articles of interest to amateur astronomers and update the CUP books.