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Open Dome IN PERSON - The Extra Day

Observatory Visitors Observing the Sun
Public lectures

A random extra day appears to be added to February this year. Is it really so random? Join Dr. Daniel Brown (NTU) in his talk The Extra Day - The History of the Leap Year to find out if this is madness or has a deeper meaning.

  • From: Thursday 29 February 2024, 8 pm
  • To: Thursday 29 February 2024, 10 pm
  • Location: LT 4, Nottingham Trent University, Clifton Campus, Clifton, Nottingham,
  • Booking deadline: Thursday 29 February 2024, 8.00 pm
  • Download this event to your calendar

Past event

Event details

Years and days are regular occurrences in our lives covering the same amount of time over and over again. But every so often this rhythm is broken by an extra day in February. Do we really need this? Does it not just mess everything up?

Although our Earth travels around our Sun at a regular period, this period cannot be expressed by a whole number of days. This is a problem well known since the antique and was approximated by the introduction of a so-called leap year and a 29th day in February. Join Dr Daniel Brown (NTU) in his talk The Extra Day - The History of the Leap Year, where we  explore who determined the length of a year and how different civilisations tried to manage their calendars to run in sync with our movement around the Sun.

Booking is required for this event while attending in person. While attending, you consent to filming, photography, and sound recording – which may include you as a member of the audience – and its use in publication or advertising distribution, either printed or online, without payment or copyright.

This event is taking place as a hybrid event on NTU campus. This will allow a flexible way of attending. You are currently booking to attend in person (including observatory tour) and will need to purchase a £5 ticket for the event. If you are underage or an NTU student there is no charge.

You can also attend the virtual talk for free but would need to book the Open Dome VIRTUAL event to receive the link details.

Years and days are regular occurrences in our lives covering the same amount of time over and over again. But every so often this rhythm is broken by an extra day in February. Do we really need this? Does it not just mess everything up?

Although our Earth travels around our Sun at a regular period, this period cannot be expressed by a whole number of days. This is a problem well known since the antique and was approximated by the introduction of a so-called leap year and a 29th day in February. Join Dr Daniel Brown (NTU) in his talk The Extra Day - The History of the Leap Year, where we  explore who determined the length of a year and how different civilisations tried to manage their calendars to run in sync with our movement around the Sun.

Booking is required for this event while attending in person. While attending, you consent to filming, photography, and sound recording – which may include you as a member of the audience – and its use in publication or advertising distribution, either printed or online, without payment or copyright.

This event is taking place as a hybrid event on NTU campus. This will allow a flexible way of attending. You are currently booking to attend in person (including observatory tour) and will need to purchase a £5 ticket for the event. If you are underage or an NTU student there is no charge.

You can also attend the virtual talk for free but would need to book the XXXOpen Dome VIRTUALXXX event to receive the link details.

Programme

The event will start at 8pm with Dr Daniel Brown (NTU) and his talk The Extra Day - The History of the Leap Year.

Refreshments will be offered from 7.45 pm in LT4 within the Teaching and Learning Building. After the talk, visitors will be able to get a tour of the NTU observatory. After the talk, visitors will be able to enter the NTU planetarium, get a tour of the NTU observatory and the chance to see interesting objects in the Winter sky using the observatory's telescopes, small telescopes and binoculars, if the weather allows it.

If the weather is not good, the planetarium session will be pointing out objects of interest as well.

Location details

Address:

Nottingham Trent University
Clifton Campus
Clifton
 Nottingham

Parking:

Parking is available only for booked visitors in the Main Gate car park.

Please ensure to enter the campus via Main Gate only!

Ensure to allow for sufficient time since you will need to contact security at the barrier to identify the event you wish to visit. Furthermore it is a 3 minute walk from the car park to Teaching and Learning Building.

Travel Info:

Main gate entrance is located on the A453 closest towards the city, ie the first entrance when travelling from Nottingham towards Clifton.

Please avoid entering via South Gate as you will not be able to access the staff car park nor will security staff allow access via that barrier.

The exact location of the car park is in latitude and longitude 52.912958, -1.183357 or via GoogleMaps .

Please note that the venue is within the Teaching and Learning Building, see Google Maps. Please be advised that this is NOT the CELS building.

Past event

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