Weekender: Mysteries of the universe, Cheshire, England

30 August to 1 September 2024 – Register by email for next year's event at tours@newscientist.com.

Spend a weekend with some of the brightest minds in science, as you explore the mysteries of the universe in an exciting programme that includes an excursion to UNESCO World Heritage Site Jodrell Bank to see the iconic Lovell Telescope.

Based in a delightful 4-star hotel, over this weekend you will enjoy a series of fascinating lectures that will cover the big bang through to the James Webb Space Telescope. You will also enjoy stargazing with New Scientist’s Abigail Beall and remotely operate an Australian telescope to see the skies of the southern hemisphere.

The weekend will be hosted by Abigail Beall, a New Scientist features editor and astronomer. She will guide you through naked-eye stargazing at night. Additionally, you can explore the southern hemisphere's skies through a remote astronomy demonstration that connects with a telescope in Australia. You will also hear from leading astronomers, astrophysicists and cosmologists, who will teach you about galaxy formation, the latest research into black holes and what iconic telescopes have already revealed.

Jodrell Bank, located near Manchester, UK, has been at the forefront of a revolution in our understanding of the universe for more than 75 years, from the discovery of black holes to the search for extraterrestrial intelligence.

You’ll stay in the charming Grade II-listed De Vere Cranage Estate hotel with a friendly group of fellow science enthusiasts. This experience is ideal for solo guests and there is no single supplement if you are a solo traveller.

This weekender is designed for anyone interested in astronomy or cosmology. It is suitable for all levels of experience, from beginners to serious stargazers.

DAY 1

Arrive in the afternoon and check into your room at the stunning De Vere Cranage Estate, a historic hotel with a Grade II listing.

You will then join the group and New Scientist’s Abigail Beall. She will introduce you to the weekend ahead and to the first of several talks with scientists who will share some of the amazing stories behind their work and the successes of other telescopes and observatories. The first talk offers an overview of Jodrell Bank and some of the pivotal achievements in its history.

The evening continues with drinks and dinner with your fellow guests and the New Scientist team. Then, weather permitting, we will venture outside for some naked-eye stargazing led by Abigail.

DAY 2

After an early breakfast, you will take a 20-minute coach journey to Jodrell Bank to visit its galleries, exhibitions and grounds alongside the iconic Lovell Telescope, and embark on a walking tour to the historic "south side" of its site, the original heart of the observatory in the 1940s and 1950s.

Once back at the Cranage Estate, we have lined up the following fascinating afternoon talks:

The James Webb Space Telescope – Emma Curtis-Lake, University of Hertfordshire.
Black holes – Jeff Forshaw, University of Manchester.
Radio astronomy – Anna Scaife, University of Manchester, head of the Jodrell Bank Centre for Astrophysics Interferometry Centre of Excellence.

Later in the evening, you can continue the conversation with drinks with our speakers, before dinner and a chance to do some more stargazing, guided by Abigail (weather permitting).

DAY 3

After a more leisurely breakfast, we’ve got a packed morning of talks and demonstrations.

You’ll hear all about:

How galaxies form – Christopher Conselice, University of Manchester.
The Square Kilometre Array – Laura Wolz, University of Manchester.
Manchester’s first satellite – Nicholas Crisp, University of Manchester.

After lunch, we will connect via a live link-up with a remote telescope in Australia, hosted by Chris Baker from Galaxy on Glass. We are hoping to have clear weather to see the sights of the southern skies.

We’ll wrap the three days with a closing discussion with the speakers, hosted by Abigail, before you boldly go back to your home planet.

ADDITIONAL DAYS BEFORE AND AFTER

For those wanting to extend their time in and around Lancashire, you are welcome to arrive a few days early or to stay a few more days in order to enjoy the beautiful countryside around Cheshire or visit Manchester and its many scientific sites, including the Science and Industry Museum. This can be arranged for an additional fee.

QUESTIONS

Full event notes will be issued a few weeks prior to the event, but feel to drop us a line at tours@newscientist.com with your questions.

Highlights

Hear from leading experts in astronomy, cosmology and space science
Live link-up with remote telescope in Australia to view the southern hemisphere's night skies
Meet New Scientist staff, space experts and fellow New Scientist readers
Private tour of Jodrell Bank
Stay at the beautiful, Grade II-listed De Vere Cranage Estate hotel
Dinner and drinks with your fellow experts and guests

Meet the expert

New Scientist Default Image

Host: Abigail Beall is a writer and features editor for New Scientist, where she also writes a monthly astronomy column. In 2019, Abigail wrote and published The Art of Urban Astronomy and has also co-written three popular science books for Dorling Kindersley. She has helped New Scientist readers explore the night skies over Norway and accompanied Discovery Tours guests to Australia and Chile for astronomy and observatory visits to view the 2023 total solar eclipse. (Pictured above at the Vera C. Rubin Observatory.)

In addition, Abigail is a physics, technology and environment journalist whose work has appeared in Wired, BBC Science Focus and BBC Future.

Emma Curtis Lake is an STFC Webb fellow based at the University of Hertfordshire, UK. She studies galaxy evolution in the early universe and is part of a team with more than 800 hours of time booked with the James Webb Space Telescope.

Chris Baker is an astrophotographer with a focus on "deep-sky objects". Interested in astronomy since the 1970s, Chris has set up remote telescopes in Spain and more recently Australia, allowing him to capture the southern hemisphere skies in ideal clear-sky conditions, for sale via his company Galaxy on Glass. In addition, Chris analyses data from exoplanets, which are planets orbiting stars other than our sun.

Jeff Forshaw is a particle physicist with a special interest in quantum chromodynamics (QCD), the study of the behaviour of subatomic particles. He uses data from particle accelerators such as HERA, Tevatron and the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) at CERN.

Christopher Conselice is an astrophysicist and professor of extragalactic astronomy at the University of Manchester, UK. He is an expert on the properties and evolution of galaxies and has researched galaxies from the local universe all the way back to the first ones.

Laura Wolz is a presidential fellow (academic) at the University of Manchester in the Astronomy and Astrophysics Theory Group. Laura has worked on neutral hydrogen intensity mapping surveys, which will be a powerful new probe of cosmology.

Nicholas Crisp is a lecturer in aerospace engineering at the University of Manchester. He has a PhD and is a chartered engineer and member of the Royal Aeronautical Society. His areas of expertise include orbital aerodynamics and satellite system design.

Anna Scaife is a professor of radio astronomy at the University of Manchester and head of the Jodrell Bank Centre for Astrophysics Interferometry Centre of Excellence. Her research focuses on the origin and evolution of large-scale cosmic magnetic fields. She is also working on artificial intelligence for discovery in data-intensive astrophysics as part of her Turing AI Fellowship. In this era of big data astrophysics, the use of machine learning to extract scientific information is essential to successfully utilise facilities such as the Square Kilometre Array telescopes.

WHAT'S INCLUDED

A full programme of talks and demonstrations
Two nights’ accommodation with no single supplements
Two breakfasts, two lunches and two three-course dinners. The dinners will be in a private dining area exclusive to New Scientist (please advise in advance if you have any dietary requirements)
Tea, coffees, soft drinks and pastries throughout the event
Naked-eye stargazing session (subject to weather)
Jodrell Bank tour including transport to and from the site
Fully detailed joining instructions pack, sent two weeks before the event
24-hour onsite support
Onsite parking
Access to heated indoor pool, gym and steam room

WHAT'S NOT INCLUDED

Travel insurance
Transport to the venue
Additional snacks, drinks and alcohol
Additional nights of accommodation (Thursday and Sunday night available)

PACE AND PHYSICALITY

The talks will be held in a private conference room with comfortable seating.

The naked-eye stargazing will be subject to weather and will take place in the hotel grounds. A torch, stout footwear and warm clothing is recommended for this activity.

We will provide transport in comfortable coaches to Jodrell Bank, where a walking tour around the site will take place, lasting approximately an hour. There will also be a film presentation in an indoor seated pavilion. Some of the walking tour is on grass, so remember to wear your outdoor clothes from the night before.

Children are welcome, but must be aged 12 or over. Please bear in mind that the level of the talks and activities are aimed at adults.

HOW TO GET THERE

The De Vere Cranage Estate hotel is easily accessible.

The hotel is minutes away from junction 18 of the M6 motorway. The postcode is CW4 8EW.

The nearest train station is Goostrey, which is just 15 minutes by train from the mainline station at Crewe. Goostrey is just 4 kilometres from the hotel and a local taxi service is available. Alternatively, you can alight at the mainline stations of Crewe or Macclesfield, both of which are 20 minutes away by taxi.

Accommodation

DE VERE CRANAGE ESTATE HOTEL, CHESHIRE, ENGLAND

Tucked away in a peaceful corner of Cheshire, this Grade II-listed 4-star rural retreat is near the charming village of Holmes Chapel. It has both indoor and outdoor restaurants, comfortable meeting rooms for our event, a heated pool, gym, steam room and tennis courts.

Outdoors, there are 20 acres of attractive gardens with views across the Cheshire countryside. Jodrell Bank is within 8 kilometres of the hotel.

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