Speaker profile
Mr Ben Wilkes
Available for booking
Solihull, West Midlands, England
100 miles travel distance
Science Educator
Amateur Astronomer
Astrophotographer
Summary
Astronomy Graduate & Teaching and Learning Lead / Science Communicator offering in-person and virtual talks to schools, families, science events and Societies.
Full biography
Hello and thank you for clicking on my profile.
Since the age of 10, I have had a deep fascination with the night sky. My interests in this subject have helped shape my career. During the day I work as a senior leader of education teaching a range of children about space science / physics / astronomy. During the night I image distant galaxies and nebulae as an astrophotographer from my suburban back garden.
I hold a first class degree in Astronomy and Space Science, am fully DBS checked and have over 15 years experience of teaching children and adults.
Over the past ten years I have delivered astronomy talks to
- School groups
- School families and family learning nights
- Local astronomical groups and photographic societies
- Holiday destinations and Cruise ships
- Science events and teacher training conferences
I currently offer talks on a range of subjects including bespoke astronomy talks tailored for you.
Stargazing sessions
Mr Ben Wilkes can host stargazing sessions including guided tours of the night skies and observing using telescopes or binoculars.
Affiliations
Lectures
EXO PLANETS - Searching for life beyond earth
During this lecture, we will delve into the latest astronomical research behind searching for Exo planets. We will explore all the scientific techniques being used to detect worlds beyond our own and look at the realistic odds of finding life beyond our Earth. This is an interactive talk with lots of demonstrations that involve the audience.
How to use your first telescope
Have you recently purchased a telescope? Or are you planning on investing in a telescope or binoculars to use for astronomy? This talk will guide you through setting up your device, the variety of different devices available to you and how to get the best out of your device.
Astrophotography - A beginners Guide
Have you ever wanted to take pictures of the night sky? Do you have a telescope or a camera and want to learn how to capture images of the stars? Then this talk is for you. Throughout this talk, we will explore what equipment you will need, how to get the best from what you already have and how to process your first astro image.
500 Years of the telescope
What have we learnt about the universe and the night sky through more than 500 years of telescopic observation. Who were the pioneers and astronomers who have helped pave the way for modern day observations. During this talk we will use real telescopes and explore how the technology has evolved over time exploring all wavelengths of astronomy.
Astronomy in the classroom
This is a talk aimed at educators primarily. How can we embed more astronomy and space related activities in our primary and secondary classrooms? What does the research tell us and what tools are available to teachers?
Workshops
Building and Launching Rockets
Book me to build out of this world rockets with your group. During this workshop we will explore many different forms of rockets including air and water powered rockets leading ultimately to chemical powered rockets. How have rockets shaped our understanding of the sky above us.
