Summer School 2016

The Sophia Centre Summer School 2016 for the MA in Cultural Astronomy and Astrology

The MA has been running summer schools for over a decade and has developed a successful model that comprises a balance of academic discussion and debate, enjoyable social activities and crucial interaction between students and tutors. This year we are also adding into the mix Skill Sessions which are focused on hands-on learning. So bring your computers!

The Summer School is open to all students of the MA in Cultural Astronomy and Astrology, all PhD students associated with the Sophia Centre and all MA Alumni. Also by invitation to special guests.

When?

21-24 June 2016

Where?

Bath Royal Literary and Scientific Institution, Bath, UK

Click here to view a live photo stream of the summer school.

You should register by Paypal if possible but, if you can't, email Nick and you can arrange to pay by cheque or bank transfer.

Please select the days you wish to attend Summer School

The annual summer school is our chance to come together, socialise and study. The precise time table is always finalised at the last moment because it depends very much on which students are attending, and therefore who is giving presentations: we try to give any students who are attending and have conducted research projects a chance to present their work.

Venue: we have space in the elegant surroundings of the Bath Royal Literary and Scientific Institute in Bath. Please don't contact the Institute directly.

Attendance: the Summer School is only open to Sophia Centre graduates and students, or other individuals who collaborate with the Centre, by invitation. You do not have to attend all four days. Please register for those days you plan to attend so we can plan ahead

Cost: The University of Wales subsidises the School, but we charge £20 per day Tuesday to Thursday and £10 for Friday to help to assist with expenses

Travel and Accommodation: Everyone arranges their own travel and accommodation. You will find details on the conference website at

sophia-project.net/conferences/accommodation

sophia-project.net/conferences/travel

If you want to team up with other students you could use the 'unofficial' Sophia Facebook page to get in touch.

Photo Competition

Eva Young will be organising a photo competition (perhaps a good opportunity for all you Heavenly Discourses students) showing their work - and selling it with a percentage to the MA Alumni Association.

Draft Timetable (subject to change)

Monday 20 June

Monday evening: social at All Bar One, our unofficial social base.

Tuesday 21 June

09:00. Welcome, Greetings and Tea
09:15 - 10.45. Two tutor presentations with 15 minutes of discussion and debate after each 30-minute paper.
10:45 - 11.15. Morning Tea
11.15 - 12.45. Two tutor presentations with 15 minutes of discussion and debate after each 30-minute paper.
12.45 - 14:00. Lunch: Salad lunch provided in the 'Sophia Cafe'.
14:00 - 15:30. Three student presentations followed by a 30-minute panel of discussion and debate on the topics raised.
15:30 - 16.00. Afternoon Tea
16:00 - 17:30 Three student presentations followed by a 30-minute panel of discussion and debate on the topics raised.

Wednesday 22 June

09:00. Arrival Tea
09:15 - 10.45. Two tutor presentations with 15 minutes of discussion and debate after each 30-minute paper.
10:45 - 11.15. Morning Tea
11.15 - 12.45. Two tutor presentations with 15 minutes of discussion and debate after each 30-minute paper.
12.45 - 14:00. Lunch: Salad lunch provided in the 'Sophia Cafe'.
14:00 - 15:30. Your Choice - and bring your computer if you can.

Skill Session 1

With Dr Fabio Silva.
Hands-on instruments. Learning to use the compass and clinometer and turning these measurements into declinations and thus learning to know where the sun, moon and stars will rise and set. Fabio will have sets of instruments for people to work with. If time permits Fabio will also show you the virtual fieldwork tools of Google Earth and HeyWhatsThat which allow you to survey locations from your desk.

Skill Session 2

With Dr Frances Clynes and Dr Bernadette Brady.
Making Referencing Software Work For You. Using Endnote, we will be step you through: doing simple citations automatically, setting up the software to do your citations in the correct format, accessing the world's online libraries to find the references you need, and how to use your referencing software as your research assistant. Bring your computer if you have Endnote, otherwise use this skill session to learn about how Word and Endnote work together to make your life easier when writing papers.

15:30 - 16.00. Afternoon Tea
16:00 - 18:00 All attendees

Skill Session 3

The Sky as a Document.
The sky is one of our primary documents in all the MA modules. Whether you wish to look for a sunrise over a mountain or are a student of history and want to look at the sky for the founding of Baghdad, having the skills to recreate such skies will give your work an added depth. This session will show you how to use the free planetarium software called Stellarium to achieve recreations of the sky, or search the sky for configurations, or use the software to help you become familiar with the sky. We will also cover changing landscape views and making sky images that you can use in your papers. For those that have their computers you will be able to download and then run this software.

Thursday 23 June

Excursion.
We will be visiting the romantic remain of the great Welsh Abbey at Tintern, accompanied by our visiting specialist, Jon Cannon, and the ruins at the old Roman fort of Caerleon, stopping for a traditional pub lunch.

Friday 24 June

Friday Morning: staff and student presentations

09:00. Arrival Tea
09:15 - 10.45. Two tutor presentations with 15 minutes of discussion and debate after each 30-minute paper.
10:45 - 11.15. Morning Tea
11.15 - 12.00 One tutor presentations with 15 minutes of discussion and debate.
12:00 - 13:00 MA Reports - Spica, Sophia Press, Alumni and Nick talking about the MA in the last twelve months and its vision for the next twelve months.

13:00 Group photograph

Summer School 2013. Photo by Gaia Somasca, astrothink.com

Sophia Centre Conference 25-26 June 2016

sophia-project.net/conferences/WorshipOfStars

If you want to team up with other students you could use the 'unofficial' Sophia Facebook page to get in touch.