AstroCamp and Galaxies
AstroCamp (credit PhysicistPat@Flickr)\nThe arrival\xa0of Autumn means one thing to astronomers: darker skies. Every spring an autumn, astronomers gather along with their telescopes, campervans and tents for \u201cstar parties\u201d. One such meet-up is AstroCamp, held near Cwmdu in the Brecon Beacons. At just an hour or so north of Cardiff it\u2019s not too far, and\xa0I\u2019ve been\xa0going along to these meetings for the last few years.\nThe weather can be unpredictable,\xa0and while that can\xa0put a stop to observing the skies, it does little to dampen the spirits. Astronomers are a pretty social bunch,\xa0and enjoy sharing in the experience. I thought I\u2019d ask a few of the AstroCamp-ers what attracted them to astronomy\xa0and AstroCamp, and what got them started in the first place.\nIt\u2019s also been a busy summer for a few Cardiff astronomers, with\xa0an analysis of data from the Herschel Space Observatory and the Hubble Space Telescope revealing how galaxies evolve and change over\xa0cosmic time. I spoke to two Cardiff members of the international collaboration, Dr\xa0Matt Smith and PhD student Matt Allen (aka UKAstroNut), about\xa0what\xa0they\u2019ve learned.\n\nOriginally broadcast on 24th September\xa02015 as part of Pythagoras\u2019 Trousers on Radio Cardiff.