Ian Ridpath

Ian Ridpath is an award-winning astronomy author and populariser with over 40 books to his name. He is the editor of the authoritative Oxford Dictionary of Astronomy and the last three editions of Norton’s Star Atlas, reputedly the best-known star atlas in the world. His books include three standard introductions to the night sky for amateurs: the Collins Stars & Planets Guide, Collins Gem Stars, and The Monthly Sky Guide. Another of his books, Star Tales, is about the history and mythology of the constellations, a particular interest of Ian’s which will form the subject of one of his talks. Ian is a Fellow of the Royal Astronomical Society and a member of the International Astronomical Union. He has been a member of the Royal Astronomical Society’s team of outreach speakers since 2008. Ian is a recipient of the Astronomical Society of the Pacific’s award for outstanding contributions to the public understanding and appreciation of astronomy, the most prestigious award of its kind, past recipients of which have included Carl Sagan and Patrick Moore. He lives near Syon Park in west London, only a few hundred yards from where Thomas Harriot made the first recorded astronomical observations through a telescope in 1609.