Ground Zero Guest 11/8/11 – Duncan Lunan | Children of the Sky / Epsilon Bootes Probe
Ground Zero Guest 11/8/11 – Duncan Lunan | Children of the Sky / Epsilon Bootes Probe
Duncan Lunan was born in Edinburgh and grew up in Troon, Ayrshire, attending Marr College and Glasgow University. He is an M.A. with Honours in English and Philosophy with Physics, Astronomy and French as supporting subjects, and has a postgraduate Diploma in Education. He is a full-time author with emphasis on astronomy, spaceflight and science fiction, but undertakes a wide range of other writing as a researcher, tutor, including correspondence courses in English Literature, critic, researcher, lecturer and broadcaster. His publications include four previous books, contributions to 15 other books, over 700 articles and thirty short stories including ten for the comic strip ‘Lance McLane’ created by Sydney Jordan (see book). He was science fiction critic of the Glasgow Herald 1971-92 and as Manager of the Glasgow Parks Dept. Astronomy Project, 1978-79, he designed and built the first astronomically aligned stone circle in Britain for over 3000 years, now the subject of a project to renovate and complete it, and featuring in a forthcoming book, “The Stones and the Stars” (www.sighthillstonecircle.net). Another book, “Incoming Asteroid!”, will seek to answer the question, ‘If we knew there was to be one in ten years’ time, what could we do?’.
Duncan Lunan was a Council Member of ASTRA, the Association in Scotland to Research into Astronautics, 1963-2010, serving at various times as President, Vice-President, Secretary and Treasurer, and on the Publications, Exhibitions and Waverider committees. He was Curator of Airdrie Public Observatory 1980-81, 1987-97 and 2005 to present, and in 2006-2009 ran an outreach educational project from the Observatory to schools, funded by the National Lottery. Duncan and Linda Lunan have now started ‘Astronomers of the Future’, an online astronomy and space society primarily for beginners (www.astronomersofthefuture.net). His other interests include ancient and mediaeval history, jazz, folk music and hillwalking.
