Dr Phil Sutton gives scientific guidance for new children’s book”Halo Moon”

A new children’s book recently published Sharon Cohen titled “Halo Moon” follows 12 year old Halo Moon who is a keen stargazer. As with films many authors often seek the guidance of scientific advisors to make sure that elements of the story are factually and scientifically correct. Dr Phil Sutton offered advice on how Halo Moon might use the skywatcher telescope she had in the story and what sort of objects she might be able to observe during the summer. Some of the objects Halo was able to see with her telescope was M13 (below), a globular cluster of stars and Jupiter’s four largest moons.

During the story the characters observe a meteor as it falls to Earth and Dr Sutton also advised how this might be seen, heard and maybe even felt. A short synopsis is given below:

“Bravery, friendship and the magic of an unknowable universe combine in this extraordinary adventure from the heart. Great for fans of Frank Cottrell Boyce and David Almond.

In Ethiopia, Ageze has unearthed an ancient device that can make predictions. It tells him: there is a date, there is a place, there is a moment when it will happen. A disaster that will change everything.

Halo Moon loves stars, and the night sky is full of them in her remote Yorkshire village. It’s a place where nothing interesting ever happens, let alone a catastrophe.

So when a stranger appears at the end of a near-impossible journey and tells her lives are at risk, she can barely believe it. But if she doesn’t help Ageze, everything and everyone she knows might disappear for ever …

As Halo says: there’s a hundred ways to start this story, a hundred ways to tell it. Each one is impossible. Each one, unbelievable. But it did all happen and I promise it’s all true.”

More information about the book can be found here.