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Members Night –Guest Speaker David Mitchell
7th February 2026 Members Night
A little bit about David
Radio astronomy wasn’t initially on David’s radar, but fate had different plans. With a career in Medtech, focusing on developing laser imaging, Cryogenics, and brain signals, he seemed set on a different path, however, a stint on an Antarctic research station observing Meso-spheric events for 16 months, and hobbies like building Battlebots and Racing Solar Cars added to his skill set. Eventually, these varied experiences naturally led him to the intriguing realm of radio astronomy.
Topic: The Earth Reflecting the Sky: From Ancient Insight to Modern Measurements of Telluric Currents
“Everything that’s up there is down here,” Gadigal Elder Aunty Joanne Selfe once told SBS. This idea, that the Earth reflects the sky, appears across many ancient traditions. In North America it is expressed through the concept of a sky–earth mirror, while in ancient Egypt it is captured by the Hermetic phrase “as above, so below.” These traditions suggest a deep connection between celestial phenomena and processes on Earth.
This talk, however, is not a Dan Brown style journey in search of mystical ley lines on earth. Instead, it explores a very real and measurable connection, the small electrical voltages that naturally flow through the ground, known as telluric currents. These currents are induced by changing magnetic fields, which themselves are influenced by solar flares, coronal mass ejections, and the solar wind.
By measuring telluric currents, we gain insights into the dynamic interaction between the Sun and the Earth. This talk explores the nature, history, and science of telluric currents, drawing on both heliophysics and geophysics, and shows how ground-based measurements can contribute to our understanding of space weather and solar activity.
Find out more about Radio Astronomy by joining us at MBO on the second Sunday of each month between 10 and 4pm.
Members Night at the Observatory – All our members are welcome to come along no matter what age you are.
Book online to reserve your seat at https://mbo.org.au/events/category/members-events/
Please remember to book a ticket for each person who you are bringing up to the event under your membership, thank you.
