Astronomical Society of Haringey |
MEETINGS
UPDATED SEPTEMBER 2023
IMPORTANT We are continuing to run the general meetings 'virtually' (usually via Zoom) as we currently lack a convenient venue to meet NOTE - you do not need to have any of the usual programs, Skype, Teams or Zoom, actually installed on you computer - you are sent a URL (website link) and you just run that in your browser of choice |
The day for all meetings is generally the third Thursday of the relevant month
But there are the occasional changes, so it is always advisable to double-check the dates below
Correct up until press day, these dates will also be found in the magazine and mentioned on
Doors open - 7.30pm : Main speaker - 8.00pm. Finish - 10.00pm
Virtual Meetings are current starting at 7.00pm, running until 9.00pm
Meetings directly below are for 2021, reminders of what happened in
2020, 2019, 2018 & 2017, below these
Note that the NEXT meeting is always at the top of the list
(Previous meetings move to the bottom of the relevant year)
Meeting details for previous years - click the year : 2016, 2015, 2014, 2013, 2012
Clicking on photos where relevant (when you hover the mouse, the border will change colour) will bring up other websites or Facebook pages.
2023 |
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NEXT September 21st 2023 Mat Irvine |
THIS WILL BE A VIRTUAL MEETING [ZOOM]
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October 19th 2023 TBA |
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previously for 2023 | |||||
Dale Baker January 19 2023 photos : Mat Irvine
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THIS WILL BE A VIRTUAL MEETING [ZOOM] FROM SYLVESTER McCOY TO PASTURES NEW [The Ages of Who - Part 3]
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Alister Innes FRIDAY February17th 2023 |
OBSERVING EVENING 17th February 2023 |
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Alister Innes FRIDAY March17th 2023 |
OBSERVING EVENING 17th March 2023 !!! REMEMBER THIS IS FRIDAY !!! Ideally arrive slightly before 7:00pm so that you can start setting up while it is still light Drop your kit off at the gate and then park on the marked line shown on the map It is still cold at night - so wear something warm The Moon is near new, so with the skies clear, should make for good viewing - assuming no cloud cover! If the weather is bad and we cannot observe, we can retire to The Osidge Arms (see map)click on map for a larger verison |
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Alister Innes FRIDAY March 17th 2023 |
OBSERVING EVENING 17th March 2023 |
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Jim Webb THURSDAY May 18th 2023
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THIS WILL BE A VIRTUAL MEETING [ZOOM] PECULIAR GALAXIES
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Mat Irvine June 15th 2023 photos - Mat Irvine |
THIS WILL BE A VIRTUAL MEETING [ZOOM]
19.00hrs / 7.00pm Deep Skies : The Space Sites of the Southwestern States The skies of the southwestern states of the USA are wide and open, and the area is home to many 'space sites'. These include optical observatories, radio observatories, rocket launch sites, museums, oh, and a possible crash site of an alien spaceship... Based on an original talk, this has been updated.
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July and August | SUMMER BREAK |
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previously for 2022 | |||||
Jim Webb January 20 2022 photo above : Mat Irvine right : NASA/JPL
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THIS WILL BE A VIRTUAL MEETING [ZOOM] PICS IN SPACE ASH Chairman Jim Webb looks at the way space imaging has changed over the years, from ground-based telescopes, through to larger and larger telescopes being placed in orbit. This has recently culminated with the largest such observatory so far being orbited, the James Webb Space Telescope (No relation to the Chairman!) |
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Members of the Society
photos : Mat Irvine |
THIS WILL BE A VIRTUAL MEETING [SKYPE] small talk It's been almost 10 years since our last Small Talk, (October 2012), so newer members may wonder what this is all about? Above - as an example - the January 2005 small talk, which had the five speakers - |
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March 17, 2022 DALE BAKER
photos : Mat Irvine |
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Jim Webb & Alister Innes April 21 2022 |
OBSERVING EVENING Ideally arrive about 7:30pm so that you can start setting up while it is still light Drop your kit off at the gate and then park on the marked line shown on the map It could be a coldish evening so wear something warm If the weather is bad and we cannot observe, we can retire The Osidge Arms (see map)click on map for a larger verison |
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Jerry Stone FBIS May 19 2022 Jerry Stone is a Freelance Space Presenter, giving presentations on a wide range of astronomy and space exploration topics across the UK and abroad. |
THIS WILL BE A VIRTUAL MEETING [ZOOM]
19.00hrs / 7.00pm EXPLORING THE HIGHLANDS OF THE MOON
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Tony Sizer June 16 2022 |
THIS WILL BE A VIRTUAL MEETING [ZOOM]
19.00hrs / 7.00pm HOW THE MILKY WAY GOT ITS ARMS
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Alister Innes NOTE CHANGE OF DAY FRIDAY
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OBSERVING EVENING The nights are drawing in, so darker a bit earlier each evening, and a lot to see 'up there' Drop your gear off at the gate and then park where marked on the map It's getting slightly chillier in the evenings, so it is advisable to wear something warm If it's totally overcast or the weather is bad and we cannot observe, we can retire to The Osidge Arms (see map)click on map for a larger verison |
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October 20th Mat Irvine
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VIRTUAL MEETING [ZOOM] 19.00hrs / 7.00pm IT STARTED IT WITH A BEEP
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November 17th Jerry Stone FBIS
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VIRTUAL MEETING [ZOOM] 19.00hrs / 7.00pm APOLLO 17 : THE LAST MEN ON THE MOON - FOR NOW!
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December No Meeting This Month
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WINTER BREAK But the skies are still there and although outside will be crisp and cold, it is more likely to be clear, so be sure to wrap up warm, and 'look up' |
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previously for 2021 | |||||
January 21, 2021 Dr Andrew Ball
Images Andrew Ball - courtesy himself ExoMars - artist impression on Mars |
THIS WILL BE A VIRTUAL MEETING [ZOOM] 19.00hrs / 7.00pm THE EXOMARS MISSION : ORBITING, LANDING, ROVING AND DRILLING ON MARS |
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February 18, 2021 ANOTHER CHANGE OF TALK images - NASA/JPL Caltech |
THIS WILL BE A VIRTUAL MEETING [TEAMS] 19.00hrs / 7.00pm THE LANDING OF PERSEVERANCE
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Keith Pritchard
Images - Orion Nebula and himself -Keith Pritchard The Stellina telescope -Vaonis |
THIS WILL BE A VIRTUAL MEETING [TEAMS] 19.00hrs / 7.00pm FIRST LIGHT
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APRIL 22, 2021 Jim Webb photo : Mat Irvine
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THIS WILL BE A VIRTUAL MEETING [TEAMS] 19.00hrs / 7.00pm “HE DARED TO GO – FIRST…”
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MAY 20, 2021 Russell Parry photos : courtesy of Russell Parry |
THIS WILL BE A VIRTUAL MEETING [TEAMS] 19.00hrs / 7.00pm APPLEY BRIDGE METEORITE –
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June 17, 2021 Dr Martin Braddock photo courtesy of Martin Braddock
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THIS WILL BE A VIRTUAL MEETING [TEAMS] 19.00hrs / 7.00pm FUTURE CONCEPTS FOR SPACE TRAVEL Human beings are poorly adapted to live and work in space. To date, space missions rarely reach durations of longer than 6-9 months and during that time astronauts experience an environment that affects their physical and psychological well-being. Dr Martin Braddock is a professional scientist and project manager working in the field of drug discovery and development with 36 years’ experience of working in academic institutes and large corporate organisations. He holds a BSc in Biochemistry and a PhD in Radiation Biology (from the Radiation Biology Unit, Atomic Energy Research Establishment, Harwell Oxfordshire), is a former Royal Society University Research Fellow at the University of Oxford. He is currently working somewhere definitely in the news - AstraZeneca. He has a serious interest in astronomy and in 2015 was elected Fellow of the Royal Astronomical Society. He is passionate about all aspects of Astronomy, Cosmology and Astrobiology, holds University qualifications in Cosmology, Astronomy and Planetary Sciences and Astrobiology from the University of Central Lancashire and Open University and is working towards an MSc in Space Science and Technology. Martin is an active committee member of the Mansfield and Sutton Astronomical Society and Newton’s Astronomical Society at Woolsthorpe, supporting these registered charities at public open events and regular society meetings. |
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September 16, 2021 Jerry Stone FBIS
Jerry is well known to members of ASH, having given us at least one presentation each year for the last 15 years! He is a Freelance Space Presenter, giving talks all over the UK and abroad, and is an acknowledged space expert, particularly on Apollo He has written the book; "One Small Step" for the 40th anniversary of Apollo 11 (above), and another; "Find Out: Space Travel" - which he dedicated to his grand-daughter - for the 50th anniversary. These can be ordered from Jerry: contact him at jerry.stone2001@gmail.com
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THIS WILL BE A VIRTUAL MEETING 19.00hrs / 7.00pm HOW WE REACHED THE MOON
So, in 1961, President Kennedy laid down a bold challenge - to "Land a man on the Moon and return him safely to Earth - and to do it before the end of the decade!" Yet at that time, the Moon rocket only existed on paper, and the landing craft hadn't even been designed, so how did they do it, and what were the chances that conspired to determine that Neil Armstrong would become the first person to walk on the Moon? We follow the Apollo Program, from its beginnings to achieving its objective, from tragedy through to triumph, in Jerry's highly visual presentation that looks in detail behind the scenes at this magnificent achievement. photos - left: Mat Irvine, right: NASA |
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October 21, 2021 Dr Peter Altman
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THIS WILL BE A VIRTUAL MEETING [ZOOM] 19.00hrs / 7.00pm ALIEN LIFE - What are the Chances?
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November 18, 2021 Dale Baker photos : Mat Irvine |
THIS WILL BE A VIRTUAL MEETING [ZOOM] 19.00hrs / 7.00pm THE AGE OF WHO
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December 2021
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CHRISTMAS BREAK design and photo: mat irvine |
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previously for 2020 | |||||
January 16th Dale Baker |
LIFE - WITH STRINGS ATTACHED - PART 2 Having been postponed from October 2019, we are pleased to say we can finally present Part 2 of Dale's intriguing look at the Pioneer of Puppetry - sixties style - the Life & Times of Gerry Anderson. |
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February 20th Jim Webb photos : Mat Irvine |
SNAPSHOT OF THE UNIVERSE A subject that often comes up as something we should literally be looking at, astrophotography will be the subject of this Meeting - overseen by our Chairman, Jim Webb |
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March 19th | OBSERVING EVENING |
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April 16th | Cancelled due to the COVID 19 situation |
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May 21st 6.00pm
Michael Franks photo : Mat Irvine |
VIRTUAL MEETING [ZOOM]
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June 18th Bill Barton |
VIRTUAL MEETING 18.00hrs / 6.00pm [ZOOM] FIAMMETTA WILSON, MANDOLINS & METEORS
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July 16th Mat Irvine
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VIRTUAL MEETING [ZOOM] ROBERT vs THE FLYING SAUCERS
This talk was given in 2015 in its original form, but that was five years ago - and this version is modified and updated! |
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August Summer Break |
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September 17th Ron Miller photos : Mat Irvine |
VIRTUAL MEETING [SKYPE] A LIFE IN SPACE
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October 8th Michael Franks photo : Mat Irvine
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THIS WILL BE A VIRTUAL MEETING [Teams] THE MARTIAN DICHOTOMY Forget your Olympus Mons, or Valles Marineris, probably the strangest feature on Mars is the distinct difference in elevations between the northern and southern hemispheres. Image Credit: ESA/DLR/FU Berlin, |
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November 19th NOTE - Moved from the September date Jerry Stone photo : Mat Irvine |
THIS WILL BE A VIRTUAL MEETING THE ISS @ 20 Several space stations have been put into orbit, but the one that is most well known, and the largest by far, is the International Space Station, which has now been occupied for 20 years, marking mankind’s permanent presence in space. The ISS has been visited by over 200 people from 20 countries. To take us through the two decades of the ISS, we welcome back one of our Society’s regular speakers, Jerry Stone, with a new presentationphoto © NASA |
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December Winter Break |
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previously for 2019 |
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January 17th Bob Marriott For many years - 1991 -2016 - Bob Marrriott was the BAA's Curator of Instruments, and from 2003 - 2017 Director of Instruments and Imaging. He also produced the periodical 'I&I News' (newsletter of the Instruments and Imaging Section). Copies of those, and his own new publication, 'Occasional Notes', can be found and downloaded from his web site www.hamaldemon.com This will be his first visit to ASH, and looks as if it will be extremely interesting... |
THE SILVER-ON-GLASS REVOLUTION
From the mid-seventeenth century until the mid-nineteenth century, telescope mirrors were made of speculum metal – an alloy of copper and tin. (Example above is the Rosse Telescope mirror in the Science Museum) In addition to the age-old process of ‘silvering’ the back of domestic mirrors with a mercury amalgam, experiments in depositing metal films on speculum-metal mirrors and glass were attempted as early as the mid-eighteenth century, but these processes were intended only for aesthetic purposes and were of no use for optics. In the mid-1830s, Justus von Liebig succeeded in depositing a thin film of silver on a surface by chemical means, though this was an incidental effect resulting from his work on aldehydes. By the late 1850s, the process of depositing silver on glass had become sufficiently refined for optical purposes, resulting in a sudden ‘revolution’ in telescope technology. photo © Mat Irvine |
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February 21st Hosted by Treasurer photo : Mat Irvine |
THE CHANGING VIEW OF THE SOLAR SYSTEM Over the 60+ years of The Sky at Night, the programme has covered the Solar System many times. We will see contrasting episodes - 40 years apart! The first is from 1975 : 'The OUTER PLANETS', compared to one from 2017 : 'INTO THE DARK ZONE' This meeting has moved from September and November 2018 |
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March 21st George Emsden photo : Mat Irvine |
PROJECT ECHO The first communications satellite to be launched. It was a 'passive' satellite - in that it purely bounced signals - as against re-transmitting them, which 'active' satellites do. Echo was nevertheless an important milestone to world communications. George tells the story
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WEDNESDAY April 24th Observing Evening hosted by Jim Webb photo : Mat Irvine |
OBSERVING EVENING At the ROYAL GUNPOWDER MILLS, Waltham Abbey Currently - rendezvous in the car park - orange arrow If you could require transport or need more details, contact the Chairman or 07801.577210 |
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May 16th Mat Irvine photos : Mat Irvine |
CAUSE & EFFECT The story of the BBC Visual Effects Department Partially based on the book by Mat Irvine and Mike Tucker - 'BBC VFX'
and yes - lots of science fiction..... |
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June 20th Jerry Stone photo : Mat Irvine right : NASA
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THE FIRST MEN ON THE MOON - 50 YEARS ON
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July and August Summer Break |
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September 19th Dale Baker photos : Mat Irvine |
ANDERSON IS GO...! |
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October 17th | The meeting had to be cancelled due to a number of factors | ||||
November 21st Mat Irvine photos : Mat Irvine |
THE CRADLE OF AVIATION One of Mat's 'MAT' talks - or Mat's Astro Tours - a look round the Cradle of Aviation Museum on Long Island, NY - home of Grumman Aviation - that built the Apollo Lunar Module |
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previously for 2018 | |||||
January 17th Dr Simon Drake & |
THE SKYE METEORITE The discovery of a meteor impact on the Isle of Skye caused much interest in the geological - and astronomical - communities, leading to the work done by our two speakers. The results have only recently been published in scientific journals, so we will be the first Society to hear the details |
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SATURDAY January 27th Alister Innes
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OBSERVING EVENING CANCELLED There will an Observing Evening with the hope of seeing the very close encounter of the bright star Aldebaran with the Moon. |
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February 15th Dale Baker |
RAY HARRYHAUSEN - THE MONSTER MOVIE MAKER Dale continues with more stories of his autograph hunting amongst the rich and famous - with time time concentrating on one of the most famous - animator Ray Harryhausen. And if you don't know the name you will know the movies - including |
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March 15th Mat Irvine |
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April 19th Hosted by Chairman
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OBSERVING EVENING After some changes - the Observing Evening WILL now take place on the scheduled date - at the Viewing Site (click for details on how to get there) The scene - skies permitting - should look similar to the image - taken a month ago, 19th March, with a three-day old Moon and a bright Venus. And there will be a lot more to discover as well |
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May 17th Hosted by Chairman
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OBSERVING EVENING As the April Observing Evening went so well, another one for May - before the skies get too bright in the evenings. Check OBSERVING for maps and details. |
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June 21st Dale Baker
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July and August |
SUMMER BREAK No meetings these months
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September 20th Greg Smye-Rumsby
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CAN WE LIVE ON MARS?
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FRIDAY October 19th Alister Innes
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OBSERVING EVENING AT THE BARNET VIEWING SITE - SEE OBSERVING MEET AT 8.00PM |
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November 15th Jerry Stone |
THE APPROACH OF APOLLO As we approach the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 11 in July 2019, the first Apollo flight away from the Earth was Apollo 8 in December 1968. Jerry takes a look at that mission, and the built-up to the actual landing, half a year later |
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December |
WINTER BREAK No meeting this month |
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previously for 2017 |
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January 12th Jim Webb & Alister Innes |
OBSERVING EVENING Meet at the Observing Site at the earlier time of 18.00hrs, 6.00pm POSTPONED |
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January 19th Dale Baker |
SIGN HERE PLEASE Society member Dale Baker collects autographs - but there's far more to it than that! The Society is well known for its eclectic talks, and here certainly is one as Dale will tell stories, show clips and - maybe - even reveal a few secrets (!) of our on-screen Science Fiction heroes.
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February 9th Jim Webb & Alister Innes |
OBSERVING EVENING Meet at the Observing Site at the earlier time of 18.00hrs, 6.00pm |
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February 16th Jim Webb |
CASSINI - GRAND FINALE The Saturn Cassini probe has only a few month left - it will be steered to destruction in the Saturnian atmosphere in September 2017. It has been in space for 20 years and has been one of the most successful planetary probes ever. Jim will be examining the legacy and what will be happening in the next few months. |
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March 16th Mat Irvine |
L.A. CONFIDENTIAL A recent visit to the 'City of Angels' involved an eclectic mix of scenes...
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April 1st Wayne Johnson |
OBSERVING EVENING at the Royal Gunpowder Mills Royal Gunpowder Mills, Beaulieu Drive, Waltham Abbey,EN9 1JX |
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April 20th Michael Franks
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NEWS FROM THE CAPE Michael continues his latest visit to the Kennedy Space Center, as featured in 2002, January and February, with more stories and photos
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May 18th Jim Webb & Alister Innes |
TELESCOPE MASTERCLASS We often assume all Society members automatically know all there is to know about telescope and viewing, but of course they may not, and anyway new members arrive, and they may not be fully knowledgeable as to 'how to get the best out of your instrument'! So for this meeting, Observing Officers Jim Webb (right) and Alister Innes (left) will take you through the basics, including the different types of 'scopes and lenses, and of course that a good pair of binoculars are also very useful for viewing the heavens |
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June 15th George Emsden |
SETI@HOME This slightly enigmatic title refers to the fact that firstly SETI - the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence - is still alive and well, and now through BOINC (Berkeley Open Infrastructure for Network Computing) anyone with spare downtime on their home computer (and most home computers are only used at 1% of their capacity) can join in the search. Past ASH member George Emsden, who participates in the exercise, will show how it is all achieved! |
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July - August | No meetings these months | ||||
September 21st
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DARKNESS VISIBLE POSTPONED until October
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October 5th |
DARKNESS VISIBLE Early date to coincide with SPACE WEEK Includes the AGM A round-up of the Total Solar Eclipse that will have occurred over a wide swath of the United States on 21st August - moved from September (Image shown from the 2006 total eclipse) |
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October 19th Alister Innes, Kyri Voskou and Jim Webb |
OBSERVING EVENING Held at the Barnet Site, Any enquiries, email observing@ashastro.co.uk During the evening it hoped we can spot both the outer planets - Uranus and Neptune
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November 16th Jerry Stone |
TIME and SPACE Our measurements of time have largely been derived from our observations of space. In addition, simple astronomical observations and timings can tell us remarkable things about Earth’s orbit around the Sun.
Astronomy gave us our day, month and year - though these divisions of time don’t last as long as most people think! There are other planets, where days and years are very different to those on Earth, so time really does depend on where you are in space.
Take a journey into time and space with Jerry Stone and find out how they are intertwined. Click here for a downloadable pdf that explains more |
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Saturday Members of the Society |
OBSERVING EVENING This is a first being held on a SATURDAY - we will see how this goes But potentially a good viewing opportunity, with the Moon being close to new The outermost planets, Uranus and Neptune, are both well placed for viewing and there is Comet 2107 O1 (ASASSN) near the Pole Star as a possible target |