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ASTRONOMY NEWS ITEMS - UPDATED 1 SEPTEMBER
2008 |
TELESCOPE FOR SALE
In the first instance contact David Degan for contact details.
SUN IN BLOOM - 21 SEPTEMBER 2008
13:00 - 16:00 hrs
Why not join astronomers from the Astronomical Society of Glasgow and the University of Glasgow to observe the Sun. This is a free event and no tickets are required.
KINDROGAN DARK SKIES WEEKENDS
It is hoped that the Society can organise two weekends at Kindrogan this session. Although details of dates are currently not available it is hoped tant an announcement can be made at the the September meeting and details will be posted here and in the next newsletter. Watch this space ...
6th KIELDER FOREST AUTUMN STAR CAMP
Northumberland, England
29 October - 2 November 2008
The 6th Kielder Forest Star Camp will be staged over five nights from 29 October to 2 November 2008 in the spectacular Border countryside between England and Scotland.
The event is being staged by the Kielder Observatory Astronomical Society, which has been formed to exploit an exciting new £480,000 observatory built 1270 feet above England's remotest village and which is now fully operational.
Star Camp will be based at Kielder campsite and for the fifth year in succession we have kept pitch fees at £12 per night for an electric hook-up and £10 without (per pitch). There’s also a minimum two night stay and fees must be paid up front. The main day will be on Saturday 1 November at 18th century Kielder Castle. We will have top speakers and a full line-up of the nation’s leading astronomy vendors, including The Widescreen Centre, Rother Valley Optics, Astrosource UK, Astro Trac and (provisionally) Ian King Imaging. Activities on the main day will be free of charge. Details and a booking form can be found at www.richard.demon.co.uk/starcamp.
For further information contact me at starcamp@richarddarn.demon.co.uk, or call 01226 246351.
We hope to see you under Kielder’s dark sky!
Space Wire Technology
British Computer Society – 12 May 2008
Lord Todd, University of Strathclyde
Steve Parks - MD Star-Dundee Ltd Author of European Space Communications Standards
Event starts at 6.30 pm. Usually, there will be a light buffet from 6.00 p.m. Non members are welcome.
The Lord Todd is entered from Collins Street (on which parking is readily available).
The challenge of real time and highly critical software remote command software development
SpaceWire is a standard for high-speed links and networks for use onboard spacecraft, easing the interconnection of: sensors, mass-memories, processing units, and downlink telemetry sub
SpaceWire is being widely used on many space missions.
Sun Over the Botanics - Sunday 27 April, 1:00 – 4:00pm
Come and join astronomers from the Astronomical Society of Glasgow and the University of Glasgow for an afternoon looking at the Sun.
No tickets required, just drop in.
University of Glasgow – Public Lectures - Why are we here? – Dr Martin Hendry
Thursday 10 April – 7:00pm Boyd Orr Lecture Theatre
Exploring recent developments in cosmology and their philosophical implications for the origin and evolution of the Universe and the existence of life within it.
David Elder Lecture – 14 May 2008
Lecture Theatre K3.26, John Anderson Building
Prof Monica Grady, The Open University
Every year, between 40,000 and 60,000 tonnes of meteorites fall on the Earth’s surface – a huge amount of material. Fortunately, though, it very rarely arrives all in one large lump. Most of this extraterrestrial material comes as dust. Sometimes, though, there are consequences of these uninvited guests dropping in. In her lecture, Monica Grady will explore just why the dinosaurs became extinct, and why it is important to keep penguin feathers out of Antarctic ice. Along the way, she will also consider some of the things that we can learn from meteorites, these visitors from space whose arrival cannot be predicted.
Free tickets are available from:
Jean Lindores or Louise Carbry
Department of Physics,
University of Strathclyde ,
Email: j.lindores@strath.ac.uk
Telephone 0141-548-3364/3366
SUMMER OUTING 17 MAY 2008
This year’s Summer Outing is to Cruachan: the hollow mountain and Oban.
Hidden deep within the mountain of Ben Cruachan , on the shores of Loch Awe is Cruachan Power Station. Here, a short distance from Oban, you can discover one of the hidden wonders of the Highlands . A power station buried one kilometre below ground. At its centre lies a massive cavern, high enough to house the Tower of London ! Here enormous turbines convert the power of water into electricity.
Back on the surface there is a visitor centre with many things to do and see. The exhibition gives everyone the chance to find out how the Power Station operates and demonstrates how power will be generated well into the future. There is a lochside cafeteria and gift shop.
For young and old, Cruachan is a fantastic day out.
Free time in Oban or walk up to the dam.
Places are limited to 33 so first come first served.
Please complete enclosed booking form and return it to Dr David Stott along with your remittance.
Glasgow Science Centre
The next visit to the Glasgow Science Centre and Planetarium will be on Sunday 30 March, 2008 . Tickets, at £5.00 each, and further details are available from Mac Currie at any of our meetings.
Council 2008/09
The Council’s nominations for Council are as follows:
President: David Degan
Vice Presidents: David Clarke, Neil Hutchison, Eric Tomney
Secretary: Eileen Mclaughlin
Treasurer: David Stott
Council Members: Charles Cavanaugh, Tom Clackson, Robert Hughes, Clare Hutchison, Lorna Napier, Chris O’Kane, Greg Pedder, Richard Tough
There are a number of vacancies on Council and it is in the Society’s interests that these positions are filled otherwise we may not be unable to maintain our programme of activities.
Any other nominations, duly seconded, should be sent to David Degan, 5 Hillside Avenue , Alexandria , Dunbartonshire G83 0BB to arrive not later than 6 April 2008 , i.e. ten clear days before the AGM on 17 April 2008 .
EGM – 20 March 2008
The Council proposes making a minor adjustment to the Constitution. A number of posts are enshrined in the Constitution while the Council has the right to make further appointments to suit the current situation. The Newsletter Editor and Webmaster all fall into the latter category. The specified posts of Librarian and Minute Secretary have proved difficult to fill, in recent years, and are currently vacant. Therefore, the Council recommends that the posts of Librarian and Minute Secretary are removed from the Constitution in the interests of consistency and flexibility. The Council would retain the right to make any appointment, as necessary and from time to time. For example, an Equipment Officer now that we own a number of telescopes.
The wording of existing and proposed are as follows:
Delete Clause 5.1
The Council shall be responsible for the business and activities of the Society and shall consist of a President, three Vice Presidents, a Secretary, a Treasurer, a Librarian and not more than ten Ordinary Members. All Members of Council shall serve for one year, from one Annual General Meeting to the next. If any Council position becomes vacant for any reason, the Council shall have power to co-opt another Member to fill that position until the next Annual General Meeting. The Council shall appoint from among the Ordinary Members duly elected to Council three persons to be specifically responsible for Membership, for Minutes and for Publicity. The Council shall have discretion to delegate other responsibilities as the need arises. The Council shall also have discretion to invite persons of distinction to serve as Honorary Presidents .
Glasgow Science Centre
The next visit to the GSC Planetarium will be on Sunday 27 January 2008 . We will meet for the 3:00pm show which will be followed by the usual lock-in. Tickets, £5.00 each, from Mac Currie at any ASG meeting.
Cuts in Funding for Physics & Astronomy
The following communication has been received from Richard Miles, Vice President of the British Astronomical Association.
“Astronomy is a subject close to my heart and to yours no doubt. You may therefore be alarmed to hear that its future here in the UK is under threat owing to recent announcements by the government. In particular, there have been dramatic developments within the Science and Technology Facilities Council or STFC: the research council that funds astronomy research in the UK . What seems to have happened is a fundamental shift in what the Council and the government see as research priorities, with severe cuts planned in research areas such as Astronomy and Particle Physics. PLEASE HELP. A petition has been set up at,
http://petitions.pm.gov.uk/Physics-Funding/
which states, "We the undersigned petition the Prime Minister to reverse the decision to cut vital UK contributions to Particle Physics and Astronomy ."
If you wish to offer your support, and have not done so already, you may add your name to this fast-growing petition by going to the above web address and following the directions on signing the petition.
In my view, this is the most serious threat to UK Astronomy in decades and so any help you can offer will be greatly appreciated.”
The Search for Life Beyond Earth
A joint Lecture with Geological Society of Glasgow will be held on Thursday 10 January 2008. The meeting takes place at 7:30pm in the Gregory Building, Lilybank Gardens, University of Glasgow. The talk will be presented by guest lecturer Professor Monica Grady of the Open University.
The question of whether we are alone in our Universe has fascinated humanity since the earliest of times. The talk will explore our own planet with a look at how life first came about and the range of environments in which it has adapted to survive. Studying organisms that live in the most extreme and inhospitable habitats provides a guide to the limits of life on other planets. The lecture will then move on to consider places in our Solar System where life might be found, particularly Mars and Europa.
What's going on in the Universe
Dame Jocelyn Bell Burnell will be giving the above lecture on Wednesday 12 December at the Royal Philosophical Society of Glasgow. The lecture will take place in K3.25 of the John Anderson Building of the University of Strathclyde at 7:30pm.
Visit to Glasgow Science Centre
The provisional date for our next visit to the GSC is Sunday 21 October, 2007. As usual Mac Currie will be selling tickets at our meetings prior to this date. We will be able to attend the 3:00pm Planetarium Show which will be followed by a ‘lock-in’. Mac can be contacted on curriemac@hotmail.com. Tickets cost £5.00.
Stars over the Boranics
Come and join astronomers from the Astronomical Society of Glasgow and the University of Glasgow for an evening looking at the stars.
See craters on the Moon, look at distant stars and see our neighbouring planets. Meet keen amateur and professional astronomers, including the Astronomer Royal for Scotland, Professor John Brown.
Tuesday 23 October 2007
Tuesday 20 November 2007
Tuesday 15 January 2008
Tuesday 12 February 2008 with the Astronomer Royal for Scotland
Tuesday 18 March 2008
Place: Botanic Gardens at Main Gate. Time: 7:15 for a 7:30 start
Events are strictly ticketed. For tickets contact the Botanic Gardens on 0141 334 2422. Ticket prices are £4 for adults and £2 for children.
In the event of poor weather, we will be holding talks and workshops including using telescopes, making sense of what you see, stars and planets and observing the Moon.
Darker Skies at Mugdock Park
In addition to our lecture series and observing evenings at the University of Glasgow Observatory at Acre Road, the Society will be holding a series of ‘Darker Skies’ observing evenings for Members of the Society, DACE and Glasgow University Astronomy Students.
While the focus of these events is observing, there is also a programme of workshops and presentations to complement the practical activities.
Tuesday 9 October 2007 – Telescope Training
Tuesday 13 November 2007 – Making Sense of What You See
Tuesday 11 December 2007 – Mars Night & Star Hopping
Tuesday 29 January 2008 – Astrophotography at COAA, Portugal
Tuesday 26 February – Observing the Sun Safely
Tuesday 11 March 2008 – Observing the Moon
All meetings start at 7:30pm and are held at the Mugdock Country Park Visitor Centre, near Milngavie
Dark Skies Weekend
Friday 29 February – Sunday 2 March 2008
The Society will be holding a weekend event for Members at the Kindrogan Field Studies Centre, near Pitlochry. There are only 20 places available, allocated on a first-come, first-served basis. Cost £99 excluding travel. Book early to avoid disappointment.
Dark Skies Weekend Information
Dark Skies Weekend Booking Form
More information is available from Neil Hutchison on 01324 415575 (answering machine available) or contact neil@juggler.demon.co.uk.
Sun Over the Botanics
Our first Public Outreach event of the new session will be held at the Botanics
Gardens on Sunday 16 September between 1:00pm and 4:00pm. If you have a telescopre
and wonder what the next step is please come along and find out more.
University of Glasgow Department of Adult and Continuing Education Courses
ASG members qualify for a 10% discount on the following DACE courses:-
Glasgow:
GC203 Einstein's universe (10 weeks, Martin Hendry, Jan 08)
G202 Introduction to Astronomy (10 weeks, Observatory, Andrew Conway, Oct 07)
Y151 Photography of the Night Sky (Douglas Cooper, Sat 17 Nov)
Y205 Telescopes and how to view and record the night sky through them (Douglas Cooper, Sat 23 Feb 08)
G204 Winter Night Sky (5 weeks, Steve Owens, GSC, from 22 Oct)
Neilston:
E266 Introduction to our solar system (10 meetings, Robin Green, Oct)
E267 The amazing wider universe (10 meetings, Robin Green, Jan 08)
Kilcreggan:
Z226 Pluto and the outer solar system (5 meetings, Alex MacKinnon, Jan 08)
The DACE programme is online at:-
http://www.gla.ac.uk/adulteducation
As last year, ASG members should include a covering letter with
their enrolment forms, giving their membership numbers and saying they'd
like the ASG discount.
Scottish Astronomer's Group
The May meeting of the Scottish Astronomers Group will
be held on Sat 26th May 2007 at the Mayfield Centre, St Ninians, Stirling, 1pm
till 5pm. The main speaker will be Dr Horst Meyerdierks of the UKATC who will
be talking about Digital Image Processing. Horst is an expert in the field and
has produced spectacular images of the planets and eclipses using webcams and
similar equipment. This will be well worth coming along for!
BAA Out of London Weekend
The ASG will be hosting this year's BAA Out of London Weekend this
Year. The weekend starts with a Civic Reception hosted by the Lord Provost followed
with a talk from Prof John Brown (Astronomer Royal for Scotland) and Dr David
Clarke.
On Saturday there are a selection of lectures from Dr Nick Hewitt, Dr Philip
Best, Dr Pete Edwards, Mr Martin Morgan-Taylor, Dr Martin Hendry and Mr Tom
Boles.
The theme for the weekend is 'Deep Sky and all that matters' covering observations
and imaging deep sky objects, supernova, radio astronomy and cosmology including
dark mater and dark energy.
Saturday evening offers the chance to visit the Acre Road Observatory and on
Sunday the weekend finishes with a visit to the Glasgow Science Centre and Planetarium
show.
There is some university accommodation available but it is on a strict first
come first booked basis so book early to avoid disappointment.
BOOKING FORM
Organisers: Hazell Collett, Lyn Smith, & Eric Tomney
Glasgow Science Centre
The next visit to the GSC is planned for Sunday 3 June.
The cost of £5 includes a planetarium show and lock in afterwards. Mac
will collect your money at the next meeting or on the bus run. Alternatively,
please meet at the main entrance at 12:30pm.
The Runaway Univeerse - Tuesday 13 March 2007
- Free Lecture
University of Glasgow - Boyd Orr Building, Level 2 Lecture Theatre B
Dr Martin Hendry presents a cosmology
lecture exploring the mind boggling expanse of our universe using the latest
stunninbg imagery from the world's most powerful telescopes.
Moon Over the Botanics - Friday 23 March 2007
Come and meet astronomers from the Astronomical Society of Glasgow and the University of Glasgow for an evening of star gazing at Glasgow Botanic Gardens. See the craters of the Moon, distant stars and, if you are lucky, another planet!
For tickets, please contact the Botanic Gardens on 0141 334 2422 - £4.00 adults, £2.00 Children. Meet at Main gate at 7:15pm for a 7:30 start.
In event of bad weather, there will be talks on who to
find the stars, planets and other interesting objects in the sky.
European AstroFest 2007
This year’s Astrofest was held in Kensington Town Hall on the 9th & 10th of February. It comprised 16 presentations of 30-40 minutes in length, with stalls from 17 astronomy equipment vendors, 4 Universities, 3 Observatories and Armagh Planetarium. Over 300 people attended each half –day session , with a complete sell out on the Saturday. Eric Tomney and Tom Clackson flew down to sample the delights of “The Big Smoke” and Astrofest.
The conference chairmen were Ian Ridpath and Iain Nicolson and presentations on the Friday afternoon included “The Universe through the Spitzer Space Telescope” – Rob Kennicut and “Forty years of Pulsars” - Jocelyn Bell-Burnell, amongst others. After a busy afternoon Eric and Tom retired to a local Italian restaurant and stuffed themselves with excellent pasta and a bottle of Red wine. This was followed in the hotel bar with a single malt.
Refreshed by a good nights sleep, the ASG team set off back to the Astrofest in Kensington. Presentations on the Saturday ranged from “The Moon in close-up – Lunar imaging at high resolution” - Damian Peach, through “Weather on the Planets” - Fred Taylor, to “Following the Water – looking for life on Mars” – Michael Meyer.
A presentation on “What makes a great Comet” was given by Reinder Bouma (aka “Rudolph”). It overran terribly and Ian Ridpath had to encourage the speaker to finish by edging on to the platform and eventually turning off the microphone and nudging the speaker away – an interesting process, as the audience was agog, wondering if the speaker would ever take the “broad hints” given by Ian.
However, the highlight of the weekend was an hour long discussion session (with questions from the floor) with Sir Patrick Moore, Chris Lintott and Brian May. The discussions ranged far and wide, from “Your worst moment presenting “The Sky at Night” to “Is there life on other Planets”. Sir Patrick is now very frail but has not lost his sense of humour. He kept a packed auditorium spellbound and even told a slightly “off colour” joke – to much laughter and rapturous applause.
This annual event is well worth traveling down to London for, with excellent presentations, lots of equipment to drool over (all at 20% discount) and other amateur astronomers to talk to.
Tom Clackson
The 2007 David Elder lecture on "The Origin and Future of the Universe" will be held on "7 March 2007" at 5.45pm in lecture theatre "K3.25" in the John Anderson building by Gerry Gilmore of the University of Cambridge. The John Anderson building houses the Department of Physics at the University of Strathclyde and is at 107 Rottenrow East in Glasgow.
Cosmologists
can now say with some confidence that our Universe consists of 5 percent of
matter like that of which we are made, 25 percent some other, still unknown,
form of transparent matter, and 70 percent of a still mysterious form of dark
energy, which is controlling the fate of the Universe. Each step in our growing
knowledge corresponds to a developing appreciation of the (lack of) significance
of our direct `common sense' view of nature.
Millennia of study by the greatest minds led, by the 16th century, to a Universe
with Man at its head and its centre, with all Creation subject to Mankind's
desires - an approach still often evident in global planning. Precision large-scale
science then arose, rapidly leading to Copernicus and Newton, and our eventual
realisation that observation and analysis required a quite different description
of reality. The `Copernican principle', which is essentially that any explanation
for an observation or event which requires a special role for Man or a deity
is wrong, has since been applied with great effect, leading to the startling
practical and conceptual successes of modern science, and its technological
offspring. Astrophysics has extended this Copernican discovery concept so far
that we know, as noted above, that everything that we see in the Universe, and
the very type of matter of which we are made, is an almost insignificant perturbation
on a deeper and very
different reality.
Yet we are able to describe much of the past history of the Universe, from its origin as an imperfect fluctuation in nothing, to the present when gravity has lost control of the fate of the Universe, to consider why the laws of physics allow a Universe which supports life, and to consider possible far futures.
Free
tickets are available from:
Jean Lindores or Louise Carbry
Department of Physics,
University of Strathclyde,
Email: j.lindores@strath.ac.uk
Telephone 0141-548-3364/3366
Darker Skies Observing at Murdock Country Park - Tuesday 19 December 2006
The
first Darker Skies Observing Evening will be held at Murdock Country Park on
19 December 2006. Again if the weather is bad we will have alternative items
to entertain you. There is a small lecture theatre at Murdock Country Park with
AV facilities. Tea and Buns will also be available and a charge of £2.75
will be made for this. Please let Eileen McLaughlin know your requirements as
we have to advise numbers and pay in advance. If you have binoculars or a telescope
bring them along.
The
Demotion of Planet Pluto - What is a Planet Anyway? - Monday 4th December -
19.00 hours
Speaker
Prof John Brown (Astronomer Royal for Scotland, University of Glasgow) and friends
Venue The Foyer Bar, Tron Theatre
In August 2006 the International Astronomical Union voted to demote the 9th solar system planet Pluto, discovered in 1930, to the new status of "Dwarf Planet". This followed a decade in which approaching 200 non-solar planets (exo-planets) have been discovered around other stars, including pulsars, growing numbers of Pluto-like 'Kuiper Belt' objects, isolated 'planets' with no star, and 'Brown Dwarfs' - not quite planet or star. The media had a field day over Pluto's demotion, mixing some total nonsense with some shrewd challenges to the decision, which is still controversial among professionals. In this Cafe Scientifique Prof. John Brown, Astronomer Royal for Scotland - together with colleagues Dr Martin Hendry (University of Glasgow) and Dr Helen Fraser (University of Strathclyde) - will summarise the issues around Pluto's demotion, discuss current and future methods for detecting exo-planets and the potential for further re-classifications in the future, perhaps according to life-forms on the planet or even the way that planets form.
Glasgow Science Centre Visit
The ASG has taken out Community Membership of the Glasgow Science Centre. The benefits of this includes discounts on admission to the Science Mall, IMAX , Glasgow Tower (currently closed) and Planetarium for group visits. The first visit will take place on Sunday 3rd December 2006. Please assemble at 12:30 p.m. at the Café adjacent to the entrance. Members and friends welcome.
The Moon in Bloom - 28 November 2006
Come and
meet astronomers from the Astronomical Society of Glasgow and the University
of Glasgow at a new series of outdoor astronomy events at Glasgow Botanic Gardens.
Tickets must be purchased and collected in advance from the main office (Telephone
0141 334 2422). Tickets cost £4.00 for adults and £2.00 for children.
Ticket holders should meet at the Main Gate, at 7:15 p.m., for a 7:30 p.m. start.
ASTRONOMY AND MAGIC COME TOGETHER IN LEEDS
On Saturday 11th November the people of Leeds will have a chance to hear some of the UK’s top astronomers talking about the exciting developments in this area of science.
The Leeds Astromeet is already the foremost public astronomy event in the North of England. In what is now the 11th year of the Astromeet, the Leeds Astronomical Society is presenting yet another impressive array of speakers. Their talks will cover the breadth of astronomy – from the origins of the Universe to the breathtaking beauty of the night sky.
Dr Simon Green (Open University) will be revealing the secrets unveiled by a Close Encounter of a Cometary Kind. When the spacecraft STARDUST returned to Earth this year with precious samples gathered from a comet 3 billion miles away, Dr Green and his team at the Open University were amongst the privileged few scientists entrusted with the analysis.
Anyone aspiring to discover something new in the heavens could learn a thing or two from amateur astronomer Tom Boles (British Astronomical Association). Using sophisticated, computer-controlled telescopes in their gardens, Tom and a friend have become the most successful exploding star hunters in history – discovering more than 100 supernovae! Author and renowned astro-photographer, Nik Szymanek, will be showing how to produce beautiful photographs of the night sky.
The publicity officer of the local Astronomical Society, David Sellers, said “The Leeds Astronomical Society is keen to demonstrate the sheer enjoyment of Astronomy. We are therefore especially delighted to welcome Professor John Brown, Regius Professor of Astronomy at the University of Glasgow and Astronomer Royal for Scotland. Professor Brown is internationally renowned for his efforts to increase the public awareness of science and is famed for his inclusion of magic in his lectures. His talk on ‘The Uncertain Universe – Magic of the Cosmos’ should be a memorable occasion”
The closing talk on ‘Mary Somerville and the Lady Astronomer’ will be given by the popular science historian Dr Allan Chapman (Oxford University), who is well known for his many TV appearances and his highly entertaining lectures.
The Leeds Astromeet is generously sponsored by the Institute of Physics. The venue is the prestigious Clothworkers Hall at Leeds University. Doors open at 9.00am and the event finishes around 6.30pm. Admission is £10-00. No advance booking is necessary.
Lots of stalls, selling books, telescopes and other astro-wares are sure to provide an added attraction.
Whatever your level of interest in astronomy, the Leeds Astromeet 2006 promises to be a rewarding day out.
NEWSLETTER SPONSORSHIP
The Council is pleased to announce that
Halleys of Milngavie have agreed to sponsor the production of our newsletter
again.
Halleys Garage can be found on the Glasgow Road close to the boundary of Bearsden
and Milngavie.
FAS ANNUAL CONVENTION
The 2006 AGM & Convention of the FAS
will be held on 30th September 2006 at the Birmingham & Midlands Institute
(BMI) in central Birmingham.
The BMI is a 5 minute walk from Birmingham New Street station. Our guest speakers
include:
* Prof. John Brown (Royal Astronomer for Scotland)
* Dr Allan Chapman (Uni of Oxford)
* Dr Ishwara Chandra (NCRA, Pune University, India)
* Dr David Whitehouse (science journalist / BBC)
* John Dobson - The Sidewalk Astronomer
We have a full trade exhibition - for futher info see fedastro.org.uk and there will be a large raffle with the top prize some observing time on the Faulkes telescope!
Tickets cost £10 in advance - see http://fedastro.org.uk/order_form06.pdf or contact Callum Potter president@fedastro.org.uk and £12 on the door.
Travel: There is no on-site parking by the BMI but there
are a number of city centre car parks available (nearest Livery Street). The
BMI is just ten minutes walk from Birmingham New Street, Birmingham Snow Hill
and (a little further) Birmingham Moor Street railway stations. If you need
a map of how to get to the BMI please see:
http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?f=q&hl=en&q=Birmingham+Midland+Institute&ie=UTF8&ll=52.479539,-1.901107&spn=0.008638,0.019956&om=1
For futher info and directions please see the BMI's website: http://www.bmi.org.uk/
DACE ASTRONOMY COURSES
The Council are please to announce that we have negotiated a discount on a number of the courses from the University of Glasgow’s Department of Adult and Continuing Education’s programme for 2006/7. Members are entitled to a 10% discount on the following courses:
Introduction
to Astronomy
(Monday nights, University Observatory, Andrew Conway, 10 weeks from start Oct)
Extreme
Astrophysics
(Monday nights, University campus, Martin Hendry and others, 10 weeks from start
Jan)
Physics
from an Easy Chair
(Tuesday nights, University campus, Jim O'Hagan, 10 weeks from start Oct - might
interest some of you)
What
was Stonehenge For?
(It's about 'stargazing in the ancient world' - I think it's 10 weeks before
Xmas)
Cosmologies
(Day School, 25 Nov - Norman Gray, Martin Hendry plus two philosophers)
Eclipses
and Transits
(Day School, 3 Feb - Martin Hendry, Helen Fraser, Bonnie Steves, Lyndsay Fletcher)
Galaxies
(Tuesday evenings, Cove Sailing Club, Alex MacKinnon, 5 weeks from start Jan)
The procedure is that ASG members should sign up on the normal form but attach a covering letter just stating that they're a member, giving membership number and that they claim the 10% discount accordingly.
Further details available at DACE
SUMMER OUTING TO DUNDEE ON 20th MAY 2006 - UPDATE
I understand that
several members asked if the information on Spacewire was available on the web.
If you are interested please follow the link to www.spacewire.esa.int/
for more information.
If you wish to sign up for access to the archive of satellite images
please go to www.sat.dundee.ac.uk/ and follow the links.
CAMPAIGN FOR DARK
SKIES
John Farquharson has reveived
the following letter from Bob Mizon (UK coordinator)
Many thanks for the cheque
from ASG - I have written to Dr Stott. We are currently preparing for the Dark-Sky
Symposium in Portsmouth on Sept 15-16: please let ASG members know about this (all details
on www.britastro.org/dark-skies).
If they complain that it's a long way south, we chose Portsmouth because it's a European
event, and there will be delegates from several European countries, and the USA.
SAG MEETING 20th MAY 2006
The next SAG meeting will be held at the Calton Hill observatory courtesy of the Edinburgh
Astronomical Society on Sat 20th May 2006. Doors open at 12 noon for some solar
observing (weather permitting), meeting starts at 1.30pm. P lease try to come along and
bring something to share, pictures, observations, sketches and anything else you have. (As
quite a few people went to see the eclipse in Turkey I'm sure this will be the event to
see those images!)
SUMMER OUTING TO DUNDEE ON 20th
MAY 2006
The ASG Summer Outing will take place on Saturday 20th May 2006. The excursion will be by
a chartered coach to Dundee. It is planned to visit the Satellite Tracking Station run by
the University in the morning and then to visit the Mills Observatory in the afternoon.
The coach will depart from Cochrane Street behind the City Chambers at 9:00 am and will
leave Dundee for the return trip to Glasgow at 5:00 pm. Please bring a packed lunch.
The cost of the trip is £12.50 per person and this must be paid no later than the 1st May
2006. Places will be limited to the capacity of the coach which is approximately 35; so
first come first served! A good time to make your reservation via David Stott, our
Treasurer, will be at the April meeting on Thursday 20th April 2006 or, alternatively, by
returning the Booking Form to his
home address.
Received from Sunderland Astronomical
Society:
4th KIELDER FOREST AUTUMN STAR CAMP
Northumberland 18 - 22 October 2006
"I'm pleased to give you first details of the 2006 Kielder Forest Autumn Star Camp.
It will be staged over five nights from 18 to 22 October 2006 in the spectacular Border
countryside - the darkest area of England according to a CPRE study.
Once again, the Forestry Commission and Sunderland Astronomical Society have joined forces
to organise the event, which is based at Kielder Campsite. The main day will be Saturday
21 October at nearby 18th century Kielder Castle.
We will have top speakers and a full line-up of the nation's leading astronomy vendors,
together with events for novices. During the winter, the Forestry Commission plan to
undertake improvements to the drainage and hard standings on the electric hook-up side of
the campsite. Hopefully, it will make the site somewhat more water-resistant. Pitch fees
have been kept at £12 per night for an electric hook-up and £10 without (per pitch, not
per person). There's also a minimum two night stay. Activities on the main day will be
free of charge to those registered and we will also provide a warm room. Other free talks
and workshops will be arranged before the main day, after the success of those staged at
the 2005 event.
We also have something new to tell you - a Spring Star Camp, set to be staged over three
nights from 21 to 23 April 2006. This is being organised by Sunderland Astronomical
Society, who have block-booked Kielder Campsite. It's not meant to compete with our Autumn
event, but rather offer a friendly observing weekend before summer arrives. Pitch fees are
from £8 and booking should be made directly with Sunderland Astronomical Society. You can
find more details on both star camps and how to book at
www.richarddarn.demon.co.uk/starcamp. If you require any further information, please
contact me at starcamp2006@richarddarn.demon.co.uk, or call 01226 246351. We hope to see
you again under Kielder's dark sky!
Richard Darn, Sunderland Astronomical Society
David Elder Lecture
The 2006 David Elder lecture will be on one of the most successful space missions
to date, the landing of the Huygens Probe on Titan, the largestmoon of Saturn.
After an interplanetary journey of more than seven years, the European Space Agency's
probe Huygens landed on the surface of Saturn's largest moon Titan on Christmas Day 2004.
Titan, which is larger than the planet
Mercury, is the only planetary satellite in the entire Solar System topossess a
significant atmosphere that might be similar to the Earth's early atmosphere over 4
billion years ago. The journey of the Huygens probe will be described as well as its final
dramatic plunge to the surface. Early results will be presented with emphasis on the
British contribution.
The lecture will be given by Professor John Zarnecki of the Open University on Wednesday
the 3rd of May 2006 at 18.00 in room K3.25 of the John Anderson Building, 107 Rottenrow
East, G4 0NG Glasgow.
For free tickets, email j.lindores@strath.ac.uk. For further information, look at the
website
http://phys.strath.ac.uk/DavidElder/
Scottish Astronomy Group
Everyone is invited to attend
the SAG AGM on Saturday 19th November hosted by AFA (The Old people's Welfare Hall,
Laurieston. A map is here http://www.sandyloan.f2s.com/afa_meetings.htm).
The agenda will (provisonally) be 1: SAG Business, 2: Talk/presentation (Break) 3:
Society/members observations and contributions, (Break?, depending on numbers/items) 4:
Reports from Astronomical Societies and 5: AOCB.
Doors open at 12.00 noon for a 1pm start. The meeting should finish around 4.30pm -
5.00pm.
Department of Adult and Continuing Education
Details of courses on offer can be found here
Total Solar Eclipse
There will be a total solar eclipse on the 29 March 2006. Omega Holidays are organising a two day trip (28-29 March) to southern Turkey for a cost of £349.95 per person (single supplement £20 extra) leaving from various regional airports. Contact Omega Holidays, White Cross, Lancaster LA1 4XQ (Telephone 01524 37500) for further details.
Campaign for Dark Skies
CfDS activities are partly funded
by voluntary donations. The Astronomical Society of Glasgow has receive a letter of
thanks for the money collected over the 2004/05 session. Over £100 was collected
this year. Thanks go to all those who contributed. Keep filling John
Farquharson's little black box with your contributions.
Annular Solar Eclipse - 3rd October 2005
For your information there will be an Annular Eclipse of the Sun that can be seen from Spain and Portugal on the 3rd October. The central track runs through Madrid and down near Valencia and Denia. The cost of cheap flights to Alicante and Valencia together with cheap accommodation may make this worth a visit.
Summer Outing - Saturday 21 May 2005
It is planned to have a Coach Trip to visit Castlerigg Stone Circle near Keswick and Long
Meg and her Daughters near Penrith - a chance to do some real Astro-Archaeology? It is
hoped that someone local will be able to give us a guided tour/talk at Castlerigg. There
should also be time to look around the Market Town of Keswick itself.
In order to organise and establish the booking, it is important for members to sign up and
provide a deposit of £10 no later than the last meeting of this Winter's Session - 21
April. The estimated cost is £20. Please complete the BOOKING
FORM and return it to David Stott (in person or by post) together with £10 (Cash or
Cheque made payable to The Astronomical Society of Glasgow). Do not send cash in the post.
The full price (to be determined) can be paid either at the last meeting of the current
session or on the bus.
Stardate: Mission to Titan
On January 14 2005, the Huygens space probe will descend through the atmosphere of
Saturn's largest moon, Titan. It's the most distant object on which a spacecraft from
Earth has attempted to land; and if all goes according to plan, the mission will send back
high-resolution pictures of Titan's surface, along with streams of data from six other
instruments.
The first pictures will be seen at the European Space Operations Centre (ESOC) in
Darmstadt, Germany, on the evening of January 14. The Open University and BBC TWO
programme Stardate: Mission to Titan will be live from ESOC at 23:30 and give
viewers the first chance to see the images as they're downloaded.
Chemically, Titan's atmosphere is the closest to Earth's early atmosphere that can be
found in our Solar System and the data relayed during this live broadcast could hold the
key to understanding how life came to exist on Earth.
For those involved in this joint NASA, European Space Agency and Italian Space Agency
mission - such as The Open University's Professor John Zarnecki - January 14 is the
culmination of 16 years of dedication to the Titan cause.
Prof Zarnecki envisages three possible scenarios: a relatively hard landing on an
icy-rocky surface; a squelch into a tar-like gunge; and - his favourite outcome - a
splash-down in an oily sea.
"Huygens would then take the first measurements ever in extraterrestrial
oceanography," he said. "We've done some calculations for what wind-driven waves
might look like on Titan and they are actually quite scary. Under the same conditions,
waves on Titan could be up to 10 times larger than on Earth," said Prof Zarnecki.
Transit of Venus - 8th June 2004
The transit of Venus is this months main event. There can be no living person who can
remember the last, which was on 6 December 1882. This year's transit will be followed by
another in eight years, on 6 June 2012, and then there will be no more until 11 December
2117, an interval of 105 years.
Although the phenomenon is no longer regaded as important, as it used to be in the days
when it provided the best means of measuring the distance between the Earth and the Sun,
there will be plenty of people anxious to see the transit which will be visible throughout
Europe except the extreme south-western Iberian Peninsula, Africa except the western part
and extreme southern tip, Asia except for the extreme eastern part, most of the Indian
Ocean and the nothern part of Greenland. In the UK the transit take place between
approximately 6.00 amd 12.30 Hours BST.
Since Venus's apparent diameter will be almost 58 arcseconds, compared with a disc
diameter of about 1,890 arcseconds for the Sun, Venus's silhouetted disc will be around
1/33 of the solar diameter. Consequently, during the transit Venus should be visible with
the naked eye - but, as always take the greatest of care. Do not stare at the Sun without
using a solar filter that is safe for direct viewing; check it for scuffs, scratches or
pinholes, and if in any doubt about the effectiveness of the filter don't use it. On no
account look directly througt a telescope unless it is fitted with a solar filter that
covers the telescope's full aperture and fits securely over the fronr end of the
instrument. Many small telescopes used to come supplied with a dark filter that fitted
over the eyepiece. these can be very dangerous, as they can crack under the magnified and
focused heat of the Sun without warning. If you have one of these filters, throw it away.
Much the best method for anyone who is unsure of the suitability of their equipment is to
use a small telescope to project a magnified image of the Sun on to a whire cardboard
screen. Aim the instrument at the Sun using the shadow of the telescope on the card. Never
look through the main telescope or its smaller finder scope to do this.
Find out more throught the following links:
Details of television programs can be found in this Open University Press Release
The Society for Popular Astronomy
website has information on viewing the transit - just follow the transit links.
VT-2004, an ESO sponsored
website, has transit information and advice on making making observations and
participating in the VT-2004 observing programme.
Take a look at the excellent site by Callum Potter which details transit history and offers observing advice.
The University of Central Lancashire
have a highly informative transit website.
Jubilee Celebrations & Civic Reception
On the 30 April theAstronomical Society
of Glasgow celebrated fifty years as an independent Society at a Civic Reception hosted by
Glasgow City Council.
Professor John Brown, Astronomer Royal for Scotland and Honorary President will presented
the Jubilee Lecture entitled "Fifty Magical Years of Astronomy" to members and
invited guests.
Founded in 1894 as the West of Scotland Branch of the British Astronomical Association
(BAA), the Society became the Astronomical Society of Glasgow, affiliated to the BAA, in
1954.
ASG Summer Outing to Todmorden Astronomy Centre & Astley Hall Museum & Art
Gallery - 22 May 2004
This year we are to visit the Jeremiah Horrocks & the Transit of Venus
Exhibition at Astley Hall Museum. This Elizabethan mansion is located about 2 miles
west of Chorley town centre in Astley Park, off Southport Road, a short distance from the
M6 (about 25 mins by coach from Preston). Free parking for coaches is available in the
Astley village car park to the rear of Astley Hall - a 300 metre walk from the front of
the Hall.
From Easter 2004 Astley
Hall will be staging an exhibition on Jeremiah Horrocks & the Transit of Venus to tie
in with the June 2004 transit celebrations.
Unfortunately, the University of Central Lancashire's Alston Observatory is unable to
accommodate us this year due to conferences and maintenance work and this part of the trip
has had to be abandoned due to circumstances outwith our control. Nevertheless, the
Council haver arranged for the trip to include a visit to the Astronomy Centre at
Todmorden.
The cost of the trip is £20, including entry to Astley Hall Museum. Full payment is
required by 30 April although you can book your place by giving David Stott a £10 non
refundable deposit before then.
Members' friends and/or family are welcome to come along.
More details will follow.
Research by Brian Stark
Kielder Forest Star Camp Northumberland 14 - 17 October 2004
I'm delighted to be able to give you the first details of the 2004 Kielder Forest Star Camp. Last year's inaugural event organised by Sunderland Astronomical Society and the Forestry Commission was a great success, with a full campsite and three largely clear nights under the wonderful dark skies of Northumberland.
This time round star camp will be staged over four nights (rather than three) from Thursday 14 October to Sunday 17 October, inclusive. The venue remains Kielder Forest campsite in the remote Border region and the main day will be on Saturday 16 October at 18th century Kielder Castle. Leading vendors already signed-up to attend include Green Witch, Widescreen Centre, Bray Imaging and our main sponsor this year, Pulsar (Optical). There will also be starlab, barbecue, tours of the observing field and talks by two top speakers from the world of astronomy.
Campsite pitch fees are from £10 per night. Facilities include a laundrette, pay phone, electric hook-ups, showers with hot and cold water, toilet disposal point and children's play area.
During the day you will have the opportunity to explore one of Britain's great wilderness areas, which aside from its amazing wildlife, is also wonderful walking and biking country. You can even take a steam ship cruise on Kielder Water. But the prime attraction will be the quality of the night sky - which a recent CPRE survey revealed to be one of the nation's darkest.
For more information please visit the star camp website Kielder Star Camp, which has a booking form to download. Alternatively call Richard Darn on 01226 246351 or e mail starcamp2004@richarddarn.demon.co.uk. Bookings can be made by telephone by contacting Margaret Hardon at the Forestry Commission on 01434 220242.
Thanks to Gary Fildes and Sean Makay
The Cosmic Ocean Starts Thursday 18th March 9.00-9.30pm BBC RADIO 4
A brand new two part series
on Radio 4 follows scientists from around the world as they probe the furthest reaches of
the cosmos in search of the elixir of life. Presented by Leo Enright, "The Cosmic
Ocean" explores both the science and the human drama surrounding the search for water
in the darkest corners of our galaxy.
In part one, Leo Enright asks where water in our galaxy came from and why it plays such a
significant role on our own planet. NASA's mission statement in the search for
extraterrestrial life is to 'follow the water'. In light of the recent dramatic results
from both European and American probes to Mars, Leo asks what role water could play on
other planets and what the significance of the recent findings maybe. He questions whether
our planet is as unique as we like to think it is and asks if the existence of water on a
planet goes hand in hand with the existence of life.
In the second programme, Leo turns his attention to the Universe at large and explores
where else water may abound. Some scientists now believe that the notion of a narrowly
defined habitable zone around the heat of a star may be wrong. If the classic theory of
Earth being 'in the right place' to support life is incorrect, hidden oceans may pervade
the Universe. There could even be planets entirely covered with liquid water. Leo asks
whether there water really is so pervasive across the Universe or whether it is just some
kind of cosmic mirage.
Thanks to Sean Makay
Scottish Astronomers' Group
The ASG is delighted to host the first Scottish Astronomers' Group Meeting of 2004 on
Saturday 21st February at 1pm. The venue is the Conference Room of the Mitchell Library on
North Street, Charing Cross, Glasgow.
The keynote speaker is Dr Martin Hendry of Glasgow University's Department of Physics and
Astronomy, who will speak on the forthcoming transit of Venus. Refreshments will be served
at the event.
Please come along and support your fellow astronomers from all airts and pairts!
Thanks to Robert Hughes
Campaign for Dark Skies
CfDS activities are partly funded by voluntary donations. The Astronomical Society of Glasgow is one of a number of organisations thanked for their voluntary donations in the Autumn 2002 edition of "Dark Skies". Thanks go to all those who contributed. Keep filling John Farquharson's little black box with your contributions.
John features in the February 2003
edition of the Journal of the British Astronomical Association. He has been
"interested in astronomy since the 1950s. John observes Glasgow's skies with
large binoculars, and keeps the dark-skies debate bubbling within the Astronomical Society
of Glasgow. A local officer since 1994, he has made many useful contacts in the
area. He counts as his greatest success his part in Glasgow City Council's recent
decision to relight the city using cut-off lighting. John is concerned that councils
will often opt for the cheaper, less well directed luminaries, notwithstanding the greater
long-term running costs."