Monthly Meetings

Next speaker details

7th JanuaryPaul Money FRAS – Freelance Writer and LecturerAtmospheres of the Solar System

Paul Money attended his first meeting of an astronomical society in 1980 at the Boston Astronomical Association, later changed to Boston Astronomers. He gave his first impromptu talk to the Boston Astronomers about Saturn based on the Voyager missions, when a planned 'Star-watch' was clouded out. His first talk to a society other than his own was to the Cleethorpes and District Astronomical Society. He is now a well-known speaker across the country. Paul was Reviews Editor of the Sky at Night magazine until January 2024, and he organises the annual Horncastle Astronomy Weekend. The Federation of Astronomical Societies awarded Paul the 'Eric Zuker' award for 2002/2003 for contributions to Astronomy, in 2012 he was awarded the Arthur Clarke Lifetime achievement award for the public promotion of astronomy.

Entry is free for members while non-members are charged £4.00 (children under 18 and accompanied by an adult are free). Tea, coffee and biscuits are provided at a cost of 50p. After the talk, if the skies are clear, the observatory will be opened up for an observing session using the 16 inch telescope in the observatory and smaller telescopes outside.

Talks List

Click to download a meetings poster for 2026 or 2026 with speaker bios.

Speaker details for 2026

7th JanuaryPaul Money FRAS – Freelance Writer and LecturerAtmospheres of the Solar System

4th FebruaryMartin Lunn MBE, FRASBy Zoom: A Ramble through the Solar System

Martin Lunn studied for his Open University degree in astrophysics whilst working as a British Railways guard. In 1998, whilst working as Curator of Astronomy at the Yorkshire Museum in York, Martin was awarded an MBE for services to astronomy and education. Martin presents talks in person, and on Zoom, and is a cruise ship speaker. He has a weekly astronomy show on Drystone radio. In 2021 he appeared on the BBC’s ‘Antiques Road Trip’, talking about telescope maker Thomas Cooke of York. With his enthusiastic presentations inform and entertain, he aims to make astronomy fun and accessible to everyone, with ‘plenty of stories, just enough science’.

4th MarchRay Emery – CDAS MemberThe Great Melbourne Telescope: A Drama in Four Acts

Ray Emery has been interested in astronomy from the age of 7, and joined the CDAS in 1973. He attended Leeds University, and is past president of The Leeds University Astronomical Society, and the Leeds Astronomical Society. Before retirement he was a lecturer in social sciences, photography and astronomy to post-16 age groups. He was also examinations officer at a Further Education College in south Leeds. He has been to six total solar eclipses and seen three. He has had a long-standing interest in the history of astronomy and photography.

1st AprilDr Steve Barrett – University of LiverpoolBy Zoom: From “Solar System Series” – (I) Robots on Mars, (II) Spacecraft

Steve Barrett is a Senior Research Fellow in the Department of Physics at the University of Liverpool. His research interests have centred around the applications of imaging and spectroscopy to fields such as nanoscience, geomaterials, biomedical imaging and infrared spectroscopy. His teaching to undergraduate students has covered many topics and included supervision of astrophysics students on astronomy field trips to the Teide Observatory in Tenerife.His interest in astronomy predates his professional career as a physicist. He has given hundreds of astronomy-related talks to astronomical societies, special interest groups and schools. As a result of giving these Outreach Talks he was awarded the Sir Patrick Moore Prize in 2019 by the British Astronomical Association.

6th MayProfessor John M.C. Plane FRS, University of LeedsBy Zoom: Cosmic Dust

John Plane has been Professor of Atmospheric Chemistry at the University of Leeds since April 2006. He studies the aeronomy of planetary atmospheres and the chemistry of the interstellar medium. His specialisation is cosmic dust: its formation around evolved stars, and the effects of cosmic dust ablation in planetary atmosphere: the formation of meteoric metal layers, sporadic ion layers, noctilucent clouds – using a combination of experimental and theoretical studies of neutral and ion-molecule reactions in the gas phase, satellite observations, and global modelling. John is the author of over 420 peer-reviewed papers and 17 book chapters. He was elected a Fellow of the American Geophysical Union (2017), Fellow of the Royal Society (2020), & Member of Academia Europaea (2022).

3rd JuneDr Julian Onions, University of NottinghamThe Isaac Newton Telescope – Observing with INT in La Palma – You just push a button, right?

Julian Onions has always had an interest in Astronomy, and after many years as an amateur, he studied for a Ph.D. in Astrophysics at the University of Nottingham. There he studies computer models of galaxy formation, using some of the biggest computers in the world, building model Universes using mostly Dark Matter. He also helps out, with Undergraduate Teaching and various Outreach Activities.

1st JulyDr Brad Gibson Bad Astronomy at the Movies

An Aussie-Canadian transplant, Dr Brad Gibson is Scientific Editor for The Astrophysical Journal and previously served as Head of Physics & Maths and Director & Founder of the E.A. Milne Centre for Astrophysics, at the University of Hull, Chair in Theoretical Astrophysics at the University of Central Lancashire, and Deputy Head of School at Swinburne University in Australia. Brad’s team was responsible for first defining the Milky Way’s Galactic Habitable Zone (named a Top 10 News Story of the Year by National Geographic), determining the expansion rate of the Universe (for which their team was awarded the Gruber Prize in Cosmology). His commitment to widening participation from underrepresented groups, and improving the career prospects of physics students, led to his “Changing Face of Physics” campaign being named Best Practice in the Country by the UK’s Equality Challenge Unit.

12th AugustBarrie & Georgina Watts, CDAS Founder MemberPerseids Meteor Watch

Barrie Watts is known for running a night school class on astronomy at Havelock School and later Beacon Hill School in 1967/1968. Most of the attendees were interested in starting up a local astronomical society and it was Barrie who founded the Cleethorpes and District Astronomical Society in July 1969. The inaugural meeting was held at Barrie’s house in Mill Road, Cleethorpes. He was the key person in overseeing the building the Beacon Hill Observatory. Since the mid 1980’s has been the proprietor of Beacon Hill Telescopes, a major UK manufacturer of telescopes for the amateur.

2nd SeptemberDr David Benoit – University of Hull, EA Milne CentreOcean Worlds

Dr David Benoit is a molecular astrophysicist with interests in planetary biosignatures, molecules in extreme environments, quantum computing and machine learning. He is an award-winning senior lecturer in molecular physics and astrochemistry at the University of Hull and teaches advanced quantum mechanics, astrochemistry, data science and scientific computing. He holds a (bio-)chemistry degree (University of Lausanne), a PhD in theoretical chemistry (UCL) and a German “Habilitation” in theoretical chemistry (University of Ulm). David has authored over 70 peer-reviewed publications and has 25+ years’ experience in developing high-performance computing solutions for problems in quantum chemistry, molecular physics and astrochemistry.He is an associate editor of “Frontiers in Astronomy & Space Sciences” (Astrochemistry division), the principal UK investigator for the EU-ATMOS project, and a collaboration partner for the KM3Net neutrino experiment.

7th OctoberProfessor Colin Steele – University of ManchesterThe Rise and Fall of Gravity

Professor Colin Steele, inspired by early events including Apollo Moon landings, bought small telescope 1972. Studied Mathematics and Astronomy and Astrophysics, St Andrews University, 1982–1986.PhD in Applied Mathematics (Dynamics of Solar Prominences), 1986–1990.Teaching of Mathematics to students in many parts of University of Manchester, since 1993.Studies into Equilibria and Stability of Structures in solar atmosphere. Dynamics of orbits of Trojan Asteroids. Observations of e.g. Meteors, Noctilucent Clouds etc. Dabbler in non-telescopic astrophotography. Joined Dundee AS, 1978 (Honorary Member 1995). BAA 1985, Many other societies. Vice-president of Sheffield AS. Member of IAU. Active in BAA Meteor section mid-1980s onwards.Scottish Astronomers Group President 1991–1993.Speaker at various astronomical societies. Currently resident in Dore, Sheffield. Married with 2 youngsters.

4th NovemberNeil Haggath B.Sc. FRAS – Cleveland and Darlington A.S.You Couldn't Make It Up!

Neil Haggath has a degree in astrophysics, and has been a fellow of the RAS since 1993. A member of Cleveland and Darlington A.S. since 1981, and served on its committee since 1989. An annual contributor to the Yearbook of Astronomy, and self-publisher of a science fiction novel, “Moonsafe Red.”He travelled to seven total solar eclipses, with five successful, as far flung as Hawai'i and Australia. He says “In 2012, I may have set an unenviable record, for distance travelled – 6000 miles to Thailand – to not see that year's transit of Venus! – I saw nothing, and got very wet!”.

2nd DecemberSue Parr – CDAS SecretaryThe Life and Times of Sir Arthur Stanley Eddington

Sue Parr is a retired teacher who also worked with young people in music making. Her interest in Astronomy started whilst in the Brownies when Brown Owl pointed out Orion’s Belt. She has been a member of the CDAS for some years and is Secretary. She is also part of the Outreach team and is coordinator of the Informal Evenings. Every aspect of Astronomy Sue finds fascinating, but her leaning is towards the characters who helped found Astronomy as we know it today.

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