Home (2023-2024)
September 2023:
Next Talk - Kindle Centre Meeting - Thursday 7th September 2023
We take a break in August - hopefully that means a summer holiday for you?
Our next meeting is the kick-off meeting for the 2023/2024 session. For our first talk we'll meet back at the Kindle Centre - a great chance for members new and old to get together again.
For our first talk, we are delighted to welcome Dr Luke Hart to HAS. Luke studied at the University of Manchester completing a Masters in Physics, followed by a Ph.D. in Astronomy and Astrophysics (Theoretical Cosmology) at Jodrell Bank and finally worked as a Postdoctoral Research Associate looking at the cosmic microwave background (CMB). I think we can assume he knows his stuff! As with many astrophysicists, their data, analytical and software skills are highly sought after and Luke has moved into industry working for an independent specialist energy consultancy - TNEI "Leading the energy industry into a low carbon future".
There have been lots of amazing astrophysical discoveries in the 20th century including the first pulsars, the birth of radio astronomy and even the first attempts at using supernovae to explain stellar life cycles. One of the most important, however, has been the discovery and subsequent understanding of the microwave background radiation (CMB) - the peculiar relic signal that echoes from the Big Bang epoch itself. Luke will tell us a bit about the history of the Big Bang, how it was discovered, how the CMB was found and what it tells us about our universe.
As always, look out for emails from Mark and Chris with details of what HAS is doing next. If you are not on our emailing list, please contact Mark and Chris for the latest news - contact details here.
Thursday 7th September 2023
7 pm - Kindle Centre
The Cosmic Microwave Background - CMB (Kindle Centre)
Dr Luke Hart - 2016-2020 Jodrell Bank Centre for Astrophysics, University of Manchester
Observing Highlights
Observing highlights for this month:
Click link below for view of UK sky: Met Office Satellite image. UK Visible Light.
FAS News
Look out for emails from Keith with the regular FAS Newsletter and news and information about other events and talks that you may be interested in attending at FAS and other Astronomical Societies
Member's Photos
Taken any astronomy photos over the last few months? Share them here with HAS members!
Take a look at what HAS members have managed to do over the years on our Images page (here).
Meetings:
With meetings now allowed indoors, we are delighted to be able to have a mix of virtual Zoom talks and talks back at the Kindle Centre. Our next meeting is:
Thursday 7th September 2023
7 pm - Kindle Centre
The Cosmic Microwave Background - CMB (Kindle Centre)
Dr Luke Hart - 2016-2020 Jodrell Bank Centre for Astrophysics, University of Manchester
Many of our speakers at the Virtual Talks have allowed us to record and share their talks for society members to view if they missed the meeting. We've started a HAS YouTube channel here where you can visit or subscribe to and watch these talks.
To watch recordings of previous talks, they are on the "Recordings" page here.
We were able to record our last talk given by James Fradgley, however, he's asked us not to publish it on YouTube. If you would like to view it please contact the website manager (here) and they will give you access to the recording:
Thursday 6th July 2023
A talk given by James Fradgley to the Herefordshire Astronomical Society on the 6th July 2023.
James has a background in physics and astronomy. After an unrelated career he returned to astronomy in his retirement. He is Chairman of the Southern Area Group of Astronomical Societies (SAGAS) as well as having roles in several other groups. James is a Fellow of the Royal Astronomical Society
James will take us on a tour of some strange patterns weaved by the planets and satellites of our Solar System.
Observing Session:
The clocks have changed, the evenings are lighter, so that's the end of our Observing Sessions until the Autumn. As always, we've had some successful sessions and others have had to be cancelled due to the inclement weather.
It still gets dark in the evenings, so there's still lots of opportunities to get outside under the stars. Remember there are some great online observing guides - a good one is run by Telescope House.
TBC October 2023
6:30 - 9 pm
Star Party:
We hope to hold Star Parties again this session - Covid-19 allowing. Maybe we'll be able to run one at the Madley Environmental Study Centre (MESC) again.
MESC is right next door to the Madley Satellite Earth Station - a well known Herefordshire landmark. There are some location maps and directions to the MESC web site here.
TBC
Star Party with MESC
More information here.
Visit:
Once or twice a year, members like to jump in cars or climb in a mini-bus and make their way to go and see something interesting outside of Herefordshire (passports not required - so far). Previous trips have been to the Spaceguard Centre, the International Astronomy Show, the National Space Centre, Jodrell Bank, the Norman Lockyer Observatory outside Sidmouth, the Herschel Museum in Bath and the Hanwell Community Observatory just outside Banbury.
TBC
Where would you like to go?
More information here.
Members pay for shared transport and any entrance fees as appropriate..
October 2023:
Next Talk - Virtual Meeting - Thursday 5th October 2023
What a great start to our 2023/2024 session. Our first talk was given "live" at the Kindle Centre by Dr Luke Hart. Luke gave us a very informative and highly entertaining talk about the cosmic microwave background (CMB). Many thanks to his Uncle and Great Aunt and Uncle (they didn't look old enough?) for bringing him and accommodating him so he could still take part in a marathon a couple of days later!
Our next meeting is a Virtual talk by Mike Frost who will give our Annual Webb talk on "Jeremiah Horrocks - a curious astronomer".
Mr Mike Frost FRAS, FIET is the director of the historical section of the British Astronomical Association (BAA). His day job is systems engineering in the steel industry, but astronomy has always been a central part of his life. He has an M.Sc in astronomy, is a fellow of the Royal Astronomical Society, a founder member of the Society for the History of Astronomy, and has been a BAA member for 28 years and a council member for 13 years. He enjoys travel to view astronomical events such as aurorae and meteor showers, but his absolute favourite spectacle will always be total solar eclipses. One of the great days of his observing life was June 8th, 2004, the day of the Transit of Venus.
On Sunday 24th November, 1639, Jeremiah Horrocks observed a Transit of the planet Venus across the face of the Sun, from Much Hoole, a village south of Preston, Lancashire, England. Horrocks and his friend William Crabtree, observing from Salford, Lancashire, were the only people to see the first ever observed Transit of Venus. Horrocks had successfully predicted an event that nobody else knew was going to happen. To see the Transit, Horrocks had to overcome the vagaries of Lancastrian weather; whilst giving due to attention to “greater things, which it was certainly not proper to neglect for these subordinate pursuits”, at St Michael’s church, Much Hoole.
Mike says he has a few things in common with Jeremiah Horrocks. They’re both astronomers; they both grew up in Lancashire; they both have (had) relatives in Rhode Island, America. They both attended Emmanuel College in Cambridge (as did a surprising number of other historical characters, some of whom knew Jeremiah).
Mike takes us on a guided tour through Jeremiah Horrocks’s brief, extraordinary life.
As always, look out for emails from Mark and Chris with details of what HAS is doing next. If you are not on our emailing list, please contact Mark and Chris for the latest news - contact details here.
Thursday 5th October 2023
7 pm - Virtual Talk
Webb Anniversary talk - Jeremiah Horrocks - a curious astronomer
Mike Frost - Director of the BAA Historical Section
Next Activity - Observing Session - Thursday 12th October 2023 - CANCELLED
We have our first observing session in October - just before the clocks go back. We will meet at our Lugg Meadows site - more information about our site and location here.
As always, look out for emails from Mark and Chris giving details and any last minute alterations. We will endeavour to stick to these dates unless weather means 'sliding' it, in which case it will likely be a few days earlier or later and members will of course be advised. Each date is centred on the first Thursday after Third Quarter.
If you are not on our emailing list, please contact Mark and Chris for the latest news - contact details here.
Latest update from Mark and Chris:
I'm afraid all the forecasts I'm looking at for next Monday evening (16th.) are showing partial to total cloud cover during our observing period.
There may possibly be some clear spots, but all in all, it is too unreliable and I do not want to risk dragging people out to our site on a wasted journey.
The event is therefore cancelled.
And unfortunately that is it for October. Let's hope for better skies in November. British weather, eh?
Thursday 12th October 2023
Monday 16th October 2023
6:30 - 9 pm
7:15 - 9:30 pm
November 2023:
Next Talk - Virtual Meeting - Thursday 2nd November 2023
Our next meeting is a Virtual talk given by Prof Martin Hendry - "Listening to Einstein’s Universe: The Dawn, and Exciting Future, of Gravitational-Wave Astronomy"
Gravitational waves are ripples in the fabric of the cosmos predicted by Albert Einstein more than 100 years ago and produced by some of the most extreme phenomena in the universe: exploding stars, colliding black holes, even the Big Bang itself. To detect them has required the construction of the most sensitive scientific instruments ever built: giant laser interferometers capable of measuring tiny changes in the curvature of space, less than a millionth millionth the width of a hair. Such technology may sound like science fiction, yet these remarkable instruments are now routinely detecting the spacetime ripples from colliding black holes billions of light years from the Earth.
Join University of Glasgow scientist and "black hole hunter" Professor Martin Hendry for a whistle-stop tour through the exciting new field of gravitational-wave astronomy: the ground-breaking discoveries that have been made, the astounding engineering and technology that has enabled them, and how they are helping us to unlock the mysteries of Einstein's universe.
Martin Hendry is Professor of Gravitational Astrophysics and Cosmology at the University of Glasgow, where he is also Clerk of Senate and Vice Principal of the University. He is a senior member of the LIGO Scientific Collaboration: the global team of more than 1500 scientists who, with their colleagues in the Virgo Collaboration, made the first ever detection of gravitational waves - a discovery awarded the 2017 Nobel Prize for Physics. Martin is a Fellow of the Institute of Physics and is also a Fellow (and currently Vice-President) of the Royal Society of Edinburgh – Scotland’s National Academy. He is a passionate advocate for science education and communication and in 2015 he was awarded the MBE for services to the public understanding of science.
As always, look out for emails from Mark and Chris with details of what HAS is doing next. If you are not on our emailing list, please contact Mark and Chris for the latest news - contact details here.
Thursday 2nd November 2023
7 pm - Virtual Talk
Gravitational Wave Astronomy
Prof Martin Hendry MBE FRSE FInstP FRAS - Professor of Gravitational Astrophysics and Cosmology in the School of Physics and Astronomy at the University of Glasgow
Visit:
Once or twice a year, members like to jump in cars or climb in a mini-bus and make their way to go and see something interesting outside of Herefordshire (passports not required - so far). Previous trips have been to the Spaceguard Centre, the International Astronomy Show, the National Space Centre, Jodrell Bank, the Norman Lockyer Observatory outside Sidmouth, the Herschel Museum in Bath and the Hanwell Community Observatory just outside Banbury.
At our September meeting, Keith described the potential sites we could visit and took a poll of those present. Based on your feedback we'll be looking at a day-return visit to the Spaceguard Centre in Knighton in the Autumn and a longer visit to Jodrell Bank with an overnight stay to make the travel easier.
Look out for emails from Keith explaining more about the proposed visits and asking members to register for the trips.
Up Next - Spaceguard Centre Trip - Thursday 9th November 2023
Our next activity is a visit to The Spaceguard Centre, Knighton. Keith has booked 12 places on the 2pm tour for those that have responded. If you're not already on Keith's list but would like to join the trip, please contact Keith ASAP to see if there's a space available (email contact here)
Here are Keith's notes for the visit -
Located a couples of miles south from Knighton - LD7 1LW
Entrance cost £10
2 tours a day in winters – 2pm and 4pm - we're going on the 2pm tour
Visit usually last about 90 minutes but can go longer depending on questions etc and whether there are any visitors for 4pm
Also suggest option to meet up beforehand for a pub lunch - meeting at 12:00 at The Banc The Banc Knighton | Bar and Restaurant Knighton, Powys
Due to location and nearness to Hereford, all interested to make own arrangement to travel to Knighton/Spaceguard. Of course if you can car-share please do so
For more information about the centre, see the website The Spaceguard Centre | The National Near Earth Objects Information Centre
Thursday 9th November 2023
Spaceguard Centre, Knighton
More information here.
Next Activity - Observing Session - TBA November 2023
Our first observing session in October was cancelled due to the cloudy weather. Let's hope our November session has better luck. We will meet at our Lugg Meadows site - more information about our site and location here.
As always, look out for emails from Mark and Chris giving proposed date and details and look out for any last minute alterations. We will endeavour to stick to these dates unless weather means 'sliding' it, in which case it will likely be a few days earlier or later and members will of course be advised. Each date is centred on the first Thursday after Third Quarter.
If you are not on our emailing list, please contact Mark and Chris for the latest news - contact details here.
Thursday TBA November 2023
6:30 - 9 pm
December 2023:
Next Talk - Virtual Meeting - Thursday 7th December 2023
Our next meeting is a Virtual talk given by Gary Fildes - "Building and Managing an Observatory".
Gary is an outreach astronomer, specialising in public engagement centres in astronomy. He is the Founder and ex - CEO Lead Astronomer of the Kielder Observatory in the UK and is currently lead Astronomer at the Grassholme Observatory which he also founded. An author and with numerous TV and media appearances under his belt, Gary has firmly established himself as a leading light in the UK astronomy scene.
Gary’s experience and knowledge in the development of accessible, exciting and inspiring astronomy centres is unparalleled. In recognition of Gary’s achievements, he was awarded an honorary MSc degree in astrophysics from Durham University in 2012. Then in 2017 he was also awarded an honorary degree from the university of Sunderland.
It is widely acknowledged that these observatories owe their success due to Gary’s ability to communicate his passion, enthusiasm and encyclopaedic knowledge of astronomy to all who want to listen. He is a seasoned guest speaker with SAGA cruises and is happy to chat to guests continually about all thing’s astronomy and physics.
Gary remains today the lead astronomer of the UKs newest premier dark sky observatory.
In July 2016, Gary published his first book ‘An Astronomers Tale’ a bricklayers guide to the Galaxy.
As always, look out for emails from Mark and Chris with details of what HAS is doing next. If you are not on our emailing list, please contact Mark and Chris for the latest news - contact details here.
Thursday 7th December 2023
7 pm - Virtual Talk
Building and Managing an Observatory
Gary Fildes M.Sc Hon.Caus. University of Durham
Next Activity - Observing Session - 14th December 2023 - CANCELLED (again!)
Our first observing session in October was cancelled due to the cloudy weather and our November session clashed with the Spaceguard Centre visit. Let's hope we have better luck with our December observing. We will meet at our Lugg Meadows site - more information about our site and location here.
As always, look out for emails from Mark and Chris giving proposed date and details and look out for any last minute alterations. We will endeavour to stick to these dates unless weather means 'sliding' it, in which case it will likely be a few days earlier or later and members will of course be advised. Each date is centred on the first Thursday after Third Quarter.
If you are not on our emailing list, please contact Mark and Chris for the latest news - contact details here.
Remember that there are some great online observing guides - a good one is run by Telescope House. Look out for the monthly night sky emails from Mark and Chris.
Latest update from Chris:
This Thursday and indeed the rest of the week is no good. Cloudy. Usual story.
So no observing this month. We go again in January.
Thanks to those who confirmed they would be there.
Merry Christmas everyone
Thursday 14th December 2023
6:30 - 9 pm
January 2024:
Next Talk - Kindle Meeting - Thursday 4th January 2024
Our next meeting is the Annual General Meeting followed by members' chat at the Kindle Centre.
As always, look out for emails from Mark and Chris with details of what HAS is doing next. If you are not on our emailing list, please contact Mark and Chris for the latest news - contact details here.
Thursday 4th January 2024
7 pm - Kindle Centre
AGM and members' chat
AGM and January 2024 Observing Session
Oh dear, we're not having much luck with our observing sessions! Chris's last message on 8th January held a little hope ... but not to be. There's always next month?
Our AGM at the Kindle Centre on 4th January was very well attended with 28 members turning out. Was it the exciting prospect of attending the AGM, the opportunity to meet up with old friends and fellow astronomers, or the promise of mince pies and Christmas goodies that brought you all in?
Chris led proceedings and gave warm thanks to Mark, our retiring Chair. Mark was one of the founding members of HAS and has enthusiastically supported the society over the last fifteen years. As Chair and Observing secretary, Mark's knowledge and willingness to share that knowledge has helped many members, their families and, through wider outreach meetings, members of the public better understand the night sky. Thank you Mark! Don't worry, Mark isn't going anywhere - he'll still be with us at our meetings and observing sessions to help us understand the night sky better.
With Mark retiring, we needed a new Chair. Happily Chris accepted (multiple!) proposals to become HAS Chair. Other members of the committee were happy to remain in their current posts and were confirmed in their roles. Keith has added another role to his long list of responsibilities - I think he's now FAS Representative, Equipment Secretary, Visits Secretary and Tour Manager - did I miss anything? Committee members and contact details are here.
After more refreshments, mince pies and chocolate, members settled back down and hugely enjoyed another of Chris's mini-talks. This one was about the scale of things - from the tiniest to the whole universe. Chris explained that the talk was originally given to a group of young children ... I think he set it at exactly the right level for the post-Christmas/New Year audience!
Members Discussion Group
It was great for us to be able to get together again at the Kindle Centre for our May meeting. There's a wealth of knowledge and experience held by different HAS members - hopefully we were able to answer some of your questions and puzzles.
Off the back of that meeting, it was suggested we create an online community for HAS members where you can raise questions, share your experience and suggest topics for talks or visits. We've had a rummage around and rather than use the Meta owned data harvesting platforms .... we've created a discussion group on the Groups.io platform. This is a "fremium" based platform and promotes itself as "We don't run advertising and your data is never submitted to any ad tracking networks.". There are a lot of other astronomy and expert groups using this platform - it looks like a safe place to be online.
We've set the permissions for the group to be listed publicly but content is private - only HAS members can see what you post.
We are moderating new members joining the group to manage spam bots and spurious content. This means new member requests have to be approved by an Admin before being admitted to the group. We'll check your email addresses against those we old for HAS members - if you want to use a different email address to the one we hold, please let the HAS website manage know (here).
Once admitted you can follow discussions and post entries. It's an email based platform by default - you'll receive new posts by email from other members. However, if you don't want individual emails you can go online and change your "Subscription" to turn off emails and receive digests etc.
Keith emailed out the link to join the group. If you've mislaid his email, you can subscribe following the link below.
Have fun!
February 2024:
Next Talk - Virtual Meeting - Thursday 1st February 2024
Our next meeting is a Virtual talk given by Prof Martin Hardcastle - "Surveying the sky for radio galaxies".
Martin Hardcastle is Professor of Astrophysics and Head of the Department of Physics, Astronomy and Mathematics at the University of Hertfordshire. Prior to that he was the Director of the Centre for Astrophysics Research. Before moving to UH in 2004 he was a PDRA and Royal Society research fellow in the Astrophysics Group of the Physics Department in the University of Bristol. Martin did his first degree at Churchill College in the University of Cambridge and his PhD in the Mullard Radio Astronomy Observatory (now the Astrophysics Group), part of the Cambridge Physics Department. He's a member of the IAU and a Fellow of the Royal Astronomical Society, the Higher Education Academy, the Institute of Mathematics and its Applications and the Institute of Physics.
Martin has specialised in radio astronomy with research interests in the physics of active galaxies, radio-loud AGN, and groups and clusters of galaxies. In his talk he'll tell us about radio galaxies, how to find and study them.
As always, look out for emails from Mark and Chris with details of what HAS is doing next. If you are not on our emailing list, please contact Mark and Chris for the latest news - contact details here.
Thursday 1st February 2024
7 pm - Virtual Talk
Surveying the sky for radio galaxies
Professor Martin Hardcastle BA MA PhD ScD FInstP FIMA FRAS FBS FHEA CPhys - Professor of Astrophysics, Head of Department of Physics, Astronomy and Mathematics, at the University of Hertfordshire
Next Activity - Observing Session - TBC February 2024
Let's hope our February session has better luck. We will meet at our Lugg Meadows site - more information about our site and location here.
As always, look out for emails from Chris giving proposed date and details and look out for any last minute alterations. We will endeavour to stick to these dates unless weather means 'sliding' it, in which case it will likely be a few days earlier or later and members will of course be advised. Each date is centred on the first Thursday after Third Quarter.
If you are not on our emailing list, please contact Chris for the latest news - contact details here.
Chris's latest update:
February Observing - CANCELLED
Greyed out all week I'm afraid. Last chance next month.
Watch this space (the one between the clouds!😉)
Thursday TBC February 2024
6:30 - 9 pm
March 2024:
Next Activity - Observing Session - 5th March 2024 - CANCELLED
Sadly, Chris has cancelled our last planned observing session for the 2023/24 season.
We will meet at our Lugg Meadows site - more information about our site and location here.
As always, look out for emails from Chris giving proposed date and details and look out for any last minute alterations. We will endeavour to stick to these dates unless weather means 'sliding' it, in which case it will likely be a few days earlier or later and members will of course be advised. Each date is centred on the first Thursday after Third Quarter.
If you are not on our emailing list, please contact Chris for the latest news - contact details here.
Chris's latest update:
March (Tonight) Stargazing - CANCELLED - insufficient interest/ lack of equipment
Tuesday 5th March 2024
6:30 - 9 pm
Next Talk - Virtual Meeting - Thursday 7th March 2024
Our next meeting is a Virtual talk given by Professor James Hough, Research Professor at University of Hertfordshire - "Comets [the Rosetta Mission] and Asteroids".
James led the astronomy research programme at the University of Hertfordshire for almost 40 years, retiring as Director of the Centre for Astrophysics in 2010. The Centre has over 60 researchers and covers a wide range of astronomy from exoplanets to high-redshift galaxies.
He has published ~200 refereed papers with a majority of these based on polarimetric observations in the optical and near-infrared using instruments designed and built by himself and used at major observatories in Australia, Hawaii and the Canary Islands.
James was awarded the Daiwa-Adrian prize for UK-Japan scientific collaborations in 1998, and the Royal Astronomical Society Herschel Medal in 2010.
ESA's Rosetta mission was the first to rendezvous with a comet, the first to follow a comet on its orbit around the Sun, and the first to deploy a lander to a comet's surface. Who can forget the excitement of following Philae's "soft" landing on the surface of comet 67P/Churyumov–Gerasimenko? James tells us about comets, asteroids and the story of Rosetta's 10 year journey.
As always, look out for emails from Chris with details of what HAS is doing next. If you are not on our emailing list, please contact Chris for the latest news - contact details here.
Thursday 7th March 2024
7 pm - Virtual Talk
Comets [the Rosetta Mission] and Asteroids
Professor James Hough, Research Professor at University of Hertfordshire
April 2024:
Next Talk - Virtual Meeting - Thursday 4th April 2024
Our next meeting is a Virtual talk given by Dr Mike Leggett - "Origin of the Solar System".
Mike is a founder member of the South Lincolnshire Astronomical and Geophysical Society and began to present astronomy talks for his local society. Since that time he has presented lectures for the British Interplanetary Society, at University of Aberdeen evening classes, for the Society for the History of Astronomy and to astronomical societies and other groups throughout the UK. He is the General Secretary and a Council member of the Society for the History of Astronomy (SHA).
A Fellow of the Royal Astronomical Society and a Fellow of the British Interplanetary Society, Mike is also a member of the British Astronomical Association, the Society for Popular Astronomy, the National Space Society and the Planetary Society.
His talk on the origin of the Solar System begins looking at what space probes and astronomical observatories can tell us and the models we have for the origin of the Solar System. He looks at the origin of the Sun, other Solar System objects and the Earth-Moon system. What about exoplanetary systems - how do they impact our understanding of the origins of the Solar System.
As always, look out for emails from Chris with details of what HAS is doing next. If you are not on our emailing list, please contact Chris for the latest news - contact details here.
Thursday 4th April 2024
7 pm - Virtual Talk
Origin of the Solar System
Dr Mike Leggett PhD FRAS FBIS MBAA MSfPA MNSS MPS