Recorded Meetings

Thursday 5th. June 2025

Dr Mark Norris is a Senior Lecturer in Astrophysics at The University of Central Lancashire whose research focuses on the formation and evolution of galaxies. He also runs the Alston Observatory, one of the best equipped in the UK. 

A an in person talk given by Dr Steve Barrett to HAS on the 6th March 2025, which Steve cunningly managed to record for our benefit as well!

Steve Barrett is a Senior Research Fellow in the Department of Physics at the University of Liverpool. His research interests span all aspects of imaging, image processing and image analysis. This includes medical imaging (biophysics), scanning probe microscopy of atoms, molecules and surfaces (nanophysics), microscopy of earth materials (geophysics) and astrophotography.

For our April talk, Steve tells us "It's not rocket science!"

A talk given by Prof Colin Steele to Herefordshire Astronomical Society on the 6th March 2025.

Colin studied Mathematics, Astronomy and Astrophysics at St Andrews and went on to do his PhD in Applied Mathematics looking at "Dynamics of Solar Prominences".  He has been teaching Mathematics across the University of Manchester since 1993. 

For our March talk, Colin gives us a general introduction to the Sun and then features some of the phenomena in the atmospheres including the appearance of the corona at eclipses, sunspots, prominences, coronal loops and solar flares. He'll also tell us how the Sun influences events here in the Earth's atmosphere.

A talk given by Owen Brazell to Herefordshire Astronomical Society on the 5th December 2024.

Owen is President, Director of the Galaxies Section, Joint Meetings Organiser and DSO Editor for The Webb Society. He has previously been the Assistant Director of the British Astronomical Association's Deep Sky Section and is a columnist for Astronomy Now. 

For our December talk, Owen delves into Globular Clusters - what are they, who discovered them, where do they come from, how do you describe them, what different types of star groupings are there, are there any in other galaxies, and  how can you find and observe them. 

A talk given by Dr James Lees to Herefordshire Astronomical Society on the 7th November 2024.

James is an Associate Lecturer at the University of York in the School of Physics, Engineering and Technology. He has had a varied academic career at York and Stanford variously studying astrophysics, nuclear, condensed matter, biophysics, and data storage. He is also an avid science communicator working to help make science understandable to everyone through his talks, workshops, and books.

For our November talk, James takes us from Science-Fiction to Science-Fact. He explores the very limits of what planets can be. From Tatooine to Super Earths, and from the strangest of exoplanets to the final place you could ever live. The real, the imaginary and the possible. How they work (or not) and what they might be like to visit. 

A talk given by Dr Steve Barrett to Herefordshire Astronomical Society on the 3rd October 2024.

Steve Barrett is a Senior Research Fellow in the Department of Physics at the University of Liverpool. His research interests span all aspects of imaging, image processing and image analysis. This includes medical imaging (biophysics), scanning probe microscopy of atoms, molecules and surfaces (nanophysics), microscopy of earth materials (geophysics) and astrophotography.

For our October talk, Steve has gone back to the beginning of time to tell us about "The Beginning of Everything".  

A talk given by Ezzie Pearson to Herefordshire Astronomical Society on the 4th July 2024.

Ezzy is a space journalist for BBC Sky at Night Magazine, for which she has written dozens of articles on all aspects of space science, exploration and history. Prior to her journalistic career, she did a PhD in Astrophysics at Cardiff University. She regularly speaks at astronomy societies, conventions and other science events, and in the last five years has made over 100 international, national and regional media appearances on TV and radio as an expert on all manner of space and astronomy stories. In 2013 she presented a documentary for Channel 4 on the Chelyabinsk meteor strike. 

Ezzy tells us all about the Chelyabinsk Meteor - a story which inspired her to move full time into space journalism!

A talk given by Dr Lilian Hobbs to Herefordshire Astronomical Society on the 6th June 2024.

Dr Lilian Hobbs FRAS LRPS is a fellow of the Royal Astronomical Society and has been an amateur astronomer for many years. She is well known as a speaker at local astronomy clubs and more recently at photography groups too. Lilian’s real interest in astronomy is astro photography and her garden observatories have been featured on the BBC Sky at Night.

Lilian's talk for us in June was "The Armchair Messier Marathon"

You have probably heard of the Messier Marathon when for a short period of time, clear sky permitting, you can observe all of the 110 Messier objects. That’s a tough challenge so instead you are invited to the Armchair Messier Marathon where you can see all of the Messier objects which Lilian has photographed over the years using a variety of equipment, including the latest Seestar S50,smart telescope. What do you think of globular clusters, or do you prefer planetary nebulae or galaxies. Come and decide which is your favourite Messier object.

A talk given by James Hough to Herefordshire Astronomical Society on the 7th March 2024.

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.

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.

A talk given by Martin Hardcastle to Herefordshire Astronomical Society on the 1st February 2024.

Martin Hardcastle is Professor of Astrophysics and Head of the Department of Physics, Astronomy and Mathematics at the University of Hertfordshire. 

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 tells us about radio galaxies, how to find and study them.

A talk given by Gary Fildes to Herefordshire Astronomical Society on the 7th December 2023.

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 talks about his interest in astronomy and how it lead to him building and managing the Kielder and Grassholme observatories.

[Please contact the website manager if you would like to view the recording] 

A talk given by Martin Hendry to Herefordshire Astronomical Society on the 2nd November 2023.

Prof Martin Hendry MBE FRSE FInstP FRAS is Professor of Gravitational Astrophysics and Cosmology in the School of Physics and Astronomy at the University of Glasgow.

Martin takes us 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.

A talk given by Mike Frost to Herefordshire Astronomical Society on the 5th October 2023.

Mike Frost FRAS, FIET is the director of the historical section of the British Astronomical Association (BAA). 

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. 

Mike takes us on a guided tour through Jeremiah Horrocks’s brief, extraordinary life.

A talk given by Dr Luke Hart to the Herefordshire Astronomical Society on the 7th September 2023.

This talk was given "live" at the Kindle Centre and not recorded.

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. 

[Please contact the website manager if you would like to view the recording] 

A talk given by Roy Gunson to the Herefordshire Astronomical Society on the 6th April 2023.

Roy retired in 2011 after 32 years at Sheffield Hallam University and before that worked in various Research Associations. He's been an amateur astronomer since age 10 or so with interests in wargaming, genealogy and history.

Roy gives us a "Cooks Tour" of the bodies that lie in the outer regions of the Solar System, the different categories of objects and their formation and history. 

A talk given by Professor Brad Gibson to the Herefordshire Astronomical Society on the 2nd February 2023.

Brad is the Head of Physics & Maths, and Director of the E.A. Milne Centre for Astrophysics, at the University of Hull.

Brad examines the evidence for and against the existence of extraterrestrial life, and walks us through the associated good, bad, and ugly corners of our Galaxy.

A talk given by Mike Foulkes to the Herefordshire Astronomical Society on the 1st December 2022.

Mike is the director of the British Astronomical Association’s (BAA) Saturn, Uranus and Neptune Section.

Mike gives us an overview of the Uranus system and the planet's discovery by William Herschel.

[Please contact the website manager if you would like to view the recording] 

A talk given by Owen Brazell (The Webb Society).

Owen is President, Director of the Galaxies Section, Joint Meetings Organiser and DSO Editor for The Webb Society. He is also assistant director of the British Astronomical Association's Deep Sky Section and a regular contributor to Astronomy Now.

In this talk, Owen explains what Planetary Nebulae are and how to observe them.

A talk given by Dr Steve Barrett (University of Liverpool).

Steve takes a long term look at the Universe right up to a Googol - "The End of Everything". 

Steve mentioned that he has made some handouts for the talk available online - they're here. 

Steve is happy to take further questions by email (here) if you wanted to follow up on anything in the talk.

A talk given by Bill Barton (FRAS, SHA and Deputy Director of the BAA Historical Section).

Bill's talk tells the intriguing tale of Mary Ward and her accidental death. 

A talk given by Dr Ann Bonell, President of Leicester Astronomical society.

"Percival Lowell and the Canals of Mars" - Ann describes some early observations of the Red Planet and then concentrates on the life of Percival Lowell and his tireless fervour for the canals of Mars.

[Our May talk was held at the Kindle Centre and was not recorded]

A talk given by Bob Mizon MBE FRAS.

"Comets in History" - Bob traces our relationship with these intriguing night visitors, from ancient superstition to modern scientific exploration.  

[Please contact the website manager if you would like to view the recording] 

A talk given by Hugh Allen (Wells & Mendip Astronomers).

Hugh's talk demystifies amateur spectroscopy and shows how it offers a unique way to observe the Universe.

A talk given by Dr Steve Barrett (University of Liverpool).

Steve entertains us by examining the evidence for and against the claims that the Apollo moon landings of the late 1960s and early 1970s were faked by NASA.

This was our Annual General Meeting followed by a talk by Francis Milsom. Francis talked about building a 16" telescope. 

The talk was not recorded. 

A talk given by Dr Diego Altamirano (Associate Professor at the University of Southampton). 

Diego helps us get our heads around "powers of tens", in the process taking us through 44 orders of magnitude in 44 seconds, then launches into the extreme world of neutron stars. 

A talk given by Dr Julian Onions (FRAS, Nottingham University Astronomy Department) 

Julian tells us all about galaxies - what they are, how they are classified, how they are formed, what we understand about their lives. And lots of pretty pictures.

A talk given by Steve Richards (Sky at Night magazine) 

Steve's talk is  an introduction to deep sky imaging for beginners and for observational astronomers making the move to the slippery slope that is astrophotography. It covers equipment choices and techniques.

Russell Parry FRSPH

Russell tells us about the Appley Bridge Meteorite.

[Please contact the website manager if you would like to view the recording] 

Pete Williamson FRAS (Shropshire AS)

Pete's fun talk looks back over time to see how many aspects of music and space / astronomer intertwine.

[Due to the copyrighted music that Pete played in this talk we're unable to post the recording to YouTube. Please contact the website manager if you would like to view the recording.]

J R Tate FRAS, The Spaceguard Centre

Jay tells the story of how Near Earth Objects came to be, what they've done in the past, what they'll do in the future and what we are and are not doing about it ... The End is Nigh?

Dr Lee MacDonald - Annual Webb Lecture

"Greenwich Observatory in 1900: reshaping an old observatory for the twentieth century"

[Apologies for the intermittent audio quality - technical gremlins]

Ezzy Pearson - Planetary Rovers

Ezzy takes us on an historic tour of the robotic emissaries humanity has sent to traverse their way across other worlds.

Steve Tonkin - Ten Ways the Universe Tries to Kill You

A light-hearted, but scientifically robust, look at a lot of fundamental cosmological processes, from stellar evolution to galactic interaction.

Christianne Wakeham - Life in Hell?

The mystery in the cloud decks of Venus 

Julian Onions - Cold Dark Matter

Jeremy Shears - An introduction to variable star astronomy and cataclysmic variables

Gerard Gilligan - 12th Annual Webb Lecture - William Lassell