Previous Club Activities
Our events section contains news on
all the up and coming events the club is planning, but for those that are
interested in what we've been up to, here's a list of all the
previous activities we've held going back till 2002
January 2009
Friday 2,January: 7:30 Practical Club Night. A group discussion of what's happing in the Astronomical world. A subject will be chosen a couple of weeks beforehand and all members are invited to research the topic for the evening.
December
Friday 5, December: 7:30 Practical Club Night, with a little festive fun and a caption competition.
Saturday 6, December: 7:30 Club Christmas Dinner at the Plume of Feathers.
Friday 19,
December Club Night 7:30: No meeting
November
Friday 7, November: 7:30 Practical Club Night. Practical exercises in the use of various Planetarium software. The grinding of the mirror for the club's telescope project will be well underway by so, so we will be spending some tome discussing the various design options open to us.
Friday 14,
November Club Night 7:30: Quiz Night. This is the return match to be held at Callington. Transport arrangements and departure time will be announced soon. Please note this event will probably replace our third Friday meeting of the 21st.
October
Friday 3, October: 7:30 Club AGM (hopefully this won't last more than half and hour). Practical Club Night is back with a vengeance. Tonight topic will the mathematics of Astronomy. How do I calculate the power of my eyepiece, or how much sky is covered by two Arc minutes. All these riveting questions and more, will be answered this evening.
Friday 17,
October Club Night 7:30: Andy Read will be giving us a talk entitled "What difference would a day make?"
September
19 -21, September: The FAS AGM. Always a firm favorite with the the Saturday filled with a top line up of speakers including Prof. Barrie Jones, Nik Szymanek, Prof. Andy Fabian, Dr. Somak Raychaudhury. The event is being held at the Institute of Astronomy in Cambridge, this year.
Friday 19,
September Club Night 7:30: Due to the availability of telescope time, Prof Tim Naylor's talk has been re-scheduled for March 2009. For those not going up the the FAS 'do' this weekend, we will be holding a film night for the remaining members.
August
Saturday 9, August: 8:00 Pre Perseids Star Party and barbeque to be held at Malcolm's.
Friday 15, August. Club Night 7:30: We have reserected a number of the 'Ten Minute' talks for this meeting. Nick's is entitled 'When the Moon Blows' while Frank's rather crypic title is 'ET! have you tried Vodafone?
July
Saturday 5, July: 7:00 Club Barbeque Event to be held at the Rosenannon Observatory. Places can be booked in advance by sending a £4.00 a head payment to Brian Parsons by Sunday 29, June. His address details are in the email sent to all members.
Friday 18, July. Club Night 7:30: Two short talks given by Denis Gavin and Keith Lane. The topics of which could include Eros, the Cosmic Potato, The Celestial Police, To the Moons of the Solar System, New Horizons and The Kuiper Belt or something completely different. Whatever the subject, these talks are always great fun.
June
Sunday 8, June: Pagan Night. Well perhaps Pagan Afternoon is more appropriate. Our Archeoastronomy tour begins at 14:30 at the Stone Circle on Harpur's Downs. Park your cars a grid reference SX 127 800. If anyone wishes to have lunch first, a few of us will be meeting at The Old Inn at St Breward at 12:30, grid reference SX 097 772.
Friday 20, June. Club Night 7:30: The Brannel Challenge Trophy is up for grabs with what is hoped, will be a hotly contested competition between ourselves and Callington.
May
Friday 2, May: There is
no meeting tonight. (There will be no 1st Friday meetings until
the clocks go back to GMT in October)
Sunday 4, May: 10:00am: Brannel Solar System Geocache Trail. There are 9 geocaches - one for each solar system entity. The route starts at the Wheal Martyn China Clay Country Park. It follows the China Clay Trail for about 3 miles there and back. The car parking is good at Wheal Martyn - there is also a cafe where good coffee and buns can be had. The walk starts and returns to there - I reckon that it will take between 2.5 - 3 hours depending upon how good you are at solving the clues.
Friday 16, May Club Night 7:30: Talk given by: Dr Nick Tothill from the Astrophysics Group
at Exeter University entitled 'Polar Astrophysics'. and will
cover the current and future programmes to use the unique
conditions of the Earth's Polar regions for Astronomy and
Astrophysics. This evening is welcome to all comers, but there
will be a £2.00 entry fee for all non club members.
April
Friday 4, April. There is
no meeting tonight. (There will be no 1st Friday meetings until
the clocks go back to GMT in October)
4th to 6th April. Winchester Weekend: We had such fun year that we are going again this year. Winchester
is the most feature packed astronomical event on the calendar.
Prices start at £160 plus traveling expenses for the three day
weekend. Further information on the event can be found here and here.
This event is now fully booked.
Friday 18, April. Club Night 7:30: Quiz Night and the Brannel Challenge Trophy against
Callington which was due to take place tonight, has had to be cancelled. For the moment, it has been moved forward until June, but this will be subject to confirmation. With so little time to arrange anything else, the S.C has decided to hold an internal quiz night amongst ourselves instead. There will be fewer rounds, but we still get a mini music round at half time.
March
Friday 7, March.7:30 Practical Club
Night:
- Armchair astronomy: Bring a book or an interesting website
for us to discuss .
- Hands On Practical: View and track the ISS - or any other
satellite for that matter - using any Autostar equipped scope
- Sky at Night CD
Friday 21, March. Club Night 7:30: Brian Parsons will be giving us a talk entitled ‘Will I need my
Wellies!, which discusses the possible consequences for our planet
if Alpha Centauri was to go Nova.
February
Friday 1, February.7:30 Practical Club
Night:
- Armchair astronomy: Bring a book or an interesting website
for us to discuss .
- Hands On Practical: Telescope Collimation.
- 10 Minute mini talks: Astrolabes over the Centuries
Phil Brotherwood
- Sky at Night CD
Friday 15, February. Club Night 7:30:
The History of NASA and ESA by Mike Thompson
January
Friday 4, January.7:30 Practical Club
Night:
- Armchair astronomy: Bring a book or an interesting website
for us to discuss .
- Hands On Practical: Astronomical Filters: Their selection
& use
- Sky at Night CD
Saturday 5, January7:30: Welly
(Brian) is giving his 'Dark Matter' talk to the guys up at Callington.
Anyone wishing to come along and barrack , should contact Brian,
Nick or Frank to book your seat.
Friday 18, January. Club Night 7:30:
The Southern Hemisphere. What are we Missing by Mark Timbrell
2007
December
Saturday 1, December: 7:30
Christmas Dinner at Plume of Feathers Mitchell. You need to
pre-book your seat, decide on your menu and give your payment to
Frank, no later than November 16th. See the November newsletter
for details
Sunday 2, December: 10:00am: There
is a new film out, released in the UK yesterday, called 'In the
Shadow of the Moon' which is basically a documentary about the
Apollo moon missions. The film contains interviews with at least
one crew member from each of the missions that went to the
Moon, including everyone who walked on it, with the
exception of Neil Armstrong. There is also previously unseen
footage of the missions only recently released by NASA. Reviews so
far have been very good. The nearest showing this film comes to us
is Exeter today at 1;30pm. If anyone is interested in going please
contact Phil to book your place.
Friday 7, December.7:30 Practical Club
Night: As the school are unable to provide us with
janitor access, there will be no meeting this evening.
Sunday 9, December. As we
cannot hold the meeting on the 7th, Mike has offered to organise a
fun afternoons outing Geocaching. Further details on the time and meeting
place will be announced here and in a member email soon.
Wednesday 12, December: A
number of club members will be visiting the the St Ives
chapter of Café Scientifique, and giving a series of short
talks on what we do as astronomers. The evening is very casual and
is usually attended by an intelligent and interested number of
local residents around the area. Doors 7pm for 7.15pm (doors
close) at: St Ives Arts Club, Westcott’s Quay. Please
bring binoculars or a telescope if you have them as if the weather
allows we will go out to look
at the stars FREE ENTRANCE – all welcome, BYO refreshments and
something to put in the hat for expenses. If anyone wishes to attend,
then please contact Frank, Nick, Phil, Glynn or Mike for details
Friday 21, December. Club Night: Being
so close to the Christmas holiday, there will be no meeting this
evening
November
Friday 2, November.7:30 Club AGM: It
has been normal practice in recent years to hold an annual meeting
of the Club to cover all aspects of its operation and to review
the past year and to give members the opportunity to participate
in planning for the future. All members are urged to attend. It's
also membership renewal night so bring your cheque book with you.
Saturday 10, November.7:30:
Andy is giving his 'It looks like a Sheep' talk to Callington as
part of the speaker exchange programme. If you want to come along
to barrack, then contact Andy, Nick or Frank.
Friday 16, November. Club Night 7:30:
Mars Missions by Phil Brotherwood, Comet watching if it's clear
outside, and any other goodies we can come up with.
October
Friday 5 October.7:30 Practical Club
Night:
- Armchair astronomy: Bring a book or an interesting website
for us to discuss .
- 10 Minute mini talks: Backyard Observatories by Frank Johns
- 10 Minute mini talks: Science Fiction by Nick Tonkin
- 10 Minute mini talks: Saturn by Stan Burgess
- Sky at Night CD
Friday 12 - Sunday 14 October:
Federation of Astronomical Societies AGM in Birmingham. This
has proved to be a real belter of a weekend, and has been well
attended by the Brannel contingent for the last two years. Reviews
of the last two trips are as follows.
FAS 2005 Cambridge
FAS2006 Birmingham
Friday 19, October. Club Night 7:30:
Music of the Spheres by Charlotte Lane. Yes. I know. The title is
very cryptic, so you will just have to come along and find out
what it's all about.
September
Friday 7, September.7:30 Practical Club
Night: Due to
structural work at the school, tonight's meeting is
Cancelled
Tuesday 18th September 7:00pm at The
Poly, 24 Chruch St, Falmouth:
Exeter University are presenting a talk by Dr Suzanne Aigrain, on
the discovery and study of extrasolar planets, and in particular
habitable planets. The club will be providing a small display as
well as taking up some telescopes.
Friday 21, September. Club Night 7:30:
‘Moon Babies, Shuttles and Storms’ A history of the
Space Shuttle by John Durston from Callington.
August
Friday 3, August.7:30 Practical Club
Night:
- Armchair astronomy: Bring a book or an interesting website
for us to discuss .
- 10 Minute mini talks: Star Clusters by Abie Wilson
- 10 Minute mini talks: General Relativity by Andy Read
- 10 Minute mini talks: Comets in History by Roy Dunstan
Saturday 11,
August: S.W Astronomy Fair at
the NLO in Sidmouth. The second annual
South West Astronomy Fair takes place at the Norman Lockyer
Observatory overlooking Sidmouth, Devon, on Saturday 11th August
2007. Doors open at 09.00h and close at 18.00h. Last year's
Astronomy Fair was a triumphant success for the Observatory and
only better things are promised for this year! There will be
planetarium shows throughout the day, historic telescope tours,
lectures, trade stands, refreshments and raffle prizes.
Lectures include:
- "The Universe Unveiled" Dr. Robin Catchpole
– Institute of Astronomy, Cambridge.
- "Imaging with the Faulkes Telescope" Nik
Szymanek – B.A.A. Astro-imager
- "The Songs of the Stars" Prof. Don Kurtz –
University of Central Lancashire
- "Bang! Known knowns and known unknowns in
Cosmology" Dr. Chris Lintott - Co-presenter BBC Sky at
Night
The usual suspects will be filling a car, so if you wish to book a
seat, please contact Nick or Frank.
Saturday 11,
August: An exhibition entitled “Indications of the
Infinite”, which has a sub heading Art, Astronomy and Beyond,
Private View 7pm to 9pm and followed by a Star Party being held at Mount Pleasant Eco Park, Porthtowan, TR4 8HL.
The
exhibition runs from 6th August to 20th
August. More
information can be obtained from www.outofplaceart.co.uk
or e-mail gallery@outofplaceart.co.uk.
Friday 17, August. Club Night 7:30:
Due to structural work at the
school, tonight's meeting is Cancelled
July
Friday 6, July.7:30 Practical Club
Night:
- Armchair astronomy: Bring a book or an interesting website
for us to discuss .
- 10 Minute mini talks: Astronomers Royal by Frank
Johns
- 10 Minute mini talks: Features of the Moon by Glynn
Bennallick
- Sky at Night CD
Friday 20, July. Club Night 7:30:
'The History of the Telescope - The Early Years.' by Frank
Johns.
June
Friday 1, June.7:30 Practical Club
Night:
- Armchair astronomy: Bring a book or an interesting website
for us to discuss .
- Hands On Practical: Planetaria Software. A run through all
the major players in planetarium software. Prices range from
Free, to over £200. A number products will be available for
evaluation , as well as speaking to the members who use them.
- 10 Minute mini talks: Just what was that satellite that
went over? by Brian Sheen
- Sky at Night CD
Sunday 10, June. 10am - 4pm.
Open Doors Day: Brian Sheen is hosting an Open
Doors day at his observatory at Court Farm, St Stephen. This event
is held in support of a Europe wide campaign to promote an
understanding of the role the Sun plays in our lives. It starts at
10.00am and goes on until 4.00pm. There will be a number of
activities around the Observatory that young and old can join in.
The Activity Room will hold a set of displays and activities in
addition will host audio visual presentations. Contact Brian Sheen
( email at bottom of page) for further details.
Friday 15, June. Club Night 7:30:
Tonight we have two talks, Both from members of The Callington
Space Community Centre. History of the Space Suit by Keith Lane
and The Canals of Mars by Denis Gavin.
May
Friday 4, May.7:30 Practical Club
Night:
- Armchair astronomy: Bring a book or an interesting website
for us to discuss .
- Hands On Practical: Topic yet to be decided.
- 10 Minute mini talks: Moons in the Solar System
by Phil Brotherwood
- 10 Minute mini talks: Ephemerides by Brian Timbrell
- Sky at Night CD
- Bring your telescope if clear.
Saturday 5, May: at
Callington Community Astronomy Group: First Light
Optics Roadshow ~ “How To Choose Your Ideal Telescope” advice
on selecting a telescope that suits your needs, and a
selection of telescopes and accessories to look at and purchase.
We plan on sending up a couple of car loads, so if you wish to
come along, we need to know by 4, May at the latest.
Thursday 17
May: In the Municipal Buildings, city Hall, Boscawen Street, Truro
the Royal Institution of Cornwall Spring Lecture will be given by
Dr Andrew Newsam on “Things that go Bang in the Night”.
Tickets are £5 and can be obtained from The Royal Cornwall
Museum or telephone 01872 272205 or email enquiries@royalcornwallmuseum.org.uk.
Friday 18, May. Club Night 7:30:
'New eyes on the Home Star' Recent solar observatory launches are
now returning their first results. This presentation given by
Brian Sheen, brings you up to date with them.
April
Club
Trip: 30, March - 1, April: The BAA is to run a weekend
at University of Winchester The speakers confirmed so far are Dr
Christian Kaiser on Cosmic Jets, Peter Grego on Observing the
Moon, Nick James on The Modern Amateur, Robin Gorman on Why Pluto
had to go, plus others to be announced. There will be an
exhibition area and also a session on the Faulkes Telescope has
been arranged. One car load of intrepid Gastronomers from
Brannel will be attending, namely – Glynn, Phil, Nick, Frank and
Mark .
Friday 6, April.7:30 Practical Club
Night:
- Armchair astronomy: Bring a book or an interesting website
for us to discuss.
- Hands On Practical: Topic yet to be decided.
- 10 Minute mini talks: Reflector Type Telescopes –
different designs and characteristics by Mark Timbrell
- 10 Minute mini talks: Space Weather by Glynn
Bennallick
- Sky at Night CD
- Bring your telescope if clear.
Saturday 14, April 12:00 Noon: The Three Tours.
A day spent visiting three very different observatories of
club members. If you are thinking of perhaps setting your own up
at home, then this day out may give you a few idea's. See the April
Newsletter for details.
Saturday 14, April: Trip to Chilbolton
Observatory, Hampshire. The Rutherford Appleton
Laboratory are holding an open day on the 14th April at their
Chilbolton Facility in Hampshire. http://www.chilbolton.rl.ac.uk/40thcelebrations.htm
it carries out atmospheric and radio research in addition RAL will
be trying out their new range of interactive displays and
astronomical toys. If you want to take advantage of this
opportunity to play with them, Brian has a space or two in the
car. If you wish to attend, then Phone Brian Sheen 01726 813602 by
23rd March.
Friday 20, April: Club Night. 7:30: '
Caroline Herschel' by Dr Michael Hoskin of St Edmunds College,
Cambridge.
March
Friday 2, March: Close approach of
Moon and Saturn: In the early hours of Friday
morning the Moon passes to within two degrees of Saturn. For
those that wish to observe the event, Brian (Sheen) will be
hosting a viewing session at at Court
Farm. Anyone who wishes to attend should contact Brian on
01726 813602
Friday 2, March.7:30 Practical Club
Night:
- Armchair astronomy: Bring a book or an interesting website
for us to discuss .
- ETX Tutorial all those with ETX's. Please bring them along
even if not clear. Members will be on hand to answer and fix
any any technical problems you have with your ETX/LX scope.
- 10 Minute mini talks: Double Stars Nick Tonkin
- Sky at Night CD
- Bring your telescope.
Saturday 3, March. Eclipse
of the Moon, Court Farm 7:30pm: This evening sees the
best eclipse of the year for us here in the UK. The Moon enters
the main Earth shadow at 21.30 hrs and totality starts at 22.44
and finishes at 23.58. We expect it to turn a bright coppery red
as there is not a lot of volcanic activity about. To mark this
event Brian (Sheen) will be staging a themed Evening starting at 7.30pm at
Court
Farm , with views of the night sky and an up date on the plans
for the return to the Moon. Anyone who wishes to attend should
contact Brian on 01726 813602
Friday 16, March: Club Night. 7:30: 'The
Life of Norman Lockyer' by Jack Wickins of the Norman Lockyer
Observatory.
30
March - 1 April: The BAA is to run a weekend at University of Winchester
from Friday 30th March to Sunday April 1st. The speakers confirmed
so far are Dr Christian Kaiser on Cosmic Jets, Peter Grego on
Observing the Moon, Nick James on The Modern Amateur, Robin Gorman
on Why Pluto had to go, plus others to be announced. There will be
an exhibition area and also a session on the Faulkes Telescope has
been arranged. Five Gastronomists have already signed up for the
weekend and there may be space for one more in the transport
currently arranged.
February
- Armchair astronomy: Bring a book or an interesting website
for us to discuss .
- 10 Minute mini talks: Astronomy at Frequencies other than
Light by Malcolm Tocher
- Sky at Night CD
- Registax Tutorial - If you wish to participate and have a
laptop PC, then please bring it along to the meeting. The
software we will be using is Registax. It will save a little
time if you download and install this software ahead of the
meeting. The software is free and can be obtained here: http://www.astronomie.be/registax/
However Frank will bring the software with me so it can be
installed at the meeting if necessary. Frank will also bring a
number of 'real' files of planets for you to practice on.We
will also cover acquiring an image from a webcam.
- Bring your telescope if clear.
Friday 16, February: Club Night. 7:30: 'CCD
imaging from our Observatory' by David Strange of the
Norman Lockyer Observatory.
January
Friday 5, January.7:30 Practical Club
Night:
- Armchair astronomy: Bring a book or an interesting website
for us to discuss .
- 10 Minute mini talks: Focal length and Magnification
by Pete Davies
- Eyepiece Practical. Bring your own eyepieces with you
tonight.
- Sky at Night CD
- Bring your telescope if clear.
Friday 19, January: Club Night. 7:30:
Volcanics in the solar system' by Bob Beeman of Cornwall Astronomy
Society.
2006
December
Friday 1, December.7:30 Practical Club
Night:
- Armchair astronomy: Bring a book or an interesting website
for us to discuss .
- 10 Minute mini talks: Astro-Navigation
by Brian Parsons
- 10 Minute mini talks: Islamic Astronomy by
Mike Thompson
- Operating the Slooh telescope by Patrick Bradley and Nick
Tonkin
- Sky at Night CD
- Bring your telescope if clear.
Friday 15, December: Club Night. 7:30:
'The Star of Bethlehem' by Brian Sheen. Brian gave this
highly topical talk way back when we were at Court Farm. In his
talk Brian identifies the origin of the "Wise Men", why
they mounted camels and headed for Israel. En route he identifies
the "Star of Bethlehem". Phil Brotherwood also has a mini slide show of
our COAA trip...with maybe an emphasis on things 'Non
astronomical'.
November
Friday 3, November.7:30 Practical Club
Night:
Wednesday 8, November. To
help us to foster interclub co-operation, some S.C members are off
to Tavistock A.S this evening to see what they are up to. We
will also be discussing the possibilities of a speaker
exchange programme, (similar to the one we have with Callington)
so you guys get a break from listening to us lot on the third
Friday meetings. There is once space left left in the car that is
leaving on Wednesday afternoon, so you you want to come along
please contact Nick or Frank.
Friday 17, November: Club Night. 7:30:
'Astro-imaging with Web-cams and Digital cameras' This a new
a revamped version of the talk Frank gave to the club way back in
April 2005. Frank illustrates how it is possible to take
stunning images of planets, the moon and even wide-field deep sky
images with fairly basic and relatively inexpensive
equipment.
Saturday 25, November 7:30.
Christmas Dinner. To be held at the Plume of Feathers in Mitchell.
You must have pre-booked your place beforehand to be able to
attend. See the November newsletter for booking details.
October
Friday 6, October. Practical Club
Night:
- What's up in the Night sky
- Armchair astronomy: Bring a book or an interesting website
for us to discuss .
- 10 Minute mini talks: Eyepiece Design – types/costs
by Brian Burt and Prehistoric Astronomy
by Nick Tonkin
- Sky at Night CD
Friday 20, October: Club AGM:
It has been normal practice in recent years to hold an annual
meeting of the Club to cover all aspects of its operation and to
review the past year and to give members the opportunity to
participate in planning for the future. There will be no formal
speaker this evening. However in addition to any formal Club
business, there will be a Constellation of the Month presentation
and perhaps other activities. All members are urged to
attend.
September
Friday 1, September. Practical Club
Night:
- What's up in the Night sky
- Armchair astronomy: Bring a book or an interesting website
for us to discuss .
- 10 Minute mini talks: Asteroids Visible to the Amateur
Astronomer by Mike Thompson and The Greenwich
Observatory - a short history by Mark Timbrell
- Sky at Night CD
Saturday 2, September 5:00pm.
Callington Community Astronomy Group Star Party: A 5th
Anniversary celebration with an evening of events and observation.
Anyone wanting to come along, please contact any Steering
Committee member
Friday 15, September: Club Night:
Australian Telescopes. Mark Timbrell discuss his tour of a number of
visual and radio telescopes during a trip to Australia in 2004
21 - 28 September. Club
Trip to COAA in Portugal. We have the whole facility to ourselves
and as of July, I believe there were still a number of places
still available. If you wish to go for the week, you will have to
make your booking arrangements directly with Bev Ewan Smith at
COAA and arrange your own flights.
29, September - 1, October FAS AGM in
Birmingham: A classic weekend with shed loads of
astronomy and very little FAS AGM related activities. Those that
attended last years event in Cambridge had a fantastic and fun
filled weekend. For a
review of this years event, Click
Here
August
Friday 4, August. Practical Club
Night:
- What's up in the Night sky
- Armchair astronomy: Bring a book or an interesting website
for us to discuss .
- 10 Minute mini talks: Major Observatories by Patrick
Bradley, Moon Landings by Brian Parsons and
Historical Eclipses - Solar and Lunar by Abie Wilson
- Sky at Night CD
Saturday 12, August 9:30am, Club
Trip to Southwest Astronomy Fair: Being held at the
Norman Lockyear Observatory in Sidmouth. An all day (and if clear,
all night) event. Trade stands, Planetarium, entry to the big
scopes, Speakers and full catering and refreshments.
Speakers include
- Telescopes and How to Choose Them by Robin Scagell
- Photographing the Night Sky by Nik Szymanek
- A Brief Tour of the Universe by Dr Roger Noble
Entry Fee £4:00 and £2:00 per lecture.
Friday 18, August: Club Night: 7:00pm Start 'Hunting Black Holes' by Dr Daniel Evans( Harvard University, USA)
Black holes are some of the most enigmatic and powerful
objects in the Universe. However, they have, until recently,
been notoriously difficult to study. I describe our latest
efforts to search for these amazing objects, and discuss how
they can be used as probes of the Universe at large. Expect
explosions! PLEASE NOTE. THE 7PM START
FOR THIS TALK.
Friday 25 - Sunday 27, August: Club Trip
to the Jodrell Bank & the Leicester Space Museum:
July
Friday 7, July. Practical Club
Night:
- What's up in the Night sky
- Armchair astronomy: Bring a book or an interesting website
for us to discuss .
- 10 Minute mini talks: Space Rockets by Alan Puckey
and Earth's Atmosphere by Frank Johns
- Sky & Night CD.
- With observing if clear.
Friday 21, July: Club Night:
'Galileo Mathematicus. A talk by Cathy Burt
that was postponed from March.
Saturday 22, July: 9:00am
Imax Cinema Trip Bristol: We did this
trip a few year back and everyone was gobsmacked with the reality
of the 3D effects.
Through the magic of IMAX 3D, Magnificent
Desolation: Walking on the Moon 3D showcases the past, present
and future of space exploration as moviegoers experience what the
extraordinary Apollo astronauts did when they first stepped onto
the Moon. Through a combination of newly revealed photographs,
rarely seen NASA footage, as well as CGI and actual live-action
renditions of the lunar landscape, moviegoers will be immersed in
the life changing experiences of the 12 men who walked on the Moon—not
just the larger-than-life events captured on the news, but what
these men saw, heard, felt, thought and did while spending their
precious hours on the lunar surface.
We will need to prebook the tickets for this event, so if you
wish to attend, you will need to make your payment on or before
the July 7th club night. Price approx £10.00 per person although
we may apply for a group discount depending on the numbers.
Please note: This trip replaces the 'Three Tours' Observatory
event that we had planned for today. However, as no-one
expressed any interest in attending, the event has been cancelled.
June
Friday 2, June. Practical Club
Night:
- What's up in the Night sky
- Armchair astronomy: Bring a book or an interesting website
for us to discuss
- Astronomy Book Auction. Brian Burt auctions off a number of
books in aid of our Projector Fund. Bring your cash with you.
- Eclipse Temperature Measurement: A 'How it was done' demo by
Mike Thompson
- Sky & Night CD
Monday 12, June: Frank
gives his new 'Astro-imaging with Web-cams and Digital cameras'
talk to the Norman Lockyear Observatory this evening. We will be filling a number of
cars and sending a barracking crew with him. If you would
like to come along and hear Frank's talk again and well as
mixing with another friendly bunch of Astronomers for the
evening, then please let one of the S.C know. The rest of
the club will get to hear this talk later in the year.
Friday 16, June: Club Night:
Star Formation by Dr Chris Brunt from Exeter University
'People have studied the stars for many thousands of years, yet it
is only within the last few decades that we've had the technology
capable of revealing their origins deep within massive clouds of
interstellar gas and dust. I will describe current and future
telescopes and detectors, what we have learned so far about how
stars form and what prospects the future holds.'
May
Friday 5, May. Practical Club
Night:
- What's up in the Night sky
- Armchair astronomy
- Practical spectroscopy
- Constellation of the month
- Sky & Night CD
Saturday 5, May Nick
and barracking crew head up to Callington to hear Nick's CCD
image processing talk. Hopefully it will be even better the second
time round!!! At the last count there was one spare space.
Friday 19, May: Club Night:
'The Life of Charles Messier' by Keith Lane from the Callington Community Astronomy Group.
April
Friday 7, April. Practical Club
Night:
- What's up there this month. Brian (Ferrett) is back this
month. This may include early data on his Eclipse trip to
Turkey.
- Armchair astronomy. Snuggle up with the 'Pipe and Slippers'
to discuss anything Astronomical
- This month's Constellation. Virgo by Frank Johns. Mark's
tour of Cancer has been cancelled again because of a
'Personal Assistant' error. i.e Mark doesn't have one,
and double booked himself.
- This months practical is on using an Equatorial
Mount. If you've ever wondered how to sent one up and use the setting circles that come supplied with one, then tonight all
will be revealed...Don't forget to bring your mount and scope
with you, as the practical will be tailored to your own
equipment.
Friday 21, April: Club Night:
Views from Rosenannon
Observatory: When the rain stops, the fog lifts, and
the elusive clear Cornish sky finally appears, a
multitude of amazing astronomical objects and
events become available for viewing. With only a basic
telescope and/or camera (with a hint of computer) a
diverse catalogue of images have been captured
in the dark skies of central Cornwall by Glynn Bennallick.
Thursday 27, April:
Frank is giving his 'Astro-imaging with Web-cams
and Digital cameras' talk to the Cornwall Astronomical Society
this evening. We will be filling a number of
cars and sending a barracking crew with him. If you would
like to come along and hear Frank's talk again and well as
mixing with another friendly bunch of Astronomers for the
evening, then please let one of the S.C know.
March
Friday 3, March. Practical Club
Night: Tonight's programme will include some or
all of the following.
- What's up there this month.
- Sky navigation - Frank.
- Armchair astronomy. Snuggle up with the 'Pipe and Slippers'
to discuss anything Astronomical
- This month's Constellation. Cancer by Mark Timbrell.
Monday 13, March: Welly is
giving his 'Will I Need My Wellies' talk to the Norman Lockyear
Astronomical group this evening. We will be filling a number of
cars and sending a barracking crew with him. If you would
like to come along and hear This classic talk again, as well as
mixing with another friendly bunch of Astronomers for the
evening, then please let one of the S.C know. Because of the
distance to Sidmouth, departure will be mid afternoon with a
'Brannel Gastronomy' stop on route.
Friday 17, March: Club Night:
'Tycho Brahe' . A talk
by Henry Goulden, on probably the most famous
observational astronomer of the sixteenth-century. Cathy's
talk 'Galileo Mathematicus has been postponed till a later
date.
February
Friday 3, February. Practical Club
Night: Tonight's programme will include some or
all of the following.
- What's up there this month. - Brian Sheen.
- Observing Saturn - Brian Sheen.
- Armchair astronomy. Your favourite astronomical image, and
why!: Everyone
- This month's constellation. Gemini - Andy Read.
- Practical methods of Dew prevention of your scope optics. - Nick Tonkin.
Saturday 11, February: Club Trip
Goonhilly Satellite Earth Station: Yes we know it not exactly
astronomical, but it's local and an inexpensive day out. Kick
off, 11am at Malcoms.
Friday 17, February: Club Night:
'Tri-Colour CCD Image Acquisition and
Processing' - or 'Why I used to only take two images a
year !' Nick
Tonkin discusses the difficulties of CCD imaging in a
Cornish environment and why a permanent Observatory set up
has transformed his imaging output. Nick will discuss the equipment
used, how the images are captured and how these are all
assembled into a final LRGB image.
January
Friday 6, January. Practical Club
Night: The good news is that we are now starting our
practical Club Nights again, only from now on they will be held on
the 1st Friday of each Month. Tonight's programme will include
some or all of the following.
- What's up there this month.
- Observing the Moon - Brian Sheen.
- Armchair astronomy : Bring your most and least used
astronomical book and discuss your choice.
- This month's constellation Brian/Mark Timbrell.
- Setting up a simple telescope. Brian Sheen.
Monday 9, January: Brian
Sheen is giving his ' Minor planets and their origins' talk to the Norman Lockyear
Astronomical group this evening. If you would
like to come along and hear this classic talk again, as well as
mixing with another friendly bunch of Astronomers for the
evening, then please let one of the S.C know.
Friday 20th, January: Club Night:
Brian Sheen anticipates with ' To Ghana with
Love - The Last Great Solar Eclipse for Some Time'
(Provisional Title). This will be visible (The eclipse - not
the talk !) from North Africa on March 29th. 2006.
2005
December
Saturday 3, December. Callington
Speaker Exchange Trip: Brain Parsons is giving his 'How far'
talk to the Callington Group. We will be filling a number of
cars and sending a barracking crew with him. If you would
like to come along and hear Brian's talk again and well as
mixing with another friendly bunch of Astronomers for the
evening, then please let one of the S.C know. At the time of
writing there were two free spaces in the current 2 car convoy. As
with all Brannel Gastronomy...I mean Astronomy trips, there will
be a stop off for food at the Notter Bridge Inn...famous for their
Curries apparently.
Friday 16, December: Xmas Party
Bash
7:30: And evening of chaos and mayhem, with food,
drink, a caption competition and a low tech equipment imaging
competition. The only requirement for entry for the evening is you
bring either something to eat or drink with you.
November
Saturday 5, November. Practical Club
Night: STILL
CANCELLED. Frank has a meeting with Ray Bell
early in November and its hoped that we will be able to start the
second practical club nights soon.
Friday 18, November Club Night
7:30: 'History of the ESO by John
Durston' The
presentation will be on the history of the ESO, the building
of the observatories in Chile and details of some of the
telescopes located at these sites. The talk will conclude
with a selection of images taken from the VLT at the Paranal
Observatory.
October
Friday 30th September - Sunday 2,
October: Club trip to the F.A.S AGM in Cambridge.
Another classic astronomical weekend of learning and mayhem. A full
review of the trip written by Brian Parsons is
available.
Saturday 1, October Practical Club Night:
STILL CANCELLED .
The Elliott hut has now been knocked down. We are still
awaiting news of a replacement venue.
Monday 3, October 6:00am Partial
Eclipse of the Sun: We will be observing from The
Cornwall Outdoors Centre at Castle
Gotha, Porthpean. The aim is to arrive and set up our
equipment from 6:00am. The action starts at 8:44am. This is also
an idea opportunity for you to bag a spectacular image for the
Photographic competition to be held at the Christmas party.
Friday 21, October Club Night 7:30:
It has been normal practice in recent years to hold an
annual meeting of the Club to cover all aspects of its operation
and to review the past year and to give members the opportunity to
participate in planning for the future. Unfortunately, due to
various factors, mainly related to the move to Brannel School, no
meeting has yet been held in 2005. It has been decided to correct this by making this club
night, such an annual meeting. As a result there will be no formal
speaker this evening. However in addition to any formal Club
business, there will be a Constellation of the Month presentation
and perhaps other activities. All members are urged to
attend.
September
Saturday 3, September Practical Club Night:
STILL CANCELLED
As
the Elliott hut has been condemned by the powers that be, our
meeting place for the Saturday Club nights is now unavilable.
For the time being this event will be put on
hold. This should be only temporary, as the school are bending
over backwards to find us alternative accommodation.
Friday 16, September Club Night 7:30:
Synchrony in Scientific Discovery: Adams and
LeVerrier as a case study. by Dr Nick Kollerstom PhD,
FRAS: John Couch Adams began his work on computation on the
position of Neptune years before LeVerrier, but the world
did not hear of any results of his prediction until six
weeks after the planet had been discovered. So, did he
discover Neptune? A new access to Primary source Documents
permits further insight into the dating of the original
documents, and in the confidence of John Couch Adams in his
own findings.
August
Saturday 6, August Practical Club Night:
CANCELLED As
the Elliott hut has been condemned by the powers that be, our
meeting place for the Saturday Club nights is unlikely to still be
standing on the 6th. For the time being this event will be put on
hold. This should be only temporary, as the school are bending
over backwards to find us alternative accommodation.
Thursday 11, August. Barbeque and
Persied Meteor Watch: With last years Persied meteor
shower being such a success, this years event is being held, in
comjunction with a club Barbeque. The venue is being held at
Malcolm's Silversprings Observatory at Chiverton Cross. Members
should consult their email newsletter for directions.
Friday 19, August Club Night 7:30:
Samuel George from University of Birmingham A.S. will
explain the basic classification of galaxies together with details
of historical and observational background. He will then go on to
describe the Milky Way and examine clusters and super-clusters.
July
Saturday 2, July Practical Club Night
7:30: Observing/practical session. We meet in the
Eliot hut in the staff car park.
Friday 15, July Club Night 7:30:
'So Who Reckons it's a Sheep ?' Andy Read
plans a detailed look at constellations and with a title
like that who can fail to be intrigued ?
June
Saturday 4, June Practical Club Night
7:30: Observing/practical session. We meet in the
Eliot hut in the staff car park.
Friday 17, June. Club Night 7:30:
'How Far ?' Brian Parsons takes a look at the methods used to
measure the distance to celestial objects - from the relatively
nearby to the unimaginably distant. Brian's talks are always
tremendous fun, so get there early to get your seat up front.
May
Saturday 7, May. Practical Club Night
7:30: With half the Steering committee away for Paul's
wedding, The rest of the team are planning something to tempt you
this month....what that is, has yet to be decided upon, but they
are sure to come up with something. Remember, if the skies are
clear we will be out observing, so bring your scope with you.
Friday 20, May: Club Night 7:30:
Due to family matters, Brian Parson's talk on Distance measurement
will be postponed until next month. To our rescue come Brian
Sheen, who has offered to bring his talk forward by one
month....The title being 'Life - But Not As We Know It !' A
look at 'The big Question' the one at the back of every
astronomer's mind.
April
Saturday 2, April. Practical Club
Night 7:30: With the Club trip and now behind us, we
can start the first Saturday night sessions again. This evening we
will be demonstrating a number of Planetarium programs. These
include The Sky V5, Starry Night Pro 3 , Starry Night Enthusiast
V4.5 and Skymap Pro V10. As well as a run through on the various
features, there will also be an opportunity to try them for
yourself...and remember, if the skies are clear we will be out
observing, so bring your scope with
you.
Friday 15, April. Club Night: 'Webcam
Image Capturing and Processing Techniques' Frank Johns and Nick
Tonkin will take us through what happens when we photograph that fuzzy
patch of light and then transform it into a spectacular picture. And Yes !
It can be done !
March
4 & 5 March: Herschel Weekend Club
Trip: Those of you who have attended club trips
in the past (Norman Lockyer, Imax…) will be well aware that they
usually make for great entertainment, and involve more than a
little madness and mayhem along the way.
On the Friday
4th of March 2005 at 7.30pm, the William Herschel Society
in Bath are holding their 25th Annual Lecture, and for this event
they have arranged for Prof. Sir Arnold Wolfendale (the 14th
Astronomer Royal) to speak on one of the most prominent historical
figures in Astronomy. The lecture is to be entitled Galileo
Galilei - The First Astrophysicist. Aside from the prestigious
speaker at this event, we can expect to be treated to another gem,
in the form of the event's chairman - Sir Patrick Moore - who, as
anyone who has had the pleasure of meeting him will testify, is
well worth making the trip for alone.
Then on the Saturday 5th, March we
would be able to visit the Herschel Museum to be followed with a
further series of lectures in the afternoon held jointly by the William
Herschel Society and The Society for the History of Astronomy
chaired by Dr Allan Chapman of Oxford University.
Friday 18, March. Club Night. 7:30pm:
'Cassini - Huygens by Mike Thompson - Designed by Brits, Built
by Americans and Driven by Italians' Mike did
submit a second title 'Systems and Instrumentation on the
Cassini - Huygens Probe' but we felt that the first was more
in keeping with club philosophy.
February
 |
Friday 18, February 19:30 Club Night.
Dr Sara Russell, Head of Meteorites Division, Natural History
Museum will give our inaugural lecture entitled 'Meteorites- Space
Probes and Time Machines.' Every year some 10,000 tonnes of
meteorites from space land on the Earth. They range in size from
many tonnes to milligrams, from chips off asteroids, to bits of
the Moon and Mars. In her talk Sara explores the way in which
these meteorites can be used to find out more about the history of
the Solar System'.
To compliment Sara's talk, Brian Sheen will have a side
display of Meteorite material. With him will be Peter
Clayton and his collection of silica glass, which was found
by his father, Col Pat Clayton, during a Libyan Desert
expedition during the early half of this century. The
connection between these glass samples and meteorites, will
be explained on the night.
Tonight's event is open to everyone and entry will
be Free. Doors for the general public open at 7:00pm and the
lecture starts promptly at 7:30pm.
|
January
Friday 21, January. 19:30 Club Night: We
start the new year with a new name, and a new home at Brannel
School. There will be no speaker for tonight as there will be a short tour
of the schools facilities, as well as a chance to investigate the schools
observing field. Ray Bell will also be visiting us
this evening, firstly to meet you all, and to say a few words on
our new association with the school.
The imagers in the club have also been busy. Paul with his
film, Frank with the webcam, and Mike with the new Meade
Deep sky imager. We would
like to get the clubs digital projector out, and show you their
images.
There is a map showing its location of the school on the Contacts
Page of the website. There are two main entrances. The first
is the staff car park and the gate to this will be locked. Follow
the road a little further until you see two entrances to a much
larger car park. One of these two gates will be open allowing
access. The main entrance to the school building is clearly
marked. Once inside just follow the sound of excited Astronomers!!
Saturday 29, January 19:30 : Beginners Workshop: With a few Meade ETX
scopes having been acquired at Christmas, the first of our Saturday night
practical sessions will be an Autostar tutorial. Covering the menu system,
what all the numbers mean, how to train and calibrate the motors, setting
the scope up before the 2 star alignment, as well as the wonders of the
ASU update program. Those who already own an Autostar equipped ETX,
LX90 or LX200 scope might also like to bring theirs along as well. Abie
has kindly donated her ETX90 as the sacrificial scope for the evening, and
we promise to give it back to her fully updated and setup. If the skies
are clear we will be out observing, so make sure you bring your scope with
you.
2004
November
Saturday 13, November. 19:30 Club AGM.
To be held at Frank's place in Newquay at 19:30. See
your current email newsletter for further information.
Wednesday 17, November 19:00 RAF St
Mawgan Astronomy Night: An informal get together
between club members, and the crew and families at the airbase.
The event will be held at the MWR Library, like last time, and
there is a large area so that we can set up telescopes to do some
observing, should the weather play ball. The emphasis will
be on imparting knowledge to those who have a passing interest in
astronomy, which they may wish to develop by explaining scope
types and costs. To show the greatest variety of scope types, as
many members as possible are urged to bring their scopes with
them. Tea, Coffee and Muffins will be laid on.
There will also be a few short talks on the latest discoveries
and images from the Cassini mission to Saturn, as well and some
simple imaging techniques and pictures taken by club members.
Brian will also be discussing news on what he plans to do with
that rather large communications dish currently situated at the
airbase.
Because of security etc etc, this event is ONLY open to Club
Members. If you wish to come, you must have sent Nick your car
registration Number as well as its Make, Model and Colour,
by Sunday the 14th at the latest. You will also be required to
show some form of Identification at the security gate on the day.
A Passport or Driving license is ideal....See your newsletter for
directions.
Friday 19, November. 19:30 Club Night Court Farm:
Brian
Sheen will be discussing Minor planets and their origins. The talk
covers all those little bits of the solar system we seem to forget
about, meteors, comets, asteroids. They all have an interesting
tale to tell. He says he has even found some of Brian Parson's
missing dark matter and dumps the theory that Jupiter was
responsible for the lack of a planet in what we now call the
asteroid belt. It is given of course during the Leonid season so
bring your welly boots!
October
Friday 15, October 19:30. Club Night: Tonight
we are in for a special treat. Brian Parsons has been busy, and
has come up with a talk entitled. Dark Matter. Another low key
look at why, just possibly, we can't see 90% (or is that 99% ?) of
what's out there. (That's apart from the thick cloud). Since we
don't have a clue as to what dark matter is, we'll also have a
quick look at why it can't be what it isn't. Enjoy!!
Thursday 28, October. Total Lunar
Eclipse: At 1:17am the Earth's shadow starts to march
its way across the face of the Moon. Because of cloud we were
unable to observe the last three total lunar eclipses of 2003 and
May of this year, so maybe this time we'll get lucky. This will be
our last chance to observe this beautiful event until March 2007.
This is also a ridiculously easy event to photograph- no
matter how basic your equipment- so it's hoped as many of you as
possible are able to view and capture this event with the die hard
observers amongst the membership. If you want to attend, then
contact either Paul or Nick. Further reading on this event can be
found on S&T's
excellent website
September
Friday 17, September. Club Night:
Mike Thompson will be discussing the building, and use, of a
magnetometer project he completed for one of Brians GCSE courses
last year. The data it provides, closely match the readings taken
by the official magnetometers operated by the Sub
Auroral Magnetometer Network.(SAMNET) If you're a bit curious
to learn more about this clever little gadget, and all the fun and
games he had making it, then Mike will revealing everything -
nanoTeslas and all!!
Wednesday, 22 September: Club Trip
Imax Bristol. It's over a year since our last club trip
where me made the trek up to Sidmouth to visit the Norman Lockyear
Observatory. With so few places of astronomical interest in our
immediate locality (not counting stone circles, of which we are
now qualified to say there are many), that are not beyond our
travel abilities for a daytrip. Abie, our ever resourceful Events
Organiser, has been busy, and came up with something a little
different for us this year. The IMAX cinema in Bristol is playing
host to a programme on the International Space Station and all
things space-related......More
August
 |
Thursday
5, August 14:00- 15:00: Faulkes
Telescope imaging session: Because of
equipment problems, Brian's Summer School session with the
Faulkes Telescope in Hawaii, had to be cancelled. The
problem has now been rectified and we have booked another
hours imaging session on 5, August. This is a once in a
lifetime opportunity to have direct access to a research
grade 2 metre telescope, and to be able to choose what we
observe in that time. This event is only open to club
members, and we meet at Nick's place at 13:30. Attendees
will need to contact Nick at about 12:30 for an update on
viewing conditions in Hawaii.
Read our report on this event, as well as the images we
were able to take.....More
Further information on the Faulkes
Telescope Project |
Wednesday/Thursday 11/12, August.
Deckchair
Meteor Watch at Court Farm. The Persieds are upon us again, and we
really do have our fingers crossed that the weather may play ball
for observation of this meteorite shower. Z.H.R of between
50 and 80 are forecast. Seasoned members may well groan at the
thought of another meteor watch, as our success record for
observing the Persieds is currently 0 for 3, but maybe we'll
strike lucky this year. We plan to meet at Court Farm late on the
evening of the 11th and watch till Twilight makes an appearance
at about 4:00am on the morning of the 12th, so bring your
deckchair, warm clothing and a thermos of Coffee along. If weather
conditions are favourable on the days either side of the 12th,
then we shall be out observing on those nights as well. For up to
date meeting times on any of these days, members can phone Nick or
Paul on the evenings concerned.
Further Reading: British
Astronomical Association and Sky
and telescope Magazine
Friday 20, August. 19:30: Our
normal Club Night at Court Farm. Following hard on the heels of a
'Dan Evans' classic, we have Mick Harvey from the C.A.S as
our guest speaker this month. Mick's talk entitled ' An amateur
thinking about the Moon' discusses what our ancestors
could have thought? : Calendar problems: Early studies. Some
fictional ideas. Theories of the origin. Orbits and tides: Axial
tilts and eclipses. Lunar exploration - man on the Moon. The
future - and should we return? Mick's talks are always highly
entertaining so don't miss this one.
July
Friday 16, July. 19:30: Our
normal Club Night at Court Farm. Dan Evans returns to keep us up
to date with his Galaxy research being done at Bristol University,
sponsored by PPARC, together with the Harvard-Smithsonian Center
for Astrophysics.' Dan will present evidence using the latest NASA
and ESA X-ray telescopes that suggests that every galaxy harbours
a black hole with a mass of 100 million suns at its heart. He will
describe the 'cosmic fireworks' which are caused by the black hole
in the galaxy Centaurus 'A' and will show that the expansion of
the Universe is getting ever-faster.' Dan's talks are always
a great tester for those 'Little Grey Cells' and are not to
be missed!
July 6 - 9th Summer School.
The
third in a successful series of Summer Schools, to be held at the
Examinations Room at John Keay House, St Austell. The four day
course runs from 10.00am to 4.00pm, is FREE and open to anyone who
wishes to sign up.
Programme:
- As a follow on to the Rutherford visit we will be studying
the Sun using data provided by Prof. Richard Harrison. He is
getting Dr Andrzei Fludra to help tutor the programme. We will
be imaging the Sun using a large heliostat and telescope
mirror and building our own spectrometer. · The data will be
uploaded to the College Web site on a daily basis.
- One day will be devoted to the Faulkes Telescope Project and
presented by Director Dr Paul Roche. We will be able to see
images from a 2 metre telescope sent direct to our lab.
Together with Mike Thompson's Flux gate magnetometer, not a
fearsome as it sounds and a good way of getting really
interesting information about the Sun
- Following Smart 1 to the Moon and looking at Lunar samples
with microscopes.
To book your place you must contact Paula Nevis at the
College's Summer School Hot Line (01726) 226727 and then let Brian
Sheen know.
June
Friday 4, June. At Court Farm 19:30
Fellow member, John Elliott, will be giving us a talk on the Thunderstar
Project which aims to claim the X-prize for the team
who builds & launches a spaceship, able to carry three people
to 100 kilometers (62.5 miles) and return them safely to
Earth , then repeat the launch with the same ship within 2 weeks.
John will be discussing the Starchaser Foundations current
progress with their project.
Tuesday 8, June. 05:00: The transit of
Venus: The the first time since December 6, 1882,
Venus will pass across the face of the Sun. The Transit starts at
approximately 06:20 and exits just over six hours later at 12:21.
We will be observing from The Cornwall Outdoors Centre at Castle
Gotha, Porthpean. The aim will be to set up the equipment
on the Monday night (7th) so we need to be there at about 19:00.
We have been allocated a fenced off area close to a secure locked
building for storing the equipment overnight. Other facilities
include electricity and a phone line so we can connect up the PC's
allowing us to communicate with our various observing contacts
throughout the UK and South Africa. These links include The
Rutherford Appleton Lab and hopefully Greenwich, Cardiff
University and South Africa.
At 19:30 that evening evening we take off to Pencarrow
House, Bodmin to present the days work to a public audience.
Brian Sheen will also be giving a talk entitled 'The Cornish
Transit of Venus' The cost to attend this lecture is £5.00
to support the work at Pencarrow House and the club, and is open
to everyone who wishes to come along. Pencarrow House is
located Four miles north-west of Bodmin, signed off the A389 and
B3266 at Washaway.
Venus related articles :
The Transits of Venus: A talk given to club members in
May 2004 by Brian Sheen.
Despite the cloudy start, the club was able to witness the back
end of an astronomical wonder!! For a full review on the
days event, and the fun we had in observing it...... read
on.
Friday 18, June 19:30: Our
normal Club Night at Court Farm.: Frank Johns & Mark
Timbrell will be discussing their web cam digital imaging
experiences and discussing equipment, software and image
processing techniques they use. Daniel Evans' talk scheduled for
tonight has held back and will be given next club night on July
16th.
Saturday 19, June 19:30: Pagan Night.
It's that time again. An evening when we do a little light hearted
'Archeo-astronomy' - or is it 'Astro-Archaeology', at a specially
chosen site, as well as enjoying a sunset with some
pleasant company and a little food. This Summer's venue is the 'Nine
Maidens' at St. Buryan. SW.412273 This not to be confused with
the two other 'Nine Maiden sites at SW.434353 and SW.683365 or
even the 'Merry Maidens', also at St Buryan SW.433245. This event
will be cancelled or re-scheduled should the weather not play
ball. If the weather is looking dodgy, then contact Brian Sheen
before 17:00 for an update........More
May
Friday, 21 May Club Night 19:30: Transits
of Venus passed, present and future. By Brian Sheen. To be held at
Court Farm.
Saturday 29, May:
Two senior astronomers, Craig Waff and Nick Kollerstrom, will be
coming to Cornwall to continue their research on John Couch
Adams and the discovery of Neptune. The day will be broken into
two separate events
On Saturday morning, Brian will be giving them a modified
version of his John Couch Adams tour that he gave us last
September. Any members who missed it the first time round should
not pass up this second chance to come along. If you wish to
attend you will need to be at Launceston Library in Bounsalls
Lane by 9:30am. There will be a small charge of a few pounds,
to cover the admission fee at the library. If you wish to
attend the days events please email
Brian Sheen immediately so transport arrangements can be
finalised.
On Saturday evening, our guests will be giving us a lecture on
their work and the Cornish connection. This will be given at St
Austell College lecture theatre (In the Pencarrow Building which
is accessed from Palace
Road) where we held the Antony Hewish Lecture. You will need
to be there at 19:00 for a 19:30 lecture start. As a matter of
courtesy to our speakers, please be there on time.
April
Friday, 16 April Club Night: Master
Blacksmith, Brad Dillon gives us a talk on the history and
construction of Amillary sphere and sundials. Meeting to be held
at Court Farm.
March
Monday 15, March 19:30:
The Club and Cornwall College, St Austell are jointly
hosting a talk to be given by Professor Antony Hewish, Nobel Prize
Winner and Cornishman. The title of the talk will be '36 years of
Pulsar Astronomy'. A Pulsar is the result of the death of a large
star whose nucleus has collapsed to a Neutron Star that is
emitting radio waves as it spins at high speed.
Friday 19, March Club Night:
A talk by Graham Salmon on Double and Variable Stars. Meeting to
be held at Court Farm.
Saturday 20, March. Pagan Night:
Saturday 20th March sees the Sun cross the equator on its way
North to warm us up for Summer - about time too I hear you say.
The ancient peoples recognised this as the vernal (Spring) equinox
and the astronomers based in the Cornish Stones Circles were able
to tell the locals to start planting. A bit like Gardeners World.
We visited various other stone circles last year and had great
fun, so this time I have suggested Duloe Stone circle near Looe
Map ref 236583 use OS map Landranger 201 or Explorer 107.
February
Club AGM/Members Forum meeting
January
Friday 16, January 19:30:
At the Space Weather Facility, which is now located in the old
Canteen at John Keay House, St Austell. The S.W.F is located at
the back of the main building complex where there is ample
parking. Tonight's talk is a two parter. Brian Sheen discusses the
success/failure of the current Martian landers and Brian Parsons
will be giving a short talk on the properties of Water and Carbon
Dioxide and how either could have have affected Martian surface
geology.
2003
December
Friday 12, December Club Dinner, John
Keay House. Because of the
Christmas rush and various other factors, our normal club
night of the 19th has had to be brought forward a week to FRIDAY
12th. YES That's NEXT FRIDAY. Because of this a
club Dinner was thought to be possible to arrange at this short
notice. Brian has managed to book Space Weather facility at
John Keay House. Please note that this has been moved to the old
canteen, which is located at the back of the main building. You
can drive round and there is ample parking at the back.
November
Saturday 1, November: At
16:44 UT Uranus occults the 12th magnitude star GSC-5808-0088
followed by its close 11th magnitude companion TYC
5808-88-1, at 17:23 UT. We certainly will not be able to observe either of the stars at the
moment of occultation, as this takes place during the hours of
daylight. However Uranus is moving slowly, and the first star does
not re-emerge until 19:40 UT, by which time it will be dark enough
to observe its re-emergence. This will be and event for that
9mm eyepiece and X2 or X3 Barlow that you never use.
Thursday 13,
November: Astronomy Night at RAF St Mawgan. At 19:00
UT. An informal get together between club members, and the crew at
the airbase.
.
The event will be held at the MWR Library,
like last time, and there is a large area so that we can set up
telescopes to do some observing, should the weather play ball.
Brian will have a display of Moon rock samples brought back by one
of the Apollo missions and Paul and I will be showing a selection
of our images as well as unveiling ‘The Mosaic’.
The emphasis will be on imparting knowledge
to those who have a passing interest in astronomy, which they may
wish to develop by explaining scope types and costs. To show the
greatest variety of scope types, as many members as possible are
urged to bring their scopes with them. Tea, Coffee and Muffins
will be laid on.........More
Friday 21, November:
Club Night. We will be back at
our usual venue of Court Farm this month. Brian Parsons will be
giving us a talk entitled ‘Will I need my Wellies!, which
discussed the possible consequences for our planet if Alpha
Centauri was to go Nova.
Saturday 22,
November: On
the 22nd the Comet Encke passes through Cr399
Brocchi’s Cluster, better known as the Coat Hanger asterism. You
can watch the spectacle as soon as darkness replaces twilight and
until Comet Encke sets at 23:24 UT.
October
Friday 17, October: This month our meeting will be held in the Space Weather Facility
at John Keay House, St Austell. We will cover how the
Sun works and the way in which it throws off flares and
coronal mass ejections. We should have the solar telescope
assembled and also spectrometers to demonstrate emission lines
etc. With video and CD clips. Brian has also acquired a photometer
which he thinks should allow us to be able to measure and compare
magnitude differences of stars and other bright objects, so if
Friday is clear, it may be fun to play around with this.
Paul has also his slides back from the processor this weekend.
All the effort he’s put in is starting to bear fruit at last.
He’ll be giving us a slide show of some of his images on Friday.
Here’s a taster of some one of Paul’s
images after processing. You can clearly see the North American
Nebula to the East of Deneb, the Cygnus Rift between Deneb and
Sadr and its surrounding nebulosity.
September
Friday 19, September: Next
Club meeting. Nick is giving a talk on setting circles and how to
use them to find celestial objects. The talk will also cover polar
alignment of the telescope and why this step is so important when
using setting circles. If we get a decent clear night, there will
be a practical demonstration of both techniques, as well as some
hands on practice for everyone using the club's refractor.
Saturday 27, September: John
Couch Adams Day. A chance to "shake hands" with one of
Cornwall's three great astronomers. (The other two being Edwin
Dunkin and Anthony Hewish)
JCA was a world famous Cornish Astronomer of the 19th cent, who
was born at Laneast in North Cornwall. There are a number of sites
of special JCA interest in the area, i.e. birth place, museum,
tungsten mine, monument etc. The plan is to visit these sites and
get the background and history of the man, as well as enjoy a day
out. In the evening there will be a talk to the residents of
Laneast, in the school room where he was educated. We plan to take
a couple of large telescopes so that everyone can get to view
Neptune, the planet that was the focal point of his career. Brian
has researched his life over several years and has a biography in
draft....A full review of the day's
events.
August
Friday 15, August:
Murty
Malla from the 'Observatory for Cornwall' project will be
discussing their groups efforts to build an Observatory at the
Wheal Busy Mine, nr Chacewater.
23-30, August. With Mars
making its point of closest approach on the 27th, we will be
celebrating the event with a weeks worth of observation of the
planet. Other events taking place include a couple of lectures on
the Red planet, A telescope clinic, Solar observation and a
Barbeque. Here's a full
write-up of our week.
Sunday 12, July: The Club's
trip to the Norman Lockyear Observatory in Sidmouth was a great
success. The weather was perfect and we pretty well had the
Observatory to ourselves.......More
June
Monday 23, June: Pagan
Night. The first of what is hoped to be a little light hearted
social gathering amongst members. We were able to combine this
with a beginners introduction to Astro- Archeology .......More
Friday 20th June: Brian
Burt hopes to have completed his research on cleaning telescope
optics and will be imparting the fruits of his labour in a talk. I
know Meths and a Kleenex tissue spring to mind, but it's a little
more complicated than that, especially if you don't want to ruin
your optics. Nick's new SBIG 2000XM Astro CCD camera will
have arrived from the good ole US of A ,and he'll be giving a tour
of the equipment and how it all works.
May
Saturday 31, May: Full
Annular Eclipse of the Sun visible from Northern Scotland only.
Because the odds are stacked against us getting good weather, the
club trip to Scotland to watch this event has been cancelled in
favour of observing the partial eclipse from our own county. We've
chosen to view the event from the Caerloggas Downs site. The event
starts at sun up at 04:15 U.T and ends at 04:32 U.T. Yet
another event that was washed out because of solid cloud cover.
Friday 16, May. Dr Percy
Seymour of Plymouth University gave us a lecture entitled
'The Solar System. Past and Present'. Spanning the early
astronomers understanding of the solar system and their attempt to
explain how it all worked.
Friday 16, May: A total eclipse
of the Moon during the early hours of the morning on the 16th.
03:40 U.T to be precise. The first of two total eclipses of
the Moon this year and definitely worth getting out of bed for!
The show starts at 02:05 BST, when the moon penetrates the
Penumbra, or Earth's secondary shadow. Unfortunately solid cloud
with rain prevented any view of this event.
Thursday 15, May: Brian
manages to persuade Patrick Moore to come along to
view the beginnings of the new Space Weather Facility at John Keay
House......More
Wednesday 7, May. At 07:53
Mercury can be seen transiting the Northern limb of the sun. We
shall be observing the event at the new Solar observatory, John
Keay House, St Austell College. There will be a number of
telescopes with normal Solar filters as well an an H-Alpha
filtered scope, to both observe and photograph the event. ....More
for a our report of this event
Saturday 3, May: One
of Brian’s Solar Workshops, held in the Yurt at Eden Project. A
tricky event when it’s cloudy with occasional showers, which it
was on Saturday. This stuffed the Spectrometer and Photosynthesis
experiments and it was only the Photovoltaics display with its
solar powered windmill that saved the day.
|
|
|
|
The Yurt starts to fill up. Brian B lurking at the back
having a well deserved cuppa.
|
The screen shot shows the word ‘Toilet’
|
The telescope fitted with the H-Alpha telescope was relegated
to giving fantastic close-up views of a sign 500 yards away.
The day started slowly until it was pointed out we would have
greater throughput if we opened the door facing the Biomes. This
increased traffic dramatically and I suppose there was something
like a thousand people passing through the door during the day.
There is nothing like actually looking at something live
through a telescope, and had we had the Sun, the whole effort
would have generated tremendous interest. The H-Alpha filtered
telescope would have provided views of the Sun in a way that most
people will never see in a lifetime.
Brian’s triumph was being asked to talk about Photovoltaics,
to a family armed with a video camera.
|
|
|
|
Brian captured doing a
video talk with Brian B still lurking in the
background
|
‘Where did everyone go!’
|
April
Thursday 10, April:
''An Astronomical Get Together' for the
crew at RAF St Mawgan.
 |
 |
| Setting up the equipment. Paul seems a little
light on the equipment front here! |
David doing the 'If the earth were the size of
a marble, how big and far away would Jupiter be' experiment. |
Friday 18, April: Brian
discusses the Beagle 2 project, a British led effort to land
on Mars as part of the European Space Agency's Mars Express
Mission to be launched in June 2003.....More
March
Friday 21, March: Paul has
returned from his astronomical photographic trip to Mozambique,
but it rained for the whole two weeks he was there. I believe he
only managed to take four pictures! This kind of curtails the
astronomical picture feast we were hoping for. However all is not
lost. In between the showers there were short periods of pitch
black skies which revealed……well let's wait for Paul to tell
us about them on Friday.
With Jupiter and Saturn being so well placed for observation
this year, now is the time to get to grips on how best to observe
these two gas giants. The short talk on Colour Filters will
explain the basics of colour theory, how filters work and how to
use them for planetary observation.
February
Friday 21, February: Nick
will be giving advice on how to set up your new telescope,
as well as discussing some simple and practical ways of navigating
your way around the night sky. To help you on your way, there will
be a few simple exercises for you to try on your own telescope.
January
Friday 17, January: Mike
Wilmot will be giving us a talk on 'An introduction to the Sun and
its 11 year cycle' using computer modelling displays this should
be a fascinating insight to our nearest star.
2002
December
Friday 20, December :
Daniel Evans will be updating us on his Ph.D work being done
through the University of Bristol and Harvard in the US. His
First Class M.Sci. was obtained from Durham under the 14th
Astronomer Royal Sir Arnold Wolfendale and included a study of
Cosmic Microwave Background.
His Ph.D is on Active Galactic Nuclei, the brightest and most
distant objects in the universe. He has direct access to some of
the best telescopes in the world including the Very Large Array in
New Mexico, for radio wavelengths, the Anglo Australian Telescope
in New South Wales for visible light. For X-ray work he has the
X-ray, Multi Mirror spacecraft, known as Newton and the Chandra
Space Observatory. This observatory is named after Chandrasekhar,
the famous Indian Astrophysist.
(Chandra image of the X-Ray jet in the nearby active
galaxy, Centaurus A. Courtesey of Ralph Kraft. Harvard-Smithsonian
Center for Astrophysics)
Saturday 14, December:
Geminids meteor Shower. This will be the last chance to see one
this year. Unlike the Leonids last month, the Geminid showers will
be visible for most of this week with its peak on Saturday
morning.
With the really bad luck we've had with weather on previous
meteorite shower watches, the club plans to meet on ANY clear
evening between now and Saturday night. If the skies are looking
clear a message will be left on the club's message board
For those die-hards, the best time to view will be after the
moon sets at around 02:00 UT on the morning of Saturday 14th. If
the skies are clear, we will head for the club's field. Again a
message will be deposited on the message board.
November
19, November. 4:00am U.T.
Leonids meteor storm. This should be the most spectacular meteor
shower this year with anything up to 1000 meteors and hour being
forecast. The moon will be up, so the number of meteors seen
will be reduced by a factor of between 2 and 5. The radiant is
situated in the Sickle of Leo. The second storm follows six and a
half hours later and we will be recording the event with the
club's radio telescope.
October
Friday 18, October: Brian
is putting together a talk on how the early 18th and 19th century
astronomers made measurements of distant astronomical bodies. As a
winter club project it may be fun for us to try and re-create
these experiments on an asteroid such as Ceres, and see how
closely our calculations match those made using current measuring
technology. For a taster on the subject here's a précis from an
excellent book on 'The
Transit of Venus'
| Saturday
5, October: Astro Optics Demonstration Day at
South West Optics in Truro. Held in conjunction with South
West Optics and Peter Gallon from Meade.
Club members will be on hand to discuss the Observatories
activities as well as providing full details of membership
of the Club. Peter Gallon from the UK's Meade importer,
will be demonstrating the companies leading range of
Astro | | 
