Meetings and Events, 2011 - 2012

Tiverton and Mid Devon A. S. events and are held in the main hall at Blundell's Prep School at 7:30pm, usually on the first school-term Friday of the month. No previous knowledge of astronomy is necessary, so if you are at all interested you are very welcome to come along. Many of us are regular attenders at our informal meetings, but a warm welcome is always given to new faces.

For directions, please see the map. To find us on Google Maps, visit maps.google.co.uk and type in the school's postcode, EX16 4NA. (The school is actually on the south side of Blundell's Road, just opposite the marker on Google Maps.) The school's full address is: Blundell's Preparatory School, Blundell's Road, Tiverton, Devon, EX16 4NA.

 

Date	Subject / Speaker
2011
Friday 9th September	Neptune, One Orbit On Brian Sheen, Director of the Roseland Observatory in Cornwall
Friday 7th October	The Next 50 Years in Space Jerry Stone (TBC), freelance presenter on astronomy and spaceflight - celebrating World Space Week
Friday 11th November	Astrophotography Damian Peach, renowned planetary photographer, will show some of his amazing images and photographic techniques.
Friday 2nd December	A Pot Pourri of Short Topics James Fradgley of Wessex Astronomical Society reveals his diverse expertise, which includes Arcturus, Lagrange Points and Night Vision for Astronomers; with audience discussion.
2012
Friday 13th January	Indoor Astronomy We welcome back Lilian Hobbs, enthusiastic amateur astronomer and published author.
Friday 3rd February	Is Anybody Out There? Carol Boote of TAMDAS.
Friday 2nd March	The Origin of the Universe With David Love of Torbay Astronomical Society.
Friday 4th May	The Cosmos - A Beginner's Guide Adam Hart-Davis, freelance photographer, writer and broadcaster.
Friday 15th June	AGM and Members' Contributions Society members will speak on areas of their own interest.

 

     

 

Telescopes & Observing Sessions - 2011/12

On the evenings shown below we will meet, if the sky is clear, to use the society's and members' telescopes to see planets, galaxies, nebulae and much more (it's too light in the summer months). Please phone Douglas beforehand to check the dark site location. These sessions are open to people of all ages and abilities, and are free of charge regardless of whether or not you are a member of Tiverton & Mid Devon AS. Please wear warm clothes.

	Blundell's	Dark site
2011	Sept. 16th, 9:00pm	Sept. 23rd, 9:00pm
	Oct. 14th, 7:30pm	Oct. 21st, 7:30pm *
	Nov. 18th, 7:30pm *	Nov. 25th, 7:30pm (see announcement)
2012	Feb. 10th, 7:30pm	Feb. 17th, 7:30pm
	Mar. 9th, 7:30pm	Mar. 16th, 7:30pm
* meteors

For directions to the telescope, see the map.

     

     

 

Meetings Archive

2010 - 2011 Season

Date	Subject / Speaker
2010
31st July - 1st August	Astrocamp at Wimbleball Lake Telescopes will be set up on Saturday evening under Exmoor’s dark and hopefully clear sky, camping available overlooking the water.
Friday 10th September	Launching and Controlling a Spacecraft Learn from Duncan McLean, an expert on how rockets and their payloads are put into orbit and maintained there.
Friday 8th October	Astronomical Sculpture Artist Chris Williams shows how he translates astronomical data and concepts into fascinating abstract forms.
Friday 12th November	It’s all Done with Mirrors The History of the Science of Light explained by Steve Duncan, an officer of Torbay Astronomy Society, who works as a scientist in the space industry in Bristol.
Friday 3rd December	High-redshift Galaxies Royal Astronomical Society prize-winner Dr Elizabeth Stanway speaks about the most distant objects.
2011
Friday 14th January	Controversies over Dark Matter We welcome back Professor Mike Disney from Cardiff University to explain the mysterious subject in which he specializes.
Friday 4th February	From Gas to Planets (via Stars) Dr Nathan Mayne of the University of Exeter will tell us about star formation.
Friday 4th March	Astronavigation Gavin McLaren, an experienced sailor and compiler of Admiralty Guides, reveals how it’s done.
Friday 6th May	Observing with Small Telescopes Robert Law, Curator of the Mill Observatory in Dundee, gives helpful advice on using simple equipment.
Friday 3rd June	AGM and Members’ Talks Society members will speak on areas of their own interest.

2009 - 2010 season

Date	Subject / Speaker
2009
Wednesday 12th August	The Perseids Meteor Shower Look out for the meteors at the Sportsman's Inn, Sandyway, EX36 3LU (Tel. 01643 831109). There will be a talk inside if it's cloudy.
Friday 11th September	Some Incredible Voyages to the Moon - Douglas Rice Our chairman's talk has a topical theme to commemorate 40 years since the first Apollo landing.
Saturday 19th September	Voyage to the Outer Planets See Jupiter through a telescope or see a talk by North Devon AS if it's cloudy. 8:30pm at the Sportsmans Inn, Sandyway, EX36 3LU (Tel. 01643 831109).
Friday 2nd October	The Commercialisation of Space - Paul Young An introduction to the techniques now being developed which will lead us to new frontiers.
Wednesday 21st October	The Orionids Meteor Shower Look out for meteors from 8:30pm at the Blue Ball Inn, Countisbury, EX35 6NE (Tel. 01598 741263). There will be a talk inside if it's cloudy.
Saturday 24th October	Autumn Moonwatch With North Devon Astronomy Society, see the Moon and Jupiter from Pinkery Outdoor Education Centre, 8pm.
Friday 13th November	The Pioneer and Flyby Anomalies: Physics from the Edge - Mike McCulloch Some spacecraft trajectories seem to disagree with modern physics - what does this imply?
Saturday 21st November	Heavens Above in Porlock A family day at Porlock Village Hall, from 10am. See http://www.exmoor-nationalpark.gov.uk/exmoor-dark-skies.pdf
Friday 4th December	Towards Other Worlds - Suzanne Aigrain Suzanne will explain her research at Exeter University, finding and characterising extra-solar planets.
Sunday 13th December	The Geminids Meteor Shower See meteors from 8:30pm at the Sportsman's Inn, Sandyway, EX36 3LU (Tel. 01643 831109).
2010
Friday 15th January	What it's Like to Stand on the Red Planet: Mars in 3-D - Matthew Bate Put on coloured glasses and enjoy dramatic new pictures.
Friday 5th February	Astrophotography - David Strange See some amazing images taken by a local amateur astronomer.
Friday 5th March	Dark Matter - Patrick Butterly Pat will explore the theories of dark matter and energy and why most of the Universe is missing! UPDATE, 02/03/2010: Unfortunately our speaker has had to cancel owing to illness. Instead we will enjoy an informal evening of home-made entertainment: please bring an object, picture, book or idea with some astronomical connection for people to look at and chat about. If you have a telescope, bring it too and let’s hope for a clear sky.
March / April	Visit to the Norman Lockyer Observatory A trip to see the historic telescopes and new facilities at Sidmouth.
Friday 7th May	Astronomers and the Founding of the Royal Society in 1660 - Dr Allan Chapman A spellbinding account of some great astronomical pioneers.
Friday 11th June	AGM and Member's Evening Three talks from members about their astronomical interests.

2008 - 2009 season

Date	Subject / Speaker
2008
Friday 8th August	Starbecue - 20:00 to 20:30. Bring food, drink, deckchair and, if you have one, a telescope for a supper under the stars!
Friday 5th September	Kielder Observatory - As Dark As It Gets (Gary Fildes) An insight into how astronomy, in this unspoilt region of Northumberland, has hit the heights with the creation of a new observatory. This is a tale of how sheer determination paid off, resulting in this fantastic facility aimed at outreach and research. The stunning images have to be seen to be believed!
Friday 3rd October	Intelligent Robots: Realities And Future Possibilities (Alan Winfield) Robots are proving ever more useful in space exploration. Alan will discuss artificial intelligence and show the interactions of robots with their surroundings and with other robots in a group.
Friday 7th November	Back To The Big Bang (Mike Edmunds) Back by popular demand, Mike will be tracing backwards to show how far we can really go to understand the Big Bang.
Friday 5th December	Meteorites: Life And Death (Vic Pearson) Vic will discuss the delivery of material to Earth that may have been the building blocks of life itself and may have seeded other Solar System surfaces with molecules needed for pre-biotic chemistry.
2009
Friday 9th January	Advances In Long-Wavelength Astronomy (Derek Ward-Thompson) Modern astronomy uses much more than just optical telescopes. Derek will show how infra-red and other long wavelengths have opened up many of the mysteries of the Universe.
Friday 6th February	Astronomy with Adaptive Optics (Jenny Patience) - talk will now be given in March. Adaptive Optics systems on telescopes measure the effects of the atmosphere and correct images, greatly improving resolution. Studies include: orbital motion of asteroids, stars at the galactic centre, storms and volcanic activity in the Solar System, and disks/companions of young stars.
Friday 6th March	Astronomy with Adaptive Optics (Jenny Patience) Adaptive Optics systems on telescopes measure the effects of the atmosphere and correct images, greatly improving resolution. Studies include: orbital motion of asteroids, stars at the galactic centre, storms and volcanic activity in the Solar System, and disks/companions of young stars.
April	Visit to Mullard Space Centre Tiverton & Mid-Devon AS members have been invited by Lucie Green to tour the Mullard Space Centre and gain a close up look at their work and latest missions. Costs will be approx £20 per person. There will only be 18 places available on the trip, so please let Angela know ASAP if you would like to book.
Friday 1st May	Star Birth and Strange Skies (Dr Jennifer Hatchell) Dr Hatchell's talk discusses sub-millimetre astronomy.
Friday 5th June	AGM + Tales From A Travelling Astronomer (Arthur Davis) After a brief AGM, Arthur will share with us some of the highlights of the many astronomical adventures he has had over the last 50 years. He will also show many of his fantastic images, developed himself.

 

2007 - 2008 season

Date	Subject / Speaker
2007
Friday 10th August	Starbecue - 8:00 to 8:30pm. Bring food, drink, deckchair and, if you have one, a telescope for a supper under the stars.
Friday 7th September	Lunar Helium 3: Mining on the Moon (Dean Millar) A fascinating insight into a potential new energy source for the 21st Century.
Friday 5th October	Sputnik: Around the World in 90 Minutes (Andy Lound) To commemorate the 50th anniversary of the launch of Sputnik 1, Andy will tell the story of the world's first artificial satellite in this dramatic presentation.
Friday 9th November	Faulkes Telescope presentation (local students) Enjoy a short presentation of some amazing images taken by students of Blundell's School and Tiverton High School using the Faulkes Telescopes.
	Hunting for the Higg's Boson (Vincent Smith) Then learn why physicists and engineers have built the world’s highest energy particle collider at CERN near Geneva. Vince works on this project and will speculate on some of the things that may be discovered.
Friday 7th December	Advances in Long-Wavelength Astronomy (Derek Ward-Thompson) Modern astronomy uses much more than just optical telescopes. Derek will show how infrared and other long wavelengths have opened up many of the mysteries of the Universe.
2008
Friday 11th January	Observing the Lunar 100 (Lilian Hobbs) Discover how to observe Charles Wood's 100 lunar objects using just a small telescope.
Friday 1st February	Live Fast and Die Young (Tim Harries) A look at the life of the most massive stars that produce 90% of the light in the Universe and die in spectacular supernovae explosions.
Friday 7th March	The Sun in 3D (Lucie Green) NASA, Japan and ESA have collaborated to produce the STEREO and Hinode missions. Using 3D videos Lucie will explain how she and her team will track eruptions from the sun's surface through space to Earth.
Friday 2nd May	Thomas Harriot - The First Telescope Astronomer (Allan Chapman) Thomas Harriot was an English astronomer and a contemporary of Shakespeare. He heard of the "Dutch Spy Glass" in 1608 and was the first person to observe sun spots and other astronomical phenomena - before Galileo.
Friday 6th June	Angular Momentum - The Most Powerful Force in the Universe? (Ian Kimber) + AGM After a brief AGM our member Ian will explain the important role that angular momentum plays in keeping the Universe the way it is.

 

2006 - 2007 season

Date	Speaker	Subject
2006
Friday 11th August	Shooting Starbecue - 8:00 to 8:30pm
Friday 8th September	Lilian Hobbs had to cancel her talk on "Observing the Lunar 100", so instead we heard Dr Mike Browne discuss "The Jet Project", Mr Arthur Davis who talked about "Naked-Eye Astronomy", and our chairman Douglas Rice, who mentioned a few recent astronomy stories in the press.
Friday 6th October	Dr Paul Roche	Impact from Space ... and a Faulkes Telescope Project update
27th October, 7:00pm	Public awareness and open evening
	"Beyond The Blue Horizon", a tour of the Solar System with Andrew Lound
Friday 3rd November	Andrew Bunker	Galaxies at High Redshift
Friday 1st December	Dr Caroline Smith	Imaging and Collecting Meteorites
2007
Friday 12th January	Dr Andrew Coates	Venus Express
Friday 2nd February	Mark Hurn	The Story of Star Names
Friday 2nd March	Dr Chris Baddiley	The Universe in 4D
Friday 4th May	Prof. Mike Edmunds	The Antikythera Mechanism Decoded
Friday 9th June	AGM
	Carol Boote	More Women in Astronomy

 

2005 - 2006 season

Date	Speaker	Subject
2005
Friday 12th August	Perseid Picnic - 20:00 to 20:30
Friday 9th September	Nick Markell	Astronomy on the Web Meet at 7:30pm at Blundell's School
Friday 7th October	Peter Grossi	Einstein's Special Relativity
15th - 28th October	20th Anniversary Exhibition at Tiverton Museum
Friday 4th November	Dr Caroline Smith	Geology of the Solar System, Part 2
Friday 2nd December	Nick Hart	The Amateurs Are Catching Up
2006
Friday 13th January	Carol Boote	Women In Astronomy
	Peter Strong	Seeing The Light
Saturday 4th February	Visit to European Astrofest in Kensington
Friday 3rd March	Mousa Al-Kordi	Light in Islamic Art
Friday 5th May	Prof Mike Disney	Dark Galaxies
Friday 9th June	AGM
	Andrew Lound	The Lord of the Rings

 

2004 - 2005 season

Date	Speaker	Subject
2004
Friday 20th August	Starbecue - 20:00 to 20:30
Friday 10th September	Bob Mizon	The A to Z of Astronomy
Friday 1st October	Brian Thomas	Arthur C. Clarke
Friday 5th November	Dr Caroline Smith	Geology of the Solar System
Friday 3rd December	Rhodri Evans	Astronomy from a Boeing 747 - Why and How...
2005
Friday 9th January	Visit to the University of Exeter Observatory. Meet at St. Aubyn's.
Friday 4th February	Andrew Jones	Meteorologists Observe the Skies, Too
Friday 4th March	Dr Mike Edmunds	Time Travel
April	Trip cancelled - our apologies to those who were keen on the idea!
Friday 6th May	Andy Lound	Carl Sagan, Man of the Cosmos
Friday 10th June	AGM
	Ian Kimber	Unravelling the Lives of Stars