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Meetings

Monday 14 October 2024

 Lee Macdonald:   Refugees, star clusters and relativity – astronomy at the Royal Observatory, Greenwich during the First World War.

During WW1 the call to arms affected men from all walks of life, including  those at the  Royal  Observatory. Yet  despite that,  the observatory continued to do a surprising amount of important science in these years – including a catalogue of star clusters and organising the eclipse expeditions to Principe and Brazil that confirmed Einstein’s General Theory of relativity – arguably among the greatest contributions to science in the 20th century.

Astro-historian Lee Macdonald explains how the observatory kept going, partly by welcoming women and refugees to its ranks. His book on the history of the observatory is published next year.

Following this, David Arditti will present his round-up of members' observations and tell us what to look for in the coming month.

The meeting takes place  at Christ Church, Redford Way, Uxbridge, starting at 8 pm.

Forthcoming meetings

11 November 2024 (RBL Harrow): TBA

9 December 2024 (Christ  Church, Uxbridge): TBA

List of previous meetings

Links are provided to talks now available online.

9-Sep-24 Peter Goodhew Pro-Am  cooperation
8-Jul-24 Tim Marshall Space: How, where and why
10-Jun-2024 AGM + Howard Brown-Greaves Solar observing
13-May-24 Members The day the Sun went out (eclipse tales)
8-Apr-24 Greg Smye-Rumsby If Venus had a moon
11-Mar-24 Dr Arik Kerschenbaum Life in the Universe
12-Feb-24 John Davies Secrets of an Urban Astrophotographer
9-Jan-24 Colin Stuart  A Universe of Infinities
11 -Dec-23 Dr Ashley King The Winchcombe Meteorite
13-Nov-23 Phil Halpin Aurorae
09-Oct-23 Karen Devoil Frozen: Icy Worlds of the Solar System
11-Sep-23 Prof Clive Ruggles Archaeoastronomy – a brief history
10-Jul-23 Ziri Younsi The Event Horizon Telescope
12-Jun-23 AGM + Sue Latham, Tim Milton Our Australian Adventure
15-May-23 Steve Tonkin Two eyes are better than one
03-Apr -23 Prof Giovanna Tinetti Planets of Our Galaxy
13-Mar-23 Dr Chris Crowe Journey to the Edge of the Universe
13-Feb-23 Mark McIntyre Meteor Observing  –  a guide
09-Jan 23 Helmut Kessler H-alpha etalons and solar observing
     
12-Dec-22 Members Mars at its closest
14-Nov-22 Mark Radice Winter Star Party
 10-Oct-22  Grant Bowskill  New Astro Products
12-Sep-22 Simon Kidd Asteroid Occultations
11-Jul-22 Prof Andrew Norton Gamma-ray bursters
13-Jun-22 AGM + Willian Herschel's Telescopes Robin Scagell
9-May-22 Telescope Teach-in WOLAS members
11-Apr-22 Mary McIntyre Reflection, refraction and excitation: atmospheric optics
14-Mar-22 Jerry Stone Measuring the Universe
14-Feb-22 Emily Charles The Local Group and Dwarf Galaxies
10-Jan-22 Andrew Lound Fire in the sky
     
13-Dec-21 Colin Stuart Time in Einstein's Universe
8-Nov-21 Szabi Nagy  Photographing the ISS from London
11-Oct-21 Martin Lewis, Stewart Coulter Venus Then and Now
13 Sep-21 David Arditti The History of the Telescope
12-Jul-21 Tom Scott Galaxy Clusters
14 -Jun-21 Online: Bob Mizon The Night – an Unoccupied Country
10-May-21 Online: Melissa Thorpe Cornwall's Spaceport
12-Apr-21 Online: Pete Williamson Remote Observing
08-Mar-21 Online: Dr Hugh Deighton Designing ESA's launch system
08-Feb-21 Online: Dr Olivia Keenan The Missing Galaxy Mystery
11-Jan-21 Online: Jay Tate The Science of Armageddon
     
14 Dec-20  Online: Dr Simon Steel  The SETI Institute and the Search for Intelligent Life in the Universe
09-Nov-20 Online: Dr Laura Nuttall Detecting  gravitational waves with LIGO and Virgo
12-Oct-20 Online: Dr Megan Argo In the Blink of a Cosmic Eye: Predictions for the next 200 years
14-Sep-20 Online:   Members' observations
  Live meetings suspended as a result of COVID 19  
09-Mar-20 Robin Scagell How Tycho changed the Universe
10-Feb-20 Ian Morison Proving Einstein Right
13-Jan-20 Rachael Livermore Gravitational lensing
09-Dec-19 Colin Stuart Rebel Star; The Greatest Mysteries of the Sun
11-Nov-19 Prof Richard Nelson Exoplanets
14-Oct-19 Nick James Comets
09-Sep-19 Stewart Coulter Apollo @ 50
08-Jul-19 Owen Brazell Planetary Nebulae
10-Jun-19 AGM and Members  
13-May-19 Prof Martin Hardcastle Black Holes
08-Apr-19 Steve Tonkin Ten Ways the Universe Tries to Kill You
11-Mar-19 Robin Scagell The Story of the Nebulae
11-Feb-19 Dave Eagle New Horizons: Pluto and Ultima Thule
14-Jan-19 David Arditti Observing the Moon
     
10-Dec-18 Colin Stuart How we'll get to Mars
12-Nov-18 Dr Guido Roberts-Borsani Galaxy Formation
08-Oct-18* Andrew Lound Sputnik
10-Sep-18 Colin Forsyth Space weather
09-Jul-18 Prof James Hough What astronomy can tell us about the origins of life on Earth
11-Jun-18 Duncan, Martin 2017 eclipse, Llanerchindda review
14-May-18 Dr Dirk Froebrich The HOYS-CAPS Citizen Science Project
09-Apr-18 Prof Paul Murdin Universe: Exploring the Astronomical World
12-Mar-18 Prof Alec Boksenberg What did Dark Matter ever do for us?
12-Feb-18 Rallia Velliou Humans in Space
08-Jan-18 Ray Doran Reaction Engines
     
11-Dec-17 John Zarnecki Cassini
13-Nov-17 Jerry Stone The next 50 Years in Space
09-Oct-17 Andrew Lound Herschel's Lunatick Friends
11-Sep-17 Members History of WOLAS plus Great Eclipse Roundup
10-Jul-17 Michael Foale The Amazing Space Adventures of Michael Foale
12-Jun-17 Robin Scagell AGM plus Ancient Stars
08-May-17 David Fishwick Seven Stars
Apr-17 Colin Stuart 13 Journeys Through Space and Time
13-Mar-17 Dr Tom Kitching, MSSL Cosmology, Dark Matter and Dark Energy
13-Feb-17 Greg Smye-Rumsby The History of Longitude at Greenwich
09-Jan-17 Members Winter Constellations and Lucky Imaging
     
12-Dec-16 Jo Eberhardt Exoplanet atmospheres
14-Nov-16 David Arditti Astrophotography from the City
10-Oct-16 Libby Jackson Controlling ISS
12-Sep-16 Dr Melanie Windridge Aurora -- the search for the Northern Lights
11-Jul-16 Guy Hurst Optical Transients
13-Jun-16 Members Eclipse roundup
09-May-16 Bob Mizon Seven moons
11-Apr-16 Dr Geraint Jones JUICE to Jupiter
14-Mar-16 Prof. Simon Green Flying with a Comet
08-Feb-16 Prof Steve Miller The Impact of Impacts
11-Jan-16 Dr Morgan Fraser Gaia
     
14-Dec-15 Becky Smethurst Galaxies and the Galaxy Zoo
09-Nov-15 Dr Ian Crawford The Origin of the Moon
12-Oct-15 Robin Scagell The Universe according to Hubble
14-Sep-15 Michelle Lochner SKA
13-Jul-15 Mona Evans Caroline Herschel
08-Jun-15 Robin Scagell Combating Light Pollution
11-May-15 Jerry Stone Pluto
13-Apr-15 Dr Benjamin Joachimi Big Telescopes
09-Mar-15 Members' Own  
09-Feb-15 David Rothery Mercury: new views of the Sun's innermost planet
12-Jan-15 Ian Ridpath Eclipses
     
08-Dec-14 Greg Smye-rumsby 12756
10-Nov-14 Martin Lewis Imaging the ISS
13-Oct-14 Francisco Diego Unweaving Star Rainbows
08-Sep-14 Steve Fossey Our local supernova
14-Jul-14 Jon Butterworth Smashing Physics: News from the Energy Barrier
09-Jun-14 Sally Russell An Introduction to Astronomical Sketching
12-May-14 Stewart Coulter The Uganda eclipse
07-Apr-14 Paul Hyde Practical Radio Astronomy for Amateurs
10-Mar-14 Graham Marett Calendars
10-Feb-14 Rob McNaught Great Comets
13-Jan-14 David Arditti Planetary imaging (replaced Stewart Coulter due to accident)
     
09-Dec-13 Lucie Green Solar Max
11-Nov-13   Meeting cancelled as hall locked
14-Oct-13 How Do They Do It? (Deep-sky imaging) Robin Scagell, David Hepwood, Bob Garner
09-Sep-13 Andrew Norton The New Cosmology or How the Universe Works
08-Jul-13 Rupert Smith Telescopes
10-Jun-13 Members AGM
13-May-13 David Arditti Trip to Australia
08-Apr-13 Alistair Scott The British Interplanetary Society and the UK Space Industry
11-Mar-13 Mandy Bailey What's that Bubble we're in?
11-Feb-13 Prof Jonathan Tennyson Water in the Universe
14-Jan-13 Dr Joe Michalski Exploring Mars From 200 Million Miles Away
     
10-Dec-12 Leigh Fletcher The Atmospheres of Jupiter and Saturn
12-Nov-12 Robin Scagell It's About Time
08-Oct-12 Louise Alexander The Legacy of Apollo
10-Sep-12 Prof David Southwood 10 Years on the Final Frontier
09-Jul-12 Susan Rowe Voyager: Humanity's Greatest Journey
11-Jun-12 AGM and Martin Lewis Planetary Imaging with a Dobsonian
14-May-12 Transits Stewart Coulter
02-Apr-12 Who Wants to be an Astronomer? Quiz
12-Mar-12 Francisco Diego Aliens, Where Are You?
13-Feb-12 Prof John Zarnecki Landing on a Comet
09-Jan-12 Richard Fleet Night Sky Glows
     
12-Dec-11 David Arditti A A Common, Pioneer of Astrophotography
14-Nov-11 Suzanne Aigrain Extrasolar planets
10-Oct-11 Nick Hewitt Wolf-Rayet Stars?
12-Sep-11 Graham Bryant Lunar impacts
11-Jul-11 Robin Scagell In Search of the Northern Lights
13-Jun-11   Members' talks incl, James Hilder on Near-horizon objects. Susan Rowe Hampton Court clock
09-May-11 Emily Baldwin An Impact Cratering Tour of the Solar System or the Moons of Mars
11-Apr-11 Jerry Stone 50 years of Man in Space
14-Mar-11 Andrew Lound Solar sailing
14-Feb-11 Robin Scagell Love of Comets
10-Jan-11 Dale Holt Sketching the Deep Sky
     
13-Dec-10 David Arditti Astronomy from Paris
08-Nov-10 Ian Morison Proving Einstein Right
11-Oct-10 Stewart Moore Galaxies
13-Sep-10 Richard Hook How to make a Hubble image
12-Jul-10 Alan Longstaff Lives of the stars
14-Jun-10 Kaustav Imaging
10-May-10 Allan Chapman Harriot to Hubble -- Telescopes
12-Apr-10 Roberto Soria Black Holes
08-Mar-10 Graham Marrett Galileo
08-Feb-10 Max Alexander Explorers of the Universe
11-Jan-10 David Arditti History of Cosmology
     
14-Dec-09 Tom Scott Radio astronomy
09-Nov-09 Robin, Martin Intorduction to Deep Sky Observing
12-Oct-09 Prof Carl Murray The View From Saturn: Images from the Cassini Spacecraft
14-Sep-09 Prof. Barrie Jones Pluto
13-Jul-09 Jerry Stone Would you believe we put a man on the Moon?
08-Jun-09 Members Who Wants to be an Astronomer?
11-May-09 Nick Howes Three sides of the Sun
06-Apr-09 Robin Scagell Choosing your telescope
09-Mar-09 Colin Pillinger Space is a Funny Place
09-Feb-09 Members How I got interested in astronomy
12-Jan-09 Bob Mizon Light Pollution FAQs
     
08-Dec-08   How to discover a comet
10-Nov-08 Andy Burns The Herschel Dynasty
13-Oct-08 Will Gater Hubble -- not just pretty pictures
08-Sep-08 Members Eclipse roundup
14-Jul-08 Ian Ridpath Star Tales
09-Jun-08 David Arditti Astrophotography from the City
12-May-08 Janet Drew Milky Way Survey
14-Apr-08 Mike Dryland Working the Line -- RGO
10-Mar-08 Robin Scagell 20 things you didn't know about astronomy
11-Feb-08 Dr Isobel Hook Next Generation of Large Telescopes
14-Jan-08 Members Miscellany
     
10-Dec-07 John Naylor Out of the Blue
12-Nov-07 David Arditti Setting-up a Small Observatory
08-Oct-07 Prof. Iwan Williams Our Solar System -- 1967-2007
10-Sep-07 Members 40th Anniversary meeting
09-Jul-07 Helen Walker Seeing the Invisible -- Infrared Astronomy
11-Jun-07 Martin Lewis AGM plus The Eye
14-May-07 Robin Scagell Stargazing with Binoculars
16-Apr-07 Roger O'Brien 40 Years of Cosmology
12-Mar-07 Glen Cowan Antimatter
12-Feb-07 Tony Marsh The Sky is Falling
08-Jan-07 Members Quiz
     
01-Dec-06 Ian Crawford Interstellar Travel
01-Nov-06 Martin Andrews Extrasolar Planets
01-Oct-06 Lucie Green The Sun
01-Sep-06 Jerry Stone Space Colonies
01-Jul-06 Bob Mizon Time and the Stars
12-Jun-06 Members AGM/Room 101
08-May-06 Nick King Astrophotography from Harrow
01-Apr-06 Members Solar eclipse roundup
01-Mar-06 Konrad Malin-Smith Magellanic Cloiuds
01-Feb-06 Simon Green Stardust Mission
15-Jan-06 Ollie Penrice Getting Away from it All
     
01-Dec-05 Robin Catchpole Overview of Astronomy
01-Nov-05 John Murray Mars Express
10-Oct-05 Chris Lintott Cosmology for the Terrified
12-Sep-05 Bob Lambourne Time travelling
11-Jul-05 Robin Scagell Eclipse DVD
01-Jun-05 Martin Lewis AGM + Getting the Most from your Telescope
09-May-05 Andrew Coates Cassini Mission
01-Apr-05 Chris Riley The Making of Space Odyssey
01-Mar-05 Greg Smye-Rumsby A Forgotten Telescope
01-Feb-05 Members Astrophotography
01-Jan-05 Jerry Stone Huygens Mission
01-Dec-04 Guy Hurst Star Clusters

Meetings

Meetings are held every month (except August),  at   Christ Church, Redford Way, Uxbridge UB8 1SZ   (even months) and   the Royal British Legion Harrow Club, 76 Northolt Road, South Harrow,  HA2 0DW  (odd months).    Admission to meetings is free to members, and non-members are welcome to attend  one or two  meetings  before deciding  if membership is for them.  Meetings begin at 8 pm sharp and finish at 10 pm.

Each meeting begins with the talk by the main speaker, which usually lasts 60-75mins. This is followed  by a slot where we show  astronomical observations made by members.  The meetings close with society notices and we often have time for refreshments afterwards.  Here you can socialise with other members, speak to WOLAS committee members, or even  talk directly  with  the main speaker.

We run an observing competition over the year where each meeting where a member has items shown in the observing slot earns them a point. In September of each year, a trophy is given to the member with the most points. This is the Geoff Smith Award which commemorates a former secretary of WOLAS who was a very keen observer of the night sky. As a member you can read more about the trophy by logging in and clicking here.

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