Image Credit: NASA The American astronaut Jim Lovell died on 7 August aged 97. He went into space for NASA on four missions. In 1965 in Gemini 7 Jim spent 2 weeks in a cramped seat and in Gemini 12 in 1966 did 3 spacewalks outside the capsule. However, he will be remembered more as crew member of Apollo 8 being the first mission that sent 3 men to orbit the Moon in December…
Our Next Meeting: 18, September – Summercourt
Image Credit: Johannes-Kepler-Observatory, The main talk of the evening will be given by Glynn Bennallick: Long Haired Rock Stars – Comets – Strange spectacular visitors to our planet, some revisiting us but some swing by never to return. How did ancient people understand them? Were they omens for good or ill? Where did they come from and what causes that tail? Discover the missions sent to find out up-close what they are and see…
Our Next Meeting: 21, August – Summercourt
Image Credit: Footy 2000 The main talk of the evening will be given by Mark Godwin on the Indian Space Agency and covering its very humble beginnings, satellite projects, lunar missions, and future aspirations. After the break Nick Tonkin and his 10 minute talk – The SIMBAD Astronomical database and why you might want to use it to understand the the objects that you observe. We meet at 19:00 for a 19:30 kick off. We…
It’s hot down under…and out there!
On a recent visit to New Zealand’s North Island I stayed in a hotel next to a Maori village in Rotorua. There was a constant sulphurous smell of bad eggs and white steam clouds rising from the village caused by superheated boiling water gushing out of the ground showing it was very hot down under. This country was formed by the Pacific tectonic plate diving under the Australian plate causing volcanoes, mountains and earthquakes…
Our Next Meeting: 17, July- Summercourt
Image Credit: ESO The main talk of the evening will be given by Barry Trudgian on Astrophysical Masers: Where Microwave messages meet mild-mannered Mitchell man.. from deep space. After the break Frank Johns 10 minute talk will be : Vera Ruben, her life, work and the new telescope named after her. We meet at 19:00 for a 19:30 kick off. We meet at 19:00 with kick-off at 19:30 at the Summercourt Memorial Hall Find…
A Deceptive Starry Summer Triangle
In April 1957 Sir Patrick Moore began his monthly “The Sky at Night” which is still going strong today making it the longest-running program with the same presenter in television history. Sir Patrick, in his own unique eccentric and fast talking way often referred to “The Summer Triangle” which is an asterism or distinct pattern of stars located in the northern sky. This is a title which he said he coined but the triangle…