The second of this years Sun & Stars events. The event, as always, is dependant on clear skies, but this evening we hope to be able to see sunspot activity on the surface of the Sun before it sets. As the skies darken, we will be able to observe A setting Mercury and Saturn and under darker skies observe Jupiter as it approaches the meridian. Throughout the session a waxing crescent Moon can also…
The Hunter and his Mysterious Belt
We know that the shorter days of autumn and winter are here when in the darker evenings over the south east horizon come creeping up a set of four bright stars in a rectangle with a tight line of three stars in the middle. This is the constellation of Orion named after “Orion the Hunter” of Greek mythology. Imagine the top two stars are the Hunter’s shoulders with the bottom ones his knees. The…
Our Next Meeting: 15, January – Summercourt
Image Credit: Plato: © Marie-Lan Nguyen / Wikimedia Commons / CC-BY 2.5 Neutron: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/User:Harp We have two talks for you this evening. Frank Johns starts the evening with a talk on Plato. The philosopher, was looking for a physical law which would account for the orbits of errant stars (planets) to satisfy his need for uniformity and regularity. PLATO, the ESO project, is designed to get the data that perhaps, Plato the philosopher, needed…
Sun and Stars – 24th January: Carnewas
The second observing event for 2026 at NT Carnewas. The event, as always, is dependant on clear skies, but this evening we hope to be able to see sunspot activity on the surface of the Sun before it sets. As the skies darken, we will be able to observe a first quarter Moon and details on Saturn and Jupiter as they rise out of the twilight. The event is open to anyone who wishes…
Our Next Meeting: 18, December – Summercourt
Image Credit: Original version: NASA; modified by Cherkash For the last talk of 2025, we have a belter for you. How to Build an Observable Universe by Dean Ashton: This presentation will take us on a 13.8 billion year journey from the Big Bang to the present day. We’ll share advanced simulations to explore how our universe, galaxy, and stars were built by natural laws. Finally, we’ll consider how amateur astronomers can observe and image the…
Sun and Stars – 29th November: Carnewas
Due to high winds and a forecast for more cloud than clear, we are regretfully cancelling this event. Our next Sun & Stars will be on 24, Jan 2026. The event is open to anyone who wishes to come along and we kick off at 15:30 Event location details HERE