South Cheshire Astronomical Society

(Page Updated: 05/02/2023 12:38 - recording of September 2022 talk made available)

South Cheshire Astronomical Society (SCASTRO) Meetings

For programme calendar, details of next meeting, future public talk speakers & topics, and past programme, details: scroll through this page.

SCHEDULED SCASTRO MEETINGS CALENDAR

Updated: 21/01/2023 12:11

NOTE: Meeting dates, times and venues for 2023 are subject to variation.
Club Venue: St Peter's Community Hall; Talk Venue: On-line using Zoom until local venue alternatives are practicable.

2022	Club Meet at venue	Public Talk Zoom
Sep	Thu 01	Thu 15
Oct	Mon 03	Thu 20
Nov	Mon 07	Thu 17
Dec	→	Thu 01
Dec	Mon 05	-

2023	Club Meet	Public Talk
Jan	Wed 11	Thu 19
Feb	Mon 06	Thu 16
Mar	Mon 06	Thu 16
Apr	Mon 03	Thu 20
May	Mon 08 AGM?	Holiday
SEPT	.next season

Generally club meetings are on the 1st Monday of the month, followed 2 weeks plus 3 days later by a public talk meeting. These dates may need to be jiggled close to our public holiday periods; arrows will indicate such cases.

The monthly Thursday public talk meetings are held on Zoom and can be joined from 7:00pm for a 7:30pm start.

Notice Issued: :21/01/2023 12:11

Next Meeting : -

LIVE Club Meeting

Monday 6th Feb 2023, 7.30pm until 22.00pm
at
St Peter’s Community Hall on the Middlewich Road

on the left about a mile North from Leighton Hospital going towards Middlewich.
Post Code: CW1 4RD; Grid Ref: 53:7.8590N 2:28.6485W
see also: Information on St Peter's website

If you are interested in Astronomy, come and visit us, and if you have binoculars or any other astronomical equipment bring it all along. Irrespective of weather conditions there will be plenty to talk about and do, including virtual astronomy, short videos, and quizzes.

Admission, plus refreshments of tea, coffee, and fruit juice and biscuits, are free, but we would be grateful for donations to help us to cover our costs.

_ . _______________________________________________________ . _

Further Zoom talks have been arranged with speakers from the UK and USA, and will generally be on the third Thursday of the month. Talks start at 7.30pm and finish around 9.00pm.

As the COVID situation eases we will hold a mix of both physical and Zoom talks.

CLUB NIGHTS are currently held on at Monday night of each month.
Evenings start at 7.30pm and usually finish around 9.30pm (or later if clear skies)

The main focus of these nights is to observe the night sky using a range of Society telescopes as well as Members’ Scopes. When the weather is poor, the opportunity is taken to meet with other interested observers, listen to informal talks, share information and undertake virtual sky viewing.

More details will be provided here as meeting arrangements are firmed up.

Admission

For the 2022/23 Season no formal charges will be levied but regular attendees will be asked to consider making a voluntary contribution.

Sept 2022 - May 2023 Season Talks Details

Spring Term Jan - May 2023
In date order

Thu 19th Jan 2023, - Public ZOOM Talk
Speaker: Dr Steve Barrett -Dept: Physics - Liverpool University
Topic: 'A Ramble through the Night Skies'.

Thu 16th Feb 2022, - Public ZOOM Talk
Speaker: William Stewart - SCASTRO President
Topic:TBA.

Thu 16th Mar 2022, - Public ZOOM Talk
Speaker: TBA
Topic: TBA.

Thu 20th Apr 2022, - Public ZOOM Talk
Speaker: TBA
Topic: TBA.

___________________________________________________

Past Autumn Term Sept - Dec 2022
In date order

Thu 15 Sep 2022, - Public ZOOM Talk
Speaker: Steven Flanders - Outreach and Event Coordinator, Palomar Observatory.
Topic:“Science at Palomar Observatory, 1936 to the Present.” Extra: i [recording included]

Thu 20 Oct 2022, - Public ZOOM Talk
Speaker: Dr Sue Bowler,
School of Earth and Environment - University of Leeds
Topic:'Half a Century of Plate Tectonics' (the recording will be made available later)

Thu 17 Nov 2022, - Public ZOOM Talk
Speaker: Professor Marina Galand
Professor in Planetary Sciences - Imperial College London
Topic:'ESA Comet Interceptor and Rosetta mission'

Thu 01 Dec 2022, - Public ZOOM Talk
Speaker: Mike Frost
Director of the British Astronomical Association 's Historical Section.
Topic:'Pioneering Women of the BAA' (the recording will be made available later)

SOME OF THE TALKS HAVE BEEN RECORDED, AND LINKS WILL BE PROVIDED TO EACH OF THEM ONCE WE HAVE HAD TIME TO EDIT THEM FOR THE WEB.
OUR APOLOGIES FOR DELAYS.

Sept 2021 - May 2022 Season Talks Details (Now Passed)

Spring Term Talks Jan - Apr 2022
in date order

Thu 20 Jan 2022, - Public ZOOM Talk
Speaker: Dr Emma Curtis-Lake
STFC Webb Fellow
Centre for Astrophysics Research
University of Hertfordshire
Topic: 'The James Webb Space Telescope: a new eye on the distant Universe'. | Extra: i [recording included]

Thu 17 Feb 2022, - Public ZOOM Talk
Speaker: Keith Townsend FRAS BAA - Amateur astronomer
Fellow of the Royal Astronomical Society
Topic: 'Voyager: From here to Eternity'.

Thu 17 Mar 2022, - Public ZOOM Talk
Speaker: Dr Hannah Wakeford - Lecturer in Astrophysics
University of Bristol
Topic: 'Diving through Exoplanet Atmospheres,. | Extra: i [recording included]

Thu 21 Apr 2022, - Public ZOOM Talk
Speaker: Professor Imke de Pater -
Dept of Astronomy and Earth and Planetary Science
University of California Berkeley
Topic: ' Celebrating 175 Years Of Neptune: A Story From Its Discovery To The Present '.

THAT IS THE LAST OF THIS SEASON'S TALKS

Please support your society by attending its

Online SCASTRO AGM & Club Zoom Meeting

Thursday 12th May 2022

PAST SCASTRO Seasons' Meetings
in MONTH order
within
REVERSE SEASON ORDER
🡇🡇🡇🡇🡇🡇🡇🡇

PAST

Sept 2020 - May 2021 Season Talks Details

Thu 17 Sep 2020, - Public ZOOM Talk Speaker: Professor Rob Jeffries - Keele University
Topic: "Gaia : the billion star mapping machine"
Extra: i

Thu 15 Oct 2020, - Public ZOOM Talk
Speaker: Dr Steve Barrett - Dept of Physics - Liverpool University
Topic: "Weird World of the Very Very Small"
How do we describe the world on a scale of atoms and molecules?
The concepts underlying quantum mechanics seem to be at odds with common sense,
but quantum theory describes reality on the atomic scale.
Extra: i

Thu 19 Nov 2020, - Public ZOOM Talk Speaker: Prof Andrew Newsam - Liverpool John Moors University
Topic: "Exploring the dynamic Universe" Extra: i

Thu 03 Dec 2020, - Public ZOOM Talk Speaker: Dr Steve Barrett - Dept of Physics - Liverpool University
Topic: Christmas star - "Star of Bethlehem" Extra: i

Thu 21 Jan 2021, - Public ZOOM Talk Speaker: Dr Joanne Pledger -
Senior Lecturer in Astrophysics at the Jeremiah Horrocks Institute of Maths, Physics and Astronomy - UCLAN
Topic: "Wolf Rayet Stars as Supernova Progenitors" Extra: i

Thu 04 Feb 2021, - Public ZOOM Talk Speaker: Dr Megan Argo - University of Central Lancashire
Topic: "Predictions for Astronomy in the next 200 Years" Extra: i

Thu 18 Mar 2021, - Public ZOOM Talk Speaker: Professor Michael Blanton - New York University
Director of the Sloan Digital Sky Survey
Topic: 'An Infrared View of the History of the Milky Way' Extra: i

Thu 22 Apr 2021, - Public ZOOM Talk Speaker: Prof Richard Kessler - Dept of Astronomy and Astrophysics
University of Chicago
Topic: 'Dark Energy Survey' Extra: i

THAT IS THE LAST OF THIS SEASON'S TALKS

Please support your society by attending its

Online SCASTRO AGM & Club Zoom Meeting

Thursday 6th May 2021

Autumn Term Sep - Dec 2021 (now past)
in date order

Thu 16 Sep 2021, - Public ZOOM Talk
Speaker: Paul Money FRAS FBIS
Topic: 'Why are there no Green Stars?' | Extra: i

Thu 21 Oct 2021, - Public ZOOM Talk
Speaker:: Dr Colin Forsyth - University College London
Topic: Space Weather – 'Understanding the Sun'. | Extra: i

Thu 18 Nov 2021, - Public ZOOM Talk
Speaker: Professor Sara Russell - Natural History Museum
Topic: 'Meteorites'. | Extra: i [recording included]

Thu 02 Dec 2021, - Public ZOOM Talk
Speaker: Professor Lyndsay Fletcher - University of Glasgow
Topic: 'The Sun and Solar Flares'.
Extra: i [recording included]

Sept 2020 - May 2021 Season Talks Details

Thu 17 Sep 2020, - Public ZOOM Talk Speaker: Professor Rob Jeffries - Keele University
Topic: "Gaia : the billion star mapping machine"
Extra: i

Thu 19 Nov 2020, - Public ZOOM Talk Speaker: Prof Andrew Newsam - Liverpool John Moors University
Topic: "Exploring the dynamic Universe" Extra: i [recording included]

Thu 03 Dec 2020, - Public ZOOM Talk Speaker: Dr Steve Barrett - Dept of Physics - Liverpool University
Topic: Christmas star - "Star of Bethlehem" Extra: i [recording included]

Thu 04 Feb 2021, - Public ZOOM Talk Speaker: Dr Megan Argo - University of Central Lancashire
Topic: "Predictions for Astronomy in the next 200 Years" Extra: i

Thu 22 Apr 2021, - Public ZOOM Talk Speaker: Prof Richard Kessler - Dept of Astronomy and Astrophysics
University of Chicago
Topic: 'Dark Energy Survey' Extra: i [recording included]

THAT IS THE LAST OF THIS SEASON'S TALKS

Please support your society by attending its

Online SCASTRO AGM & Club Zoom Meeting

Thursday 6th May 2021

PAST

Special Summer Break Public Talk Celebrating the 50th Anniversary of Man Walking on The Moon

Thu 18 Jul 2019, 7:30pm to 9pm - Public Talk at SCC
Speaker: Andrew Lound - International Astronomy and Space Science Speaker
Topic: Special Walking on the Moon 50th Anniversary Talk: Apollo - A Moon Odyssey

Sept 2019 thru to May 2020 Season - Club Meetings and Public Talks Programme

Thu 05 Sep 2019, 7:45pm till 10:00 or later - Club Night at:
The Brittles Pavilion, Wistaston

Thu 19 Sep 2019, 7:30pm to 9pm - Public Talk at CCSW
Speaker: Dr Brooke Simmons - Lancaster University
Topic: Discovering Planets and Galaxies from your sofa
Extra: i

Thu 03 Oct 2019, 7:45pm till 10:00 or later - Club Night at:
The Brittles Pavilion, Wistaston

Thu 17 Oct 2019, 7:30pm to 9pm - Public Talk at CCSW
Speaker: Dr Steve Barrett - Liverpool University
Topic: The Beginning of Everything
Extra: i

Thu 07 Nov 2019, 7:45pm till 10:00 or later - Club Night at:
The Brittles Pavilion, Wistaston

Thu 21 Nov 2019, 7:30pm to 9pm - Public Talk at CCSW
Speaker: Dr Rhian Jones - Manchester University
Topic: The Wonders of Asteroids
Extra: i

Thu 05 Dec 2019, 7:30pm to 9pm - Public Talk at SCC
Speaker: Professor Ian Robson - International Astronomical Union | IAU
Topic: The Discovery of Quasars
Extra: i

Thu 12 Dec 2019, 7:45pm till 10:00 or later - Club Night at:
The Brittles Pavilion, Wistaston

Thu 09 Jan 2020, 7:45pm till 10:00 or later - Club Night at:
The Brittles Pavilion, Wistaston

Thu 23 Jan 2020, 7:30pm to 9pm - Public Talk at SCC
Speaker: Dr Julie Wardlow - Lancaster University
Topic: A hidden side to the Universe: unveiling distant starbursts

Extra: i Thu 06 Feb 2020, 7:30pm to 9pm - Public Talk at SCC
TO BE RESCHEDULED
Speaker: Professor Rob Jeffries - Keele University
Topic: Gaia : the billion star mapping machine
Extra: i

Thu 20 Feb 2020, 7:45pm till 10:00 or later - Club Night at:
The Brittles Pavilion, Wistaston

Thu 05 Mar 2020, 7:45pm till 10:00 or later - Club Night at:
The Brittles Pavilion, Wistaston

OWING TO THE PANDEMIC, ALL FUTURE MEETINGS ARE CANCELLED UNTIL THE EMERGENCY IS OVER

CANCELLED Thu 19 Mar 2020, 7:30pm to 9pm - Public Talk at SCC
Speaker: Professor Andy Newsam - Liverpool John Moors University
Topic: Exploring the dynamic Universe
Extra: i

CANCELLED Thu 02 Apr 2020, 7:30pm to 9pm - Public Talk at SCC
Speaker: Dr Joanne Pledger - Senior Lecturer in Astrophysics at UClan
Topic: Wolf Rayet Stars as Supernova Progenitors

CANCELLED Thu 16 Apr 2020, 7:45pm till 10:00 or later - Club Night at:
The Brittles Pavilion, Wistaston

POSTPONED Thu 07 May 2020, 7:45pm till 10:00 or later - AGM & Club Night at:
The Brittles Pavilion, Wistaston

We hope to arrange for the cancelled talks to be delivered next season.

PAST

Sept 2018- May 2019 Season Meetings

Thu 06 Sep 2018, 7:45pm till 10:00 or later - Club Night at:
The Brittles Pavilion, Wistaston

Thu 20 Sep 2018, 7:30pm to 9pm - Public Talk at CCSW
Speaker: Dr Steve Barrett - Dept of Physics - Liverpool University
Topic: Warping Space and Time
Extra: i

Thu 04 Oct 2018, 7:45pm till 10:00 or later - Club Night at:
The Brittles Pavilion, Wistaston

Thu 18 Oct 2018, 7pm for 7:30pm to 9pm - Public Talk at:
Cheshire College - South & West (CCSW) Crewe
Speaker: Dr Chris Arridge - Reader in Planetary Physics Lancaster University
Topic: The JUICE mission to Jupiter and Ganymede
Extra: i

Thu 01 Nov 2018, 7:45pm till 10:00 or later - Club Night at:
The Brittles Pavilion, Wistaston

Thu 15 Nov 2018, 7pm for 7:30pm to 9pm - Public Talk at:
Cheshire College - South & West (CCSW) Crewe
Speaker: Dr Stuart Harper - Research Associate Manchester University
Topic: The Light of Long Dead Stars: What synchrotron radiation tells us about the history of galaxies.
Extra: i

Thu 06 Dec 2018, 7pm for 7:30pm to 9pm - Public Talk at:
Cheshire College - South & West (CCSW) Crewe
Speaker: Professor Ivan Baldry - Prof of Astrophysics Liverpool John Moors University
Topic: From cosmic latte to unusual galaxies
Extra: i

Thu 20 Dec 2018, 7:45pm till 10:00 or later - Club Night at:
The Brittles Pavilion, Wistaston

Thu 03 Jan 2019, 7:45pm till 10:00 or later - Club Night at:
The Brittles Pavilion, Wistaston

Thu 17 Jan 2019, 7pm for 7:30pm to 9pm - Public Talk at:
Cheshire College - South & West (CCSW) Crewe
Speaker: Dr Joana Oliveira - Senior Lecturer in Physics and Astrophysics Keele University
Topic: Star formation to the chemistry of life.
Extra: i

Thu 07 Feb 2019, 7:45pm till 10:00 or later - Club Night at:
The Brittles Pavilion, Wistaston

Thu 14 Feb 2019, 7pm for 7:30pm to 9pm - Public Talk at:
Cheshire College - South & West (CCSW) Crewe
Speaker: Professor Albert Zijlstra - Professor of Astrophysics Manchester University
Topic: “Kathryn’s Wheel: Giving a loved one a galaxy”
Extra: i

Thu 07 Mar 2019, 7:45pm till 10:00 or later - Club Night at:
The Brittles Pavilion, Wistaston

Thu 21 Mar 2019, 7pm for 7:30pm to 9pm - Public Talk at:
Cheshire College - South & West (CCSW) Crewe
Speaker: Dr Tom Williams - Research Associate (Solar Physics) Solar Physics group - University of Central Lancs
Topic: The Sun, it’s Atmosphere and Solar Flares
Extra: i

Thu 04 Apr 2019, 7pm for 7:30pm to 9pm - Public Talk at:
Cheshire College - South & West (CCSW) Crewe
Speaker: Dr Licia Ray - Lecturer Space and Planetary Physics Group Lancaster University
Topic: Auroras Abound: Auroral emissions throughout the Solar System
Extra: i

Thu 25 Apr 2019, 7:45pm till 10:00 or later - Club Night at:
The Brittles Pavilion, Wistaston

Thu 09 May 2019, 7:45pm till 10:00 or later - AGM Club Night at:
The Brittles Pavilion, Wistaston

PAST

Sept 2017- May 2018 Season Meetings

Thu 07 Sep 2017, 7:45pm till 10:00 or later - Club Night at:
The Brittles Pavilion, Wistaston

Thu 21 Sep 2017, 7:30pm to 9pm - Public Talk at SCC
Speaker: Dr Steve Barrett - Dept of Physics University of Liverpool
Topic: Dark Matter. Why is it dark? Does it matter?
Extra: i

Thu 05 Oct 2017, 7:45pm till 10:00 or later - Club Night at:
The Brittles Pavilion, Wistaston

Thu 19 Oct 2017, 7:30pm to 9pm - Public Talk at SCC
Speaker: Dr David Sobral - Lecturer in Astrophysics at the University of Lancaster
Topic: Time travelling across the Universe
Extra: i

Thu 02 Nov 2017, 7:45pm till 10:00 or later - Club Night at:
The Brittles Pavilion, Wistaston

Thu 16 Nov 2017, 7:30pm to 9pm - Public Talk at SCC
Speaker: Prof Andreas Freise - Professor of Experimental Physics and Astronomy at Birmingham University
Topic: Shining a light on Black Holes
Extra: i

Thu 07 Dec 2017, 7:30pm to 9pm - Public Talk at SCC
Speaker: William Stewart - President & Founder of SCASTRO; B.Sc in Astrophysics; Regular author and speaker
Topic: Shooting while you sleep – modern methods of detecting and analysing meteors
Extra: i

Thu 21 Dec 2017, 7:45pm till 10:00 or later - Club Night at:
The Brittles Pavilion, Wistaston

Thu 04 Jan 2018, 7:45pm till 10:00 or later - Club Night at:
The Brittles Pavilion, Wistaston

Thu 18 Jan 2018, 7:30pm to 9pm - Public Talk at SCC
Speaker: Professor Ian Robson - Director of James Clerk Maxwell Telescope
Topic: The changing scene in astronomy
Extra: i

Thu 01 Feb 2018, 7:45pm till 10:00 or later - Club Night at:
The Brittles Pavilion, Wistaston

Thu 22 Feb 2018, 7:30pm to 9pm - Public Talk at SCC
Speaker: Dr Steve Williams - Research Associate at Observational Astrophysics Group Lancaster Uni
Topic: Dark Energy and the Expansion of The Universe
Extra: i

Thu 01 Mar 2018, 7:45pm till 10:00 or later - Club Night CANCELLED due to bad weather at:
The Brittles Pavilion, Wistaston

Thu 15 Mar 2018, 7:30pm to 9pm - Public Talk at SCC
Speaker: Professor Nial Tanvir - Professor of Astronomy at Dept of Physics and Astronomy University of Leicester
Topic: Short Gamma-ray bursts, kilonovae and gravitational waves
Extra: i

Thu 05 Apr 2018, 7:45pm till 10:00 or later - Club Night at:
The Brittles Pavilion, Wistaston

Thu 19 Apr 2018, 7:30pm to 9pm - Public Talk at SCC
Speaker: Dr Jacco Van Loon - Keele University
Topic: Creation and destruction in cosmic explosions
Extra: i

Thu 10 May 2018, 7:45pm till 10:00 or later - AGM & Club Night at:
The Brittles Pavilion, Wistaston

PAST

Sept 2016- May 2017 Season Meetings

Thu 08 Sep 2016, 7:30pm till 10:00 or later - Club Night at:
The Brittles Pavilion, Wistaston

Thu 22 Sep 2016, 7:30pm to 9pm - Public Talk at SCC
Speaker: Dr Richard Parker - Liverpool John Moores University
Topic: The cradle of the Sun: was our Solar System born in a star cluster?

Thu 06 Oct 2016, 7:30pm till 10:00 or later - Club Night at:
The Brittles Pavilion, Wistaston

Thu 20 Oct 2016, 7:30pm to 9pm - Public Talk at SCC
Speaker: Dr Megan Argo - Jodrell Bank Centre for Astrophysics
Topic: When Galaxies Collide

Thu 03 Nov 2016, 7:30pm till 10:00 or later - Club Night at:
The Brittles Pavilion, Wistaston

Thu 17 Nov 2016, 7:30pm to 9pm - Public Talk at SCC
Speaker: Dr Raphael Hirschi - Keele University
Topic: Cosmic Furnaces and Extreme Physics

Thu 01 Dec 2016, 7:30pm to 9pm - Public Talk at SCC
Speaker: Dr Stacey Habergham - Liverpool John Moores University
Topic: Exploring the Universe with Exploding Stars

Thu 15 Dec 2016, 7:30pm till 10:00 or later - Club Night at:
The Brittles Pavilion, Wistaston

Thu 12 Jan 2017, 7:30pm till 10:00 or later - Club Night at:
The Brittles Pavilion, Wistaston

Thu 26 Jan 2017, 7:30pm to 9pm - Public Talk at SCC
Speaker: Dr Mark Norris - uclan
Topic: The Largest Star Clusters & the Smallest Galaxies

Thu 09 Feb 2017, 7:30pm till 10:00 or later - Club Night at:
The Brittles Pavilion, Wistaston

Thu 23 Feb 2017, 7:30pm to 9pm - Public Talk at SCC
TALK CANCELLED DUE TO BAD WEATHER

Speaker: Prof. Andreas Freise - B'ham Univ. Astrophysics and Space Research Group
Topic: Shining a Light on Black Holes

Thu 16 Mar 2017, 7:30pm till 10:00 or later - Club Night at:
The Brittles Pavilion, Wistaston

Thu 30 Mar 2017, 7:30pm to 9pm - Public Talk at SCC
Speaker: Professor Nye Evans - Keele University Astrophysics Group
Topic: Why should we care about dust?

Thu 13 Apr 2017, 7:30pm till 10:00 or later - Club Night at:
The Brittles Pavilion, Wistaston

Thu 27 Apr 2017, 7:30pm to 9pm - Public Talk at SCC
Speaker: Prof. Prof. Michael A. Garrett - University of Manchester School of Physics and Astronomy
Topic: SETI (Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence) efforts and how we can do better…

This replaces:-

Speaker: Dr Chris Arridge - Lancaster University
Topic: The JUICE Mission to Jupiter and Ganymede

Thu 11 May 2017, 7:30pm till 10:00 or later - AGM & Club Night at:
The Brittles Pavilion, Wistaston

PAST

Sept 2015- May 2016 Season Meetings

Thu 10 Sep 2015, 7:30pm till 10:00 or later - Club Night at:
The Brittles Pavilion, Wistaston

Thu 24 Sep 2015, 7:00pm to 8:30pm - Public Talk at SCC
Speaker: Dr Timo Laitinen - UCLAN
Topic: Sun and Sun-Earth Connection
see also: Dr Timo Laitinen's Research web pages

Thu 08 Oct 2015, 7:30pm till 10:00 or later - Club Night

Thu 22 Oct 2015, 7:30pm to 9pm - Public Talk at SCC
Speaker: Dr Victor Debattista - UCLAN
Topic: Dark Matter. Changed to: Migration of stars in galaxies
see also: Victor Debattista's Research Website

Thu 12 Nov 2015, 7:30pm till 10:00 or later - Club Night at:
The Brittles Pavilion, Wistaston

Thu 26 Nov 2015, 7:30pm to 9pm - Public Talk at SCC
Speaker: Dr Giovanni Natale - UCLAN
Topic: Radiation Transfer in Galaxies

Thu 03 Dec 2015, 7:30pm till 10:00 or later - Club Night at:
The Brittles Pavilion, Wistaston

Thu 17 Dec 2015, 7:30pm to 9pm - Public Talk at SCC
Speaker: Dr Rene Breton - University of Manchester
Topic: Testing Einstein's Relativity Using Pulsars

Thu 14 Jan 2016, 7:30pm till 10:00 or later - Club Night at:
The Brittles Pavilion, Wistaston

Thu 28 Jan 2016, 7:30pm to 9pm - Public Talk at SCC
Speaker: Dr Torsten Henkel - University of Manchester
Topic: Presolar Grains - Stardust from before the solar system formed.
see also:
Dr Torsten Henkel | The University of Manchester | School of Earth, Atmospheric and Environmental Sciences
and
BBC - Science and Nature - When the cosmic dust settles

Thu 11 Feb 2016, 7:30pm till 10:00 or later - Club Night at:
The Brittles Pavilion, Wistaston

Thu 25 Feb 2016, 7:30pm to 9pm - Public Talk at SCC
Speaker: Dr Jacco Van Loon - Keele University
Topic: Spaceship Earth
see also: Jacco's Planet

Thu 17 Mar 2016, 7:30pm till 10:00 or later - Club Night at:
The Brittles Pavilion, Wistaston

Thu 31 Mar 2016, 7:30pm to 9pm - Public Talk at SCC
Speaker: Dr Althea Wilkinson - University of Manchester School of Physics and Astronomy
Topic: Square Kilometre Array

Thu 14 Apr 2016, 7:30pm till 10:00 or later - Club Night at:
The Brittles Pavilion, Wistaston

Thu 28 Apr 2016, 7:30pm to 9pm - Public Talk at SCC
Speaker: Rosalind Flinn MSc Astronomy - Chester Astronomical Society
Topic: Stellar Evolution

Thu 12 May 2016, 7:30pm till 10:00 or later - AGM & Club Night at:
The Brittles Pavilion, Wistaston

PAST

Sept 2014- May 2015 Season

Thu 11 Sep 2014, 7:30pm till 10:00 or later - Club Night at:
The Brittles Pavilion, Wistaston

Thu 25 Sep 2014, 7:30pm to 9pm - Public Talk at SCC
Speaker: Dr Dean McLaughlin - Keele University
Topic: Supermassive Black Holes and the Formation of Galaxies

Thu 09 Oct 2014, 7:30pm till 10:00 or later - Club Night at:
The Brittles Pavilion, Wistaston

~~Thu 23 Oct 2014, 7:30pm to 9pm -~~ ~~Public Talk at SCC~~
CANCELLED
Thu 06 Nov 2014, 7:30pm till 10:00 or later - Club Night at:
The Brittles Pavilion, Wistaston

Thu 20 Nov 2014, 7:00 for 7:30pm to 9pm - Public Talk at SCC
Speaker: Dr Matt Darnley - Liverpool John Moores University, Astrophysics Research Institute
Topic: Novae!

Thu 04 Dec 2014, 7:30pm till 10:00 or later - Club Night at:
The Brittles Pavilion, Wistaston

Thu 18 Dec 2014, 7:00 for 7:30pm to 9pm - Public Talk at SCC
Speaker: Prof Tim O'Brien - University of Manchester & Jodrell Bank
Topic: Exploding stars : an ultra-panchromatic view

Thu 08 Jan 2015, 7:30pm till 10:00 or later - Club Night at:
The Brittles Pavilion, Wistaston

Thu 22 Jan 2015, 7:00 for 7:30pm to 9pm - Public Talk at SCC
Speaker: Dr Dimitris Stamatellos - University of Central Lancashire
Topic: The formation of stars and planets

Thu 05 Feb 2015, 7:30pm till 10:00 or later - Club Night at:
The Brittles Pavilion, Wistaston

Thu 19 Feb 2015, 7:00 for 7:30pm to 9pm - Public Talk at SCC
Speaker: Dr Joanne Bibby - University of Central Lancashire
Topic: Massive Stars as Supernova Progenitors
(see also an earlier presentation:
Exploding Stars -- Where the Elements Come From on Vimeo)

Thu 05 Mar 2015, 7:30pm till 10:00 or later - AGM & Club Night at:
The Brittles Pavilion, Wistaston

Thu 19 Mar 2015, 7:00 for 7:30pm to 9pm - Public Talk at SCC
Speaker: Prof Derek Ward-Thompson - University of Central Lancashire
Topic: The Herschel Space Telescope and what it taught us about star formation Thu 20 Mar 2015, 8:00am till 11:00 or later - Solar Eclipse Observation at:
The Brittles Eric Swan sports field, Wistaston
for SCASTRO Members and for guest staff and children from the neighbouring junior school. Follow-up News Link

Thu 16 Apr 2015, 7:30pm till 10:00 or later - Club Night at:
The Brittles Pavilion, Wistaston

Thu 30 Apr 2015, 7:00 for 7:30pm to 9pm - Public Talk at SCC
Speaker: Ros Flinn MSc Astronomy - Chester Astronomical Society
Topic: Dark Matter and Dark Energy

Thu 14 May 2015, 7:30pm till 10:00 or later - Club Night at:
The Brittles Pavilion, Wistaston

THIS IS THE LAST SCHEDULED MEETING OF THE SEASON
We startup again in September

2013-2014 Season

provisional dates

Thu 12 Sep 2013, 8:00pm till 10:30 or later - Show-and-Tell Club Night at:
St Peter's Community Hall

Thu 26 Sep 2013, 7pm to 9pm - Public Talk at SCC
Prof Bill Chaplin University of Birmingham
Sounding stars and the search for new planets
(Listen to related podcast: Asteroseismology: using the natural music of the stars)

Thu 10 Oct 2013, 8:00pm till 10:30 or later - Club Night at:
St Peter's Community Hall

Thu 31 Oct 2013, 7pm to 9pm - Public Talk at SCC
Dr Peter Branson
Topic: 'Back-garden Astrophotography'
The talk will describe the decisions made about equipment and techniques used over an eighteen month period, and will be liberally illustrated with photographs of star clusters, nebulae and galaxies that can be seen in Derby's light polluted skies.

Thu 14 Nov 2013, 8:00pm till 10:30 or later - Club Night at:
St Peter's Community Hall

Thu 28 Nov 2013, 7pm to 9pm - Public Talk at SCC

Dr Colin Steele University of Manchester
The Solar Neighbourhood - A guide to the nearest stars
One of a set of topics

Thu 12 Dec 2013, 8:00pm till 10:30 or later - Club Night at:
St Peter's Community Hall

Thu 09 Jan 2014, 8:00pm till 10:30 or later - Club Night at:
St Peter's Community Hall
see top of page for event details

Thu 30 Jan 2014, 7pm to 9pm - Public Talk at SCC
Prof Rob Jeffries Keele University Astrophysics Dept
Peering into the Cosmic Furnace

Thu 13 Feb 2014, 8:00pm till 10:30 or later - Club Night at:
St Peter's Community Hall With a special guest astrophysics postgraduate speaker/presenter from Keele University

plus the usual stargazing and discussion activities

Thu 27 Feb 2014, 7pm to 9pm - Public Talk at SCC
Prof Albert Zijlstra University of Manchester
History of the Earth

Thu 13 Mar 2014, 8:00pm till 10:30 or later - Club Night at:
St Peter's Community Hall

Practical astronomy including observation if conditions are right;
+ Keele Post grad speaker on "- "Mass loss of sun sized stars and bigger during their 'superwind' phase."

Thu 27 Mar 2014, 7pm to 9pm - Public Talk at SCC
Dr Jacco van Loon Keele University Astrophysics Dept
Galaxies - islands in the sky

Thu 10 Apr 2014, 8:00pm till 10:30 or later - Club Night at:
St Peter's Community Hall

Thu 24 Apr 2014, 7pm to 9pm - Public Talk at SCC
SCASTRO President: William Stewart
'Shooting while you Sleep - Modern Methods for Detecting and Analysing Meteors'

For detailed information, and how you can join in, see www.nemetode.org

Thu 08 May 2014, 8:00pm till 10:30 or later - Club Night at:
St Peter's Community Hall

Thu 22 May 2014, 7pm to 9pm - Public Talk at SCC
An illustrated talk by accomplished amateur astronomer Nigel Ball, who is a founder of SCASTRO.
Subject : His recent trip to view and photograph the Northern Lights.

Thu 12 Jun 2014, 8:00pm till 10:30 or later - AGM & Club Night at:
St Peter's Community Hall

The Sept 2013 to June 2014 Season has finished.
We will be arranging some inter-season events and publishing them here.
Our Next Season starts in September 2014.

PROGRAMME
2012-2013 Season :

Thu 27 Sep 2012, 7:30pm to 9pm - OPEN NIGHT

Thu 18Oct 2012, 7pm to 9pm - Public Talk at SCC
Dr Colin Steele, University of Manchester
Meteors - From Comet to Camera
(one of a set of talks that Dr Steele gives)

Fri 26 Oct 2012, 8:00pm till 10:30 or later - Club Night at:
St Peter's Community Hall

Fri 9 Nov 2012, 8:00pm till 10:30 or later - Club Night at:
St Peter's Community Hall

Thu 29 Nov 2012, 7pm to 9pm -Public Talk at SCC
Professor Albert Zijlstra, University of Manchester
Planetary Nebula of the Galactic Bulge

Fri 7 Dec 2012, 8:00pm till 10:30 or later - Club Night at:
St Peter's Community Hall

Fri 4 Jan 2013, 8:00pm till 10:30 or later - Club Night at:
St Peter's Community Hall

Thu 31 Jan 2013, 7pm to 9pm -Public Talk at SCC
Presenter: Prof Rob Jeffries, Keele University Astrophysics Dept.
New Discoveries in Exoplanetary Systems
See also the following link to this event: SCASTRO - BBC Star Gazing Live Event

Fri 22 Feb 2013, 8:00pm till 10:30 or later - Club Night at:
St Peter's Community Hall

Thu 28 Feb 2013, 7pm to 9pm - Public Talk at SCC
Professor Carole Mundell, Liverpool John Moores University
Big Bangs & Black Holes
See also the following link to this event: SCASTRO - BBC Star Gazing Live Event

Fri 8 Mar 2013, 8:00pm till 10:30 or later - Club Night at:
St Peter's Community Hall

Fri 12 Apr 2013, 8:00pm till 10:30 or later - Club Night at:
St Peter's Community Hall

Thu 25 Apr 2013, 7pm to 9pm - Public Talk at SCC
Prof Jim Wild, Lancaster University
In Search of the Northern Lights

Fri 3 May 2013, 8:00pm till 10:30 or later - Club Night at:
St Peter's Community Hall

23May 2013, 7pm to 9pm - Public Talk at SCC
Dr Althea Wilkinson, University of Manchester
The Planck Mission
See Also: Planck unveils wonders of the Universe

+ Planck HFI mission draws to a close

Thu Fri 21 June 2013, 8:00pm till 10:30 or later - Club Night at:
St Peter's Community Hall.
Summer Solstice special - SCASTRO's project 'Bringing The Sun Down to Earth'.
&
Short AGM (for members: Agenda)

Please get in touch for enquiries.

A SELECTION of PAST SCASTRO MEETINGS (in reverse date order)

these are kept in order to preserve the links if you want to follow up.

Thu 28 June 2012, 7pm to 9pm - Public Talk at SCC
Planetary Nebula
Presenter: Dr Myfanwy Lloyd -
of The University of Manchester

Thu 31 May 2012, 7pm to 9pm - Public Talk at SCC
How I Wonder What You Are: The Birth and Life and Death of Stars
Presenter: Dr Paul Ruffle
of Jodrell Bank Centre for Astrophysics, The University of Manchester

Thu 26 April 2012, 7pm to 9pm - Public Talk at SCC
Meteorites and the Early Solar System
Presenter: Prof Jamie Gilmour -
Professor of Planetary Science at The University of Manchester

South Cheshire Astronomical Society