Report to Herschel Society AGM

What are we up to?

Nov24

24 NovPublic Car Park, Wellow, Somerset

Public stargazing session at Wellow, south of Bath. These events involve Bath Astronomers bringing along a telescope and helping visitors see objects of interest in the sky that evening. It's all about sharing. If you have your own kit, bring it along and we might be able to help you use it more effectively or give you some hints/tips. Start time is 6pm. Subject to clear skies. You can find out more about the Wellow site by visiting https://bathastronomers.org.uk/observing/sites-wellow/ We'll check the weather is suitable and issue guidance on whether things are going ahead by 4pm on the day. Guidance will be issued on Facebook and Bath Astronomers website. Do no travel until you see confirmation in this Facebook event or on Bath Astronomers website. If you register for the event on our web site, we'll email you to confirm the event is happening i.e. registration is a good idea. You should dress warmly and arrive as close to the start time as possible to avoid car lights ruining people's night vision too frequently. Wear stout, warm, waterproof footwear and consider a thermos of your favourite warm drink. If you are not a member of Bath Astronomers/William Herschel Society, you can get on our mailing list by emailing stargazing-join@bathastronomers.org.uk

Nov27

Talk by Roger Pickard, Variable Stars

27 NovHerschel Museum of Astronomy

Wednesday 27th Nov – Monthly meeting. This month we start at 7:00pm as the talk is preceded by our General Meeting and vote for the Committee. Talk starts at 7:30pm. Roger Pickard is visiting Bath Astronomers on Wednesday 27th November to talk to us about getting into variable star observing both visually and with a camera. This year Roger completed 20 years as the British Astronomical Association's Variable Star Section Director and has passed the baton on to a new director, Jeremy Shears. He remains as Assistant Director. Roger has a wealth of experience observing these variations in the night sky over 50 years and has published many articles along the way. Estimates of the changing brightness of stars can give clues to the nature of individual and binary star systems and uncover mysteries still without explanation. The talk will cover, in general, the type of star recorded by the BAA Variable Star Section and will include an outline as to what they are and how and why they change brightness. In addition, Roger will shown you how to find and estimate the brightness of a variable star. Bath Astronomers monthly meeting for all members and new comers to meet up, enjoy perhaps a new topic and a cup of tea and a biscuit. Held on the last Wednesday of every month at the Herschel Museum of Astronomy, 19 New King Street. The format is open and comprises an update for the month and a talk on an astronomy topic within the reach of amateurs. All Visitors welcome and there is a charge of £5 which helps cover the cost of the venue. Reduced to £2 for juniors, students or WHS/Bath Astronomers members. Registration is not required. Picture: Simon Holbeche

Dec6

Stargazing at Wellow for all

6 DecPublic Car Park, Wellow, Somerset

Public stargazing session at Wellow, south of Bath. These events involve Bath Astronomers bringing along a telescope and helping visitors see objects of interest in the sky that evening. It's all about sharing. If you have your own kit, bring it along and we might be able to help you use it more effectively or give you some hints/tips. Start time is 6pm. Subject to clear skies - weather dependent. You can find out more about the Wellow site by visiting https://bathastronomers.org.uk/observing/sites-wellow/ We'll check the weather is suitable and issue guidance on whether things are going ahead by 4pm on the day. Guidance will be issued on Facebook and Bath Astronomers website. Do no travel until you see confirmation in this Facebook event or on Bath Astronomers website. If you register for the event on our web site, we'll email you to confirm the event is happening i.e. registration is a good idea. You should dress warmly and arrive as close to the start time as possible to avoid car lights ruining people's night vision too frequently. Wear stout, warm, waterproof footwear and consider a thermos of your favourite warm drink. If you are not a member of Bath Astronomers/William Herschel Society, you can get on our mailing list by emailing stargazing-join@bathastronomers.org.uk

Jan29

Member's Night; Short talks on your own projects and activities

29 JanHerschel Museum of Astronomy

Wednesday 29th Apr – Monthly meeting. Bath Astronomers monthly meeting for all members and new comers to meet up, enjoy perhaps a new topic and a cup of tea and a biscuit. Held on the last Wednesday of every month at the Herschel Museum of Astronomy, 19 New King Street. The format is open and comprises an update for the month and a talk on an astronomy topic within the reach of amateurs. All visitors welcome and there is a charge of £5 which helps cover the cost of the venue. Reduced to £2 for juniors, students or Bath Astronomers members. Picture: Simon Holbeche

Feb26

Talk by Owen Brazell

26 FebHerschel Museum of Astronomy

Wednesday 26th Feb – Monthly meeting. Bath Astronomers monthly meeting for all members and new comers to meet up, enjoy perhaps a new topic and a cup of tea and a biscuit. Held on the last Wednesday of every month at the Herschel Museum of Astronomy, 19 New King Street. The format is open and comprises an update for the month and a talk on an astronomy topic within the reach of amateurs. All visitors welcome and there is a charge of £5 which helps cover the cost of the venue. Reduced to £2 for juniors, students or Bath Astronomers members. Picture: Simon Holbeche

Mar21

Wells & Mendip Astronomers Messier Marathon

21 MarCharterhouse Outdoor Activity Centre

Wells & Mendip Astronomers are having their Messier Night on Saturday 21st March 20120 The event is open to the public and to Bath Astronomers. Discover Charles Messier’s deep-sky wonders in an almost moonless sky and listen to a Introductory talk.

Mar25

Talk by Bud Martin, A Life on Mars

25 MarHerschel Museum of Astronomy

Wednesday 25th Mar – Monthly meeting. Bath Astronomers monthly meeting for all members and new comers to meet up, enjoy perhaps a new topic and a cup of tea and a biscuit. Held on the last Wednesday of every month at the Herschel Museum of Astronomy, 19 New King Street. The format is open and comprises an update for the month and a talk on an astronomy topic within the reach of amateurs. All visitors welcome and there is a charge of £5 which helps cover the cost of the venue. Reduced to £2 for juniors, students or Bath Astronomers members. Picture: Simon Holbeche

Apr29

Talk by Chris Starr, Cassini and Saturn

29 AprHerschel Museum of Astronomy

NASA APOD

Mercury in Silhouette

Martin Wise

The small, dark, round spot in this solar close up is planet Mercury. In the high resolution telescopic image, a colorized stack of 61 sharp video frames, a turbulent array of photospheric convection cells tile the bright solar surface. Mercury's more regular silhouette still stands out though. Of course, only inner planets Mercury and Venus can transit the Sun to appear in silhouette when viewed from planet Earth. For this November 11, 2019 transit of Mercury, the innermost planet's silhouette was a mere 1/200th the solar diameter. So even under clear daytime skies it was difficult to see without the aid of a safe solar telescope. Following its transit in 2016, this was Mercury's 4th of 14 transits across the solar disk in the 21st century. The next transit of Mercury will be on November 13, 2032.

I gave a report of our activities to the William Herschel Society AGM a week or so ago. The report, and the Observing Log which underlies it, are both below.

Bath Astronomers final Draft report to the 2014 AGM of the Herschel Society.

Bath Astronomers Observing Log 2013

March 16, 2014 sholbeche

BA News

Buying a Telescope

So you're considering buying a telescope and the internet is awash with advice. So what can we add?

The key advice is to not buy immediately. Try to use a variety of telescopes in the field before you buy. You can do this by going to a public stargazing event or joining a local astronomical society and going on an observing night. All you need is a pair of 10x50 binoculars and your curiosity.

You can pick up a cheap pair of 10x50 binoculars from Millets for £15 to £25 - not great quality but they'll help you find objects in the sky.

Small, cheap telescopes (less than £150) tend to be very poor value for money as the view through them is limited, often coloured or distorted, and the view wobbly. The kicker is their resale value is low too.

If you have space to store it and can confortably lift 10kgs then we'd recommend the Skywatcher Skyliner 150P and preferably 200P. These are Newtonian reflecting telescopes on a Dobsonian mount costing between £199 and £275. These push me pull you telescopes are quick to set up and simple to use. You'll need to learn your way around the sky but then that's part of the fun.

If you wish to be more "astro tourist" and SatNav than learning your way around then a small to medium sized computerised telescope is a lighter but pricier option. The most compact versions are Maksutovs and Schmidt Cassegrains comprising both lenses and mirrors.

You can see a map of telescope retailers here