Our Gatherings

We hold regular monthly meet-ups for informal talks about astronomy (and occasionally other things!) on the last Wednesday of the month.

All with an interest in astronomy are welcome from beginners to old hands.

DateTimeMeeting/ActivityLocationAudience
Wed 27th Mar 19:30Dr Emma Curtis Lake “JWST’s first year of science”HMoA and ZoomMembers and visitors
Wed 24th Apr19:30Prof Leigh Fletcher – the gas giantsHMoA and ZoomMembers and visitors
Wed 29th May19:30Dr Penny Wozniakiewicz – high velocity impactorsHMoA and ZoomMembers and visitors
Wed 26th Jun19:30Pete Richardson – the 20″ homebuilt telescopeHMoA and ZoomMembers and visitors

We usually meet in the gallery of the Herschel Museum of Astronomy, 19 New King Street, Bath, BA1 2BL. Simply come along 15 minutes before the gathering and you should find the door unlocked/open. We like to use the Drawing Room upstairs, so upon arrival walk down the short corridor and turn up the stairs on your left. The Drawing Room is straight ahead on the next floor. If the event is to be in the Gallery or Garden, go around the front door and down the basement steps immediately behind and on the left. Walk down the steps and head in the same direction into the kitchen and then the workshop. The gallery is on your left at the rear of the building.

Past Events

DateSpeaker/EventLocation
Wed 28th FebMembers’ Night TalksHybrid – Herschel Museum and Zoom
Wed 31st Jan 2024Talk by Dr Carolin Villforth – Feeding Supermassive Black HolesHybrid – Herschel Museum and Zoom
YouTube.com
13th DecemberTalk by Richard Hook “The Quest for monster telescopes”Herschel Museum
28th NovemberTalk by Dr Becky Smethurst “How to grow a Supermassive Black Hole”Bath Literary and Scientific Institution
25th OctoberTalk by Steve Warbis “Quick Astrophotography under a light-polluted sky”Hybrid – Herschel Museum and Zoom
YouTube.com
27th SeptemberTalk by Simon Holbeche “Twinkle Twinkle”Hybrid – Herschel Museum and Zoom
YouTube.com
28th JuneTalk by Mary McIntyre “A History of Women in Astronomy Part 2”Hybrid – Herschel Museum and Zoom
YouTube.com
31st MayTalk by Dr Hannah Wakeford “Diving through exoplanet atmospheres”Hybrid – Herschel Museum and Zoom
YouTube.com
3rd MayTalk by Ian Ridpath
“When we Walked on the Moon”
Hybrid – Herschel Museum and Zoom
YouTube.com
29th MarchTalk by Martin Lunn
“Asteroids, Comets and the Death of the Dinosaurs”
Hybrid – Herschel Museum and Zoom
YouTube.com
22nd FebruaryMember’s EveningHybrid – Herschel Museum and Zoom
YouTube.com
25th January ’23Talk by Dr David Tsang “Astra in Extremis: The fascinating afterlives of undead stars”Hybrid – Herschel Museum and Zoom
YouTube.com
7th DecemberTalk by Lee Pullen “Taking your astrophotography to the next level “Herschel Museum
30th NovemberTalk by Dr Patricia Schady “Tracing the enrichment of the Universe with Gamma Ray Bursts”Hybrid – Herschel Museum and Zoom
YouTube.com
26th OctoberTalk by Dr Jenifer Millard “Exploring the Invisible Cosmos Through Island Universes”Hybrid – Herschel Museum and Zoom
YouTube.com
28th SeptemberTalk by Martin Griffiths “Bright Asterisms in Binoculars and small Telescopes”Hybrid – Herschel Museum and Zoom
YouTube.com
29th JuneTalk by Dr Megan Argo
“The next blink of a cosmic eye: astronomy in the next 200 years”
Hybrid – Herschel Museum and Zoom
[Private YouTube.com]
25th MayTalk by Bernard Henin on
Other Worlds with the JWST
Hybrid – Herschel Museum and Zoom
YouTube.com
27th AprilTalk by Chris Starr, Cassini-Huygens: Mission to SaturnHybrid – Herschel Museum and Zoom
[Private YouTube.com]
30th MarchTalk by Mark McIntyre on “Meteors: an Observers’ Guide”Hybrid – Herschel Museum and Zoom
YouTube.com
23rd FebruaryMembers’ NightHybrid – Herschel Museum and Zoom
YouTube.com
26th JanuaryTalk by Dr Tim Gregory on Sky StonesHybrid – Herschel Museum and Zoom
[Private YouTube.com]
12th January
2022
Talk by Dr Emma Curtis-Lake on JWSTOnline talk using Zoom
[Private YouTube.com]
24th NovemberTalk by Hannah Sergeant on the Lunar RegolithHybrid – Herschel Museum and Zoom YouTube.com
24th NovemberAnnual General MeetingHybrid – Herschel Museum and Zoom YouTube.com
27th OctoberTalk by Prof Lucie Green on solar researchHybrid – Herschel Museum and Zoom
[Private YouTube.com]
29th September Talk by Pete Richardson on
Making your own 10″ Dobsonian
Online talk using Zoom
YouTube.com
30th JuneMembers’ talks. 8 personal experiences of the interest we shareOnline talk using Zoom
YouTube.com
26th MayTalk by Peter Williamson on
Moons of the Solar System
Online talk using Zoom
YouTube.com
28th AprilTalk by Mary McIntyre on Constellations: Mythology to Modern DayOnline talk using Zoom
YouTube.com
31st MarchTalk by Dr Julian Onions on
Aperture Fever – does my mirror look big in this?
Online talk using Zoom
YouTube.com
24th FebruaryTalk by Nora Eisner on
Planet Hunters TESS: discovering exoplanets using citizen science
Online talk using Zoom
27th JanuaryTalk by Nick Howes on
Oh my God, we’re goin’ to die
Online talk using Zoom
YouTube.com
13th January 2021Talk by Damian Peach on
High Resolution Astrophotography
Online talk using Zoom
YouTube.com
16th DecemberSocial and quiz nightOnline Chat/Quiz
25th NovemberBath Astro AGM.
Talk by Bud Martin on A life on Mars
Online talk using Zoom
YouTube.com (AGM)
YouTube.com
24th NovemberGetting to Grips with the night skyOnline talk using Zoom
YouTube.com
28th October 2020Talk by Stephen Tonkin on Two eyes are better than oneOnline talk using Zoom
30th September 2020Mark Radice on Observing the PlanetsOnline talk using Zoom
24th June 2020Roger Hyman on Photos to Wow!! imagesOnline talk using Zoom
YouTube.com
27th May 2020Dr Ezzy Pearson on A Brief History of Rovers and LandersOnline talk using Zoom
YouTube.com
29th April 2020Bob Mizon on 8 Great AstronomersOnline talk using Zoom
26th February 2020Owen Brazell on Observing Planetary NebulaeHerschel Museum of Astronomy, Bath, UK
29th January 2020Member’s Night – a series of short talksHerschel Museum of Astronomy, Bath, UK
27th November 2019Roger Pickard on Variable StarsHerschel Museum of Astronomy, Bath, UK
30th October 2019Mark Woodland on Exoplanets for Amateur AstronomersHerschel Museum of Astronomy, Bath, UK
25th September 2019James Fradgley on 4 Short TalksHerschel Museum of Astronomy, Bath, UK
26th June 2019Pete Richardson on DIY Optics for AstronomyHerschel Museum of Astronomy, Bath, UK
24th April 2019Simon Holbeche, If it ain’t broke, fit itHerschel Museum of Astronomy, Bath, UK
28th February 2019Abi Chown on Measuring the UniverseHerschel Museum of Astronomy, Bath, UK
29th November 2018Hugh Allen on SpectroscopyPercy Centre, New King Street, Bath, UK
25th October 2018Simon Holbeche on CometsPercy Centre, New King Street, Bath, UK
27th September 2018Charles Draper on Autumn & Winter SkiesPercy Centre, New King Street, Bath, UK
28th June 2018Simon Holbeche on Solar ObservingPercy Centre, New King Street, Bath, UK
26th April 2018Pete Richardson on Telescope AstrophotographyPercy Centre, New King Street, Bath, UK
29th March 2018Andy Burns on Wide Field AstrophotographyPercy Centre, New King Street, Bath, UK
22nd February 2018Simon Holbeche on the MoonPercy Centre, New King Street, Bath, UK