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Astronomical Society of Haringey |
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MEETINGS
UPDATED SEPTEMBER 2017
MEETING VENUE
First Floor, Music & Drama Block, Ashmole School, Southgate, London N14 5RJ
The building is marked below, the two-story building next to the original Music Room where we used to meet
(Marked with the X below - though this is now a brand new building)
The stairs are directly ahead of you through the marked door.
We either use the meeting room directly on the right at the top of the stairs, or the auditorium, which is left, and along the corridor
The day for all meetings is set at the third Thursday of the relevant month.
But in case of changes it is always advisable to double-check the dates below.
Correct up until press day, these dates will also be found in the magazine and mentioned on 
Doors open - 7.30pm : Main speaker - 8.00pm. Finish - 10.00pm sharp
Meetings directly below are those are for 2017, reminders of 2016 & 2015 below these
Note that the NEXT meeting is always at the top of the list
(Previous meetings move to the bottom of the relevant year)
Meeting details for 2014 now have their own page - click here
For those in 2013, here , and for those in 2012, here
Clicking on photos where relevant (when you hover the mouse, the border will change colour) will bring up other website or Facebook pages.
2017 |
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September 21st
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DARKNESS VISIBLE POSTPONED until October
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October 5th NEXT
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DARKNESS VISIBLE Early date to coincide with SPACE WEEK Includes the AGM A round-up of the Total Solar Eclipse that will have occurred over a wide swath of the United States on 21st August - moved from September (Image shown from the 2006 total eclipse) |
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| October 19th | OBSERVATION EVENING |
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| November 16th | TBA | |
| December | No meeting this month | |
2018 |
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| January 18th Dr Simon Drake & Dr Andrew Beard |
The Skye Meteorite THIS DATE MAY MOVE A DAY EARLIER - DUE TO SPEAKER AVAILABILITY |
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previously for 2017 |
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January 12th Jim Webb & Alister Innes |
OBSERVING EVENING Meet at the Observing Site at the earlier time of 18.00hrs, 6.00pm POSTPONED |
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January 19th Dale Baker
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SIGN HERE PLEASE Society member Dale Baker collects autographs - but there's far more to it than that! The Society is well known for its eclectic talks, and here certainly is one as Dale will tell stories, show clips and - maybe - even reveal a few secrets (!) of our on-screen Science Fiction heroes.
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February 9th Jim Webb & Alister Innes |
OBSERVING EVENING Meet at the Observing Site at the earlier time of 18.00hrs, 6.00pm
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February 16th Jim Webb
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CASSINI - GRAND FINALE The Saturn Cassini probe has only a few month left - it will be steered to destruction in the Saturnian atmosphere in September 2017. It has been in space for 20 years and has been one of the most successful planetary probes ever. Jim will be examining the legacy and what will be happening in the next few months.
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March 16th Mat Irvine
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L.A. CONFIDENTIAL A recent visit to the 'City of Angels' involved an eclectic mix of scenes...
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April 1st Wayne Johnson
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OBSERVING EVENING at the Royal Gunpowder Mills
Royal Gunpowder Mills, Beaulieu Drive, Waltham Abbey,EN9 1JX |
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April 20th Michael Franks
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NEWS FROM THE CAPE Michael continues his latest visit to the Kennedy Space Center, as featured in 2002, January and February, with more stories and photos
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May 18th Jim Webb & Alister Innes
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TELESCOPE MASTERCLASS We often assume all Society members automatically know all there is to know about telescope and viewing, but of course they may not, and anyway new members arrive, and they may not be fully knowledgeable as to 'how to get the best out of your instrument'! So for this meeting, Observing Officers Jim Webb (right) and Alister innes (left) will take you through the basics, including the different types of 'scopes and lenses, and of course that a good pair of binoculars are also very useful for viewing the heavens |
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June 15th George Emsden
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SETI@HOME This slightly enigmatic title refers to the fact that firstly SETI - the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence - is still alive and well, and now through BOINC (Berkeley Open Infrastructure for Network Computing) anyone with spare downtime on their home computer (and most home computers are only used at 1% of their capacity) can join in the search. Past ASH member George Emsden, who participates in the exercise, will show how it is all achieved! |
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| July - August | No meetings these months | |
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January 21st Mat Irvine
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BRITAIN IN SPACE (AT LAST) The main news for anyone in the UK (and we hope elsewhere) in space, is that we have finally got an official British ESA astronaut to the International Space Station. Celebrated around the UK on 15th December when the launch took place, including a Stargazing Live Special from the Science Museum, this was just the start of Tim's visit to the ISS, where he will be for six months. We trust also that it is a re-boot in the new-found 'official' interest in human spaceflight, that until now was frankly ignored by the UK Government (of any colour), as not being a priority. Your Editor, who was working on the SGL Tim Peake Special, will take you through the whole story and - as your Starter for 10 - just how many British-born astronauts have there been? |
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February 18th Alister Innes and
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OBSERVING EVENING Meet at the Barnet Observing Site see details. The Moon is just over half, so the terminator - the line between light and dark - will show the mountains and craters far better than at Full Moon Jupiter will also be rising during the evening |
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March 17th Mike Goldsmith
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NEW HORIZONS TO PLUTO More on the recent New Horizon probe encounter with what is still referred to by many as 'the outermost planet'. Mike Goldsmith has written an intriguing book on all aspects of the planet (dwarf or not...); its discovery; recent demotion and the latest findings from New Horizons. The book also includes other aspects of Pluto, such as its mention in fiction - and that includes Doctor Who!
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April 21st Jim Webb, Kyri Voskou, Alister Innes
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OBSERVING EVENING Meet at the Barnet Observing Site see details. The Moon is almost full, so a good comparison to the February meeting. The Lyrid Meteor Shower is at near-peak, and although the bright Moon isn't the best situation, you never know! Plus Jupiter is still bright and Mercury could just about be visible??? |
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May 19th Mat Irvine
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THE UNDERGROUND CORN CIRCLE Fermilab, set in the corn fields of Illinois, about 30 miles west of Chicago, is not quite as large as CERN, but it came first. Visibly the site is dominated by the impressive Wilson Hall. (left) Fermilab runs many international projects and it is also the centre for DUNE - Deep Underground Neutrino Experiment - shooting these elusive particles underground to a similar facility at Stanford, 800 miles away. Includes a trip 1000 feet underground to meet the detectors! |
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June 16th Michael Franks
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SPACEX AND THE WAY TO MARS Elon Musk says he wants to visit the International Space Station aboard his own craft by 2020 -- and he doesn't think it will be "that hard". Speaking at the StartmeupHK Festival in Hong Kong, Musk said the company was also looking further ahead, to Mars and beyond, and could unveil its plan to do so as soon as September 2016. Michael Franks has been digging deeper and will explain more at this meeting |
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July and August 2016
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No Meeting these months | |
September 15th Jim Webb & Alister Innes
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OBSERVING EVENING at the Society's Viewing Site VISITORS WELCOME
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October 6th Michael Franks
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ASTEROID MINING : GOLD RUSH or GOING BUST? Will this be the Gold Rush of the 21st Century? The prospectors will certainly be a tad more sophisticated than their 19the Century distant relatives, but the rewards could be as great - if not greater...
This Meeting will also include the AGM |
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October 20th EXTRA Jim Webb and
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OBSERVING EVENING An extra meeting, on the day that would have been the usual October date. Meet at the Observing Site from 20.00hrs / 8pm Sights on view could be the constellations, Andromeda, Pegasus and Taurus - the last of which contains the Plieades or Seven Sisters open star cluster, always worth a view. |
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November 17th Jerry Stone
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NELL, ESTHER AND AUNT EFFIE This enigmatic title refers to 2016 being the 90th Anniversary of the launch of the world's first liquid-fuelled rocket. This was on March 26th 1926 by Robert H Goddard in Auburn, Massachusetts. Jerry has been delving deeper into this very important milestone- which will also reveal the 'why' of 'Nell', 'Esther' and 'Aunt Effie'...
THIS TALK WAS MOVED FROM THE SEPTEMBER DATE |
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December 8th
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OBSERVING EVENING
An Observing Evening is being planned for this day. Postponed due to weather |
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| previously for 2015 | ||
January 15th
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OBSERVING EVENING This will be at the Society's now usual site in Barnet Click HERE for map and details |
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February 26th Michael Franks
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ALAN TURING : THE ENIGMA With the success of the British film, The Imitation Game, exploring the life and times of Alan Turing, (starring Benedict Cumberbatch), Michael Franks takes an in-depth look at this most - appropriately - enigmatic of scientists. He will also be looking at Turing’s love of puzzles, in itself one of the unofficial requirements for the Code Breakers, and how this led to him be one of the major ‘cogs in the wheel’ of the work done during the War. Michael will also be explaining how it all works, using a paper model of the Enigma Machine. There is also an Enigma link to one of Michael’s other passions - a geocache based on Enigma codes. This will be followed by a round-up of the Moon and planet conjunctions over the last few days. |
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March 19th Jim Webb & Alister Innes
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OBSERVING EVENING One day before the New Moon, so we hope for clear dark skies (well as dark as they will ever be in the London area!!!). It is also one day before the Total Solar Eclipse, that will be a 90% and more partial over the British Isles. So besides our night-time viewing, a few pointers for safe viewing the following day Click HERE for the OBSERVING page, with map and details. |
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April 16th Mat Irvine
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MARCH 20 : REDUX The date saw two events - the last day of this year's Stargazing Live, and the only day for this year's Solar Eclipse. Your Editor was there for both (OK he accepts anyone could be there for the latter - assuming a clear sky), so behind the scenes on SGL5 and what could have been seen of the Eclipse. POSTPONED DUE TO CIRCUMSTANCES BEYOND YOUR EDITOR'S CONTROL |
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May 21st Jim Webb
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MESSENGER R.I.P. The NASA space probe MESSENGER's survey of the Solar System's smallest planet, Mercury, came to an abrupt end on 30th April, when it was deliberately crashed into the planet's surface. Much has been learned of this mysterious world over this four-year mission, so time for a re-cap. Chairman Jim Webb will be taking us through what MESSSENGER has discovered. |
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June 18th Mat Irvine
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ONCE UPON A TIME This fully illustrated talk is about a place that fulfils the 'fantastical' element in any of the ASH's admittedly very wide range of interests. Situated in deepest Wisconsin, it's about one of the strangest of places you are ever likely to visit!
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June 29th MONDAY Alister Innes &
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EXTRA MEETING OBSERVING VENUS and JUPITER
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July and August
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No meetings these months
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September 17th Jerry Stone
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THE RACE INTO SPACE In 1971 the Brooke Bond Tea Company added to its famous Picture Card sets with one titled 'The Race into Space'. This, in its standard 50 card set, chronicled the Space Age from the launch of Sputnik 1 in 1957 to what could possibly occur with a Mission to Mars in - at that time - the future of the 1980s!!
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October 8th
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WHO OWNS THE MOON? Who indeed does own the Moon - assuming anyone? Originally with only nations sending craft and astronauts - to the Moon, this was perhaps purely an academic question. But now with the increasing interest from private companies in returning to the Moon, they would naturally want to maximise their investment. Consequently the legal situation of the potential valuable pickings, especially from its mineral content, is going to be an interesting question? With Michael being a solicitor and therefore having expertise in legal matters, this is an ideal subject for him. The Meeting will also include the AGM
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November 19th Mat Irvine
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ROBERT vs THE FLYING SAUCERS
This enigmatic title reflects the odd situation of a certain small town in New Mexico, USA that boasts a museum celebrating the life and times of a pioneer rocket engineer at one end of the high street, and, at the other, a more flamboyant exhibit in a converted cinema, that records the possibility of another event that supposedly occurred in the area, in 1947. More to be revealed during this fully illustrated talk, including the name of that New Mexican town - in case you haven't already worked it out...! |
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| December | No meeting this month |
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Dr Mike Goldsmith studied variable stars and cosmic dust at Keele University, receiving his Ph D in 1987. Since then he has written more than fifty books and scientific papers on a variety of subjects, including astronomy and astrophysics. He worked in the field of acoustics for many years, as head of the Acoustics Group at the UK's National Physical Laboratory. He is now a freelance researcher and science writer.
