HOME » Lecture and Meeting Timetable - 2006

Here is our diary for 2006. We have two types of regular meeting every month. A lecture style meeting typically on the third Wednesday of each month and a practical, observing oriented evening on the first Thursday of every month.

Monthly Lecture Meetings

Meetings start at 7:45pm at Woodrow High House, Amersham, Bucks. Click here for a map. All meetings are held in the Frankie Vaughan Studio which is situated to the left and round behind the main house (it is not visible from the car park).

Wednesday 18th January 2006

Mike Dworetsky (University of London Observatory)
Topic TBA

Wednesday 15th February

Telescope and Observing Evening (pictures from a previous event)

Wednesday 15th March

Jerry Workman WOLAS
The Cassini Mission to Saturn

Wednesday 19th April

Nik Szymanek (Web page)
CCD imaging

Wednesday 17 May

Martin Lunn
Topic TBA

Wednesday 21st June

Andy Lound (The Planetary Society)
Topic TBA

Wednesday 19th July

Bo Maxwell (The Mars Society)
Challenging the Paradigm presentation

Saturday 12th August

The Perseid Meteor Shower Barbecue

Saturday 2nd September

WAS 25th Anniversary celebrations (WAS)
including Andy Lound (The Planetary Society) - The History of Space and Astronomy over the last 25 years

Wednesday 20th September

Barry Kellett (Rutherford Appleton Laboratory)
Smart 1

Wednesday 18th October

Annual General Meeting followed by observing outside - wrap up warm!

Wednesday 15th November

Dr. Robert Lambourne (The Open University)
The Expanding Universe

Wednesday 13th December

WAS Christmas Party

For more details about the practical evenings, please click on Observing. Practical evening start at 8:00pm in the Frankie Vaughan Studio at Woodrow House and at the observatory if it is clear. Please come suitably dressed for outdoor observing.

Thursday 1st December 2005

Finding your way around the sky, the constellations and the stars useful as pointers, circumpolar stars, star magnitudes, the ecliptic and celestial co-ordinates.

Thursday 5th January 2006

Observing the Moon, moon maps, useful filters and practical tips. A short indoor session then outside if clear.

Thursday 2nd February

Choosing a telescope - Different types of scope: reflectors, refractors and catadioptric including the mounts available. Go-to facilities - Setting up and using go-to facilities, principles of alignment. What should you look for and where can they can be purchased.

Thursday 2nd March

Deep sky and Messier objects - Messier marathon preparation. Set here ready for MM towards the end of March or April.

Thursday 6th April

Observing the Planets. Mars and Saturn are visible, Jupiter will be visible in the summer.

Thursday 4th May

The solar system - relationship between sun, earth, moon and planets. Theory session, covers planetary and lunar motion, opposition, conjunction, retrograde, planet orbits.

Thursday 1st June

Observing the Sun. We might be able to have a short outdoors session, if we were to start early (19:00).

Thursday 6th July

Linking a telescope to a computer - The various computer programmes available and their use.

Thursday 3rd August

Astrophotography - Webcams and digital cameras - Equipment required and how to set it up with your scope. Manipulating and enhancing the images recorded on your computer.

Thursday 7th September

Observing with binoculars and telescopes. The WAS 50 Telescope and WAS 25 Binocular projects. Keeping a log. Recording your Observations - using drawings, voice notes, photography.

Thursday 5th October

Using a telescope - Setting up your scope, polar alignment, levelling, setting up and using the viewfinder, finding what you want to see and star hopping.

Thursday 2nd November

Eyepieces - Types of eyepieces and their uses including standard, wide angle and Barlow. Using diagonal prisms and filters. Focal length and magnification, perspective, field of view.

Thursday 7th December

Using star charts and the planisphere. The changing sky in winter, spring, summer and autumn.

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