Next Meeting: Wednesday September 10th at 8:00pm Charles Messier - Comet Hunter Roger O’Brien

HAG Membership details: •£10 per year - renewable at end of July* •Non-members £2.00 first 3 meetings then annual membership subscription due pro rata for remaining meetings. •Free to under 18s and full time students. Proof of status may be required. •Under 16s must be accompanied by an adult.

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Visitors welcome - £2.00 per meeting

This meeting will be held at: University of Hertfordshire Lindop Building College Lane Hatfield AL10 9AB (What 3 words: stars.stones.energetic) and simultaneously on Zoom. There is plenty of parking space around the venue which is free after 19:00

We're diving into the fascinating world of 18th- century astronomy, and specifically, the remarkable work of Charles Messier. Dubbed the "Comet Ferret," by King Louis XV of France, Messier was a prodigious observer, yet ironically, his most enduring legacy isn't about comets at all. Instead, it's his ground-breaking catalogue of diffuse celestial objects – nebulae and star clusters – that truly cemented his place in scientific history. We'll explore how his meticulous observations, initially intended to avoid confusion with comets, inadvertently provided future generations with a foundational map of the deep sky, shaping our understanding of the cosmos even today. Join us as we uncover the story behind the famous Messier objects and the man who charted them. After six decades, Roger O’Brien is still an amateur astronomer. Whilst working for 26 years in a bank in the City, he “survived” to earn a BSc in Astronomy and began teaching. One course was held at the Sele School and it was students from that course, who founded the Hertford Astronomy Group. He says that one of his proudest moments was to be elected President of HAG.

Visitors most welcome at meetings or on Zoom

ZOOM

Visual Observing Sessions Our visual observing group is now up and running. You can learn more here or if you want to jump straight in then just complete the Visual Observing Response form below and we’ll let you know when we are next meeting. Next session - To be announced

HAGAS

The next meeting of astrophotography group is:

To Be Announced Room 1A161 Lindop Building College Lane Hatfield AL10 9AB

2025-26 Programme (subject to change)

Wed, Sep 10

Roger O’Brien

Charles Messier - Comet Hunter

Wed, Oct 8

Greg Smye- Rumsby

The History of Longitude at Greenwich

Wed, Nov 12

Garry Hunt

A Lifetime in Space

Wed, Dec 10

Students from the University of Hertfordshire

Subject matter TBC

Wed, Jan 14

Marina Galand

Aurora Around the Solar System

Wed, Feb 11

Simon Foster

Our Living Sun

Wed, Mar 11

Jerry Stone

Nell, Esther & Aunt Effie - The Centenary of the First Liquid- Fuelled rocket Launch

Wed, Apr 8

Sheridan Williams

Fascinating Astronomical Facts

Wed, May 13

Lewis Dartnell

AGM followed by A Scientist Goes to the Movies

Wed, June 10

Louise Devoy

Royal Observatory, Greenwich: A history through objects

Wheathampstead Village Day July 12 2025 Pictures courtesy of Jerry Stone Richard Sheppard and Steve Heliczer

Next Meeting: Wednesday September 10th at 8:00pm Charles Messier - Comet Hunter Roger O’Brien

We're diving into the fascinating world of 18th-century astronomy, and specifically, the remarkable work of Charles Messier. Dubbed the "Comet Ferret," by King Louis XV of France, Messier was a prodigious observer, yet ironically, his most enduring legacy isn't about comets at all. Instead, it's his ground-breaking catalogue of diffuse celestial objects – nebulae and star clusters – that truly cemented his place in scientific history. We'll explore how his meticulous observations, initially intended to avoid confusion with comets, inadvertently provided future generations with a foundational map of the deep sky, shaping our understanding of the cosmos even today. Join us as we uncover the story behind the famous Messier objects and the man who charted them. After six decades, Roger O’Brien is still an amateur astronomer. Whilst working for 26 years in a bank in the City, he “survived” to earn a BSc in Astronomy and began teaching. One course was held at the Sele School and it was students from that course, who founded the Hertford Astronomy Group. He says that one of his proudest moments was to be elected President of HAG.

Visitors most welcome at meetings or on Zoom