Membership details:
•£20 per year - renewable at end
of July*
•Non-members £3.50 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.
New to Zoom?
Next Meeting:
Wednesday May 12 at 8:00pm on Zoom
How to build a Universe
Chris Lovell
Galaxies are as diverse and complex as people, however, they also evolve over distinctly non-
human time scales and their unfathomable size means they can’t be poked and prodded in a
laboratory. Instead, to unlock
the secrets of their formation
and evolution, we look out
into the Universe using
telescopes (such as the
Hubble Space Telescope or
upcoming Webb Space
Telescope).
Unfortunately, these only
provide a snapshot of a
galaxy, frozen in time. To
truly understand how
galaxies evolve we need
something else: simulations!
But how do these work?
How do you take a computer
and reproduce a population
of galaxies? In this talk,
Chris will show exactly how
astrophysicists build these
toy Universes, and how they
help us understand our own
Universe’s past, present and
future.
Chris Lovell graduated from Cardiff University with a Masters in Astrophysics. He then spent a
couple of years working at the Bank of England before coming back to Astronomy, doing his
PhD at the University of Sussex. He is now a postdoctoral researcher at the University of
Hertfordshire.
Guests welcome
Topic: How to Build a Universe
Time: May 12, 2021 20:00 London
Join Zoom Meeting
https://zoom.us/j/98269897926?pwd=Z0NYTklxZ1MzOHUwL3RubExSNGx
JUT09
Meeting ID: 982 6989 7926
Passcode: 373261
Next Meeting:
Wednesday May 12 at 8:00pm
on Zoom
How to build a Universe
Chris Lovell
Galaxies are as diverse and complex as people, however, they
also evolve over distinctly non-human time scales and their
unfathomable size means they can’t be poked and prodded in a
laboratory. Instead, to unlock the secrets of their formation and
evolution, we look out into the Universe using telescopes (such
as the Hubble Space Telescope or upcoming Webb Space
Telescope).
Unfortunately, these only provide a snapshot of a galaxy, frozen
in time. To truly understand how galaxies evolve we need
something else: simulations! But how do these work? How do
you take a computer and reproduce a population of galaxies? In
this talk, Chris will show exactly how astrophysicists build these
toy Universes, and how they help us understand our own
Universe’s past, present and future.
Chris Lovell graduated from Cardiff University with a Masters in
Astrophysics. He then spent a couple of years working at the
Bank of England before coming back to Astronomy, doing his
PhD at the University of Sussex. He is now a postdoctoral
researcher at the University of Hertfordshire.
Topic: How to Build a Universe
Time: May 12, 2021 20:00 London
Join Zoom Meeting
https://zoom.us/j/98269897926?pwd=Z0NYTklxZ1MzOHUwL
3RubExSNGxJUT09
Meeting ID: 982 6989 7926
Passcode: 373261
What else you can do (2)
Terry's Sky Notes
Keep up to date with what is visible in the skyHowever, there are plenty of things that we can be doing with astronomy to keep ourselves interested and to share
that enthusiasm with members of our immediate families.
Feel free to send you own suggestions that we can add to this list.What else you can do (1)
Look in the (Virtual) sky
There are plenty of journals and websites that can tell you what to go and look for including Terry's Sky Notes in the next paragraph. Astronomy doesn't have to be an expensive hobby as you can go outside and stare at the sky and begin your journey of exploration into the realms of space using just your eyes. If it is cloudy then you can explore the sky using Stellarium which we are sure many of you have on your PCs, laptops, tablets and phones. If you haven't then we certainly recommend it to all as it is not only very good but also FREE! You can download it from https://stellarium.org/ and it will run on any operating system. - Windows, Android, Apple, Linux etc.What else you can do (4)
Catch up with one of our speakers
I've been trying to figure out what a public speaker does when public gatherings are banned. Unfortunately I fall through the cracks of the government support schemes and have been looking for ways to stay afloat so that I can continue to visit societies once things return to normal. As part of this I'm now offering some of my talks online. I wondered if you could send a message to your members with details? It's a chance to watch talks again or catch up on any that they missed in person. Currently there are three talks at www.colinstuart.net/videotalks and if they prove popular I'll be adding more in the coming weeks. Best wishes, Colin Stuart
What else you can do (5)
Look for life in Space
Yes, you can look for intelligent life in space by finding when the International Space Station is due to fly over and making a point to go outside to see it. It is quite easy really. Follow this link that will tell you when it is flying over London (near enough to us). The International Space Station circles the Earth 16 times each day, at an altitude of around 400 km / 250 miles. It is staffed by a crew of six who normally stay for six months at a time, working in rotating 3-person "missions" that overlap by three months. The ISS has been continuously manned since November 2000. (more)
What else you can do (6)
Start Astrophotgraphy
HAGAS, our astro photography group, recently had a great presentation from Mary McIntyre who has kindly given us permission to publish some of her work. This month we are looking at Photographing the Milky Way from the UK. Have a look at Mary's website to see even more startling images and sources of inspiration. So get your DSLR camera out and give it a go. And, of course, share your results with us - good or bad! Here are some that have been sent in already.What else you can do (3)
Perfect for cloudy night - or day even!
In the last edition of Popular Astronomy (the SPA magazine March- April 2020) there was an article by Mark McIntyre about how you could make a radio meteor detector. We asked Mark if we could reprint the article and he sent me this web link which contains all the information. We confess that we thought the magazine article looked a little easier to digest at first glance so if you want a copy of that we can scan it for you. Maybe the web link puts flesh on the bones so to speak. So how about it? Are we going to start a Radio section of our club? Let us know if you are interested in doing this.
Coronavirus
We are certainly living in interesting times with our meetings on hold until further notice.
Stay safeWhat else you can do (7)
We can also listen to 13 Minutes to the Moon – Series 1 on Apollo 7, and (in progress now) the Apollo 13 rescue. Go to https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/w13xttx2/episodes/downloads. Wonderful stuff!Paul Wernick
What else you can do (8)
Catch up with the history of the Hubble Space Telescope with this podcast. https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m000h7cr Jack Martin
Coronavirus
We are certainly living in interesting times
with our meetings on hold until further
notice.
Stay safe
However, there are plenty of things that we
can be doing with astronomy to keep
ourselves interested and to share that
enthusiasm with members of our
immediate families.
Feel free to send you own suggestions that we can add to this list.What else you can do (1)
Look in the (Virtual) sky
There are plenty of journals and websites that can tell you what to go and look for including Terry's Sky Notes in the next paragraph. Astronomy doesn't have to be an expensive hobby as you can go outside and stare at the sky and begin your journey of exploration into the realms of space using just your eyes. If it is cloudy then you can explore the sky using Stellarium which we are sure many of you have on your PCs, laptops, tablets and phones. If you haven't then we certainly recommend it to all as it is not only very good but also FREE! You can download it from https://stellarium.org/ and it will run on any operating system. - Windows, Android, Apple, Linux etc.What else you can do (3)
Perfect for cloudy night - or day even!
In the last edition of Popular Astronomy (the SPA magazine March- April 2020) there was an article by Mark McIntyre about how you could make a radio meteor detector. We asked Mark if we could reprint the article and he sent me this web link which contains all the information. We confess that we thought the magazine article looked a little easier to digest at first glance so if you want a copy of that we can scan it for you. Maybe the web link puts flesh on the bones so to speak. So how about it? Are we going to start a Radio section of our club? Let us know if you are interested in doing this.What else you can do (4)
Catch up with one of our speakers
I've been trying to figure out what a public speaker does when public gatherings are banned. Unfortunately I fall through the cracks of the government support schemes and have been looking for ways to stay afloat so that I can continue to visit societies once things return to normal. As part of this I'm now offering some of my talks online. I wondered if you could send a message to your members with details? It's a chance to watch talks again or catch up on any that they missed in person. Currently there are three talks at www.colinstuart.net/videotalks and if they prove popular I'll be adding more in the coming weeks. Best wishes, Colin Stuart
What else you can do (5)
Look for life in Space
Yes, you can look for intelligent life in space by finding when the International Space Station is due to fly over and making a point to go outside to see it. It is quite easy really. Follow this link that will tell you when it is flying over London (near enough to us). The International Space Station circles the Earth 16 times each day, at an altitude of around 400 km / 250 miles. It is staffed by a crew of six who normally stay for six months at a time, working in rotating 3- person "missions" that overlap by three months. The ISS has been continuously manned since November 2000. (more)
What else you can do (6)
Start Astrophotgraphy
HAGAS, our astro photography group, recently had a great presentation from Mary McIntyre who has kindly given us permission to publish some of her work. This month we are looking at Photographing the Milky Way from the UK. Have a look at Mary's website to see even more startling images and sources of inspiration. So get your DSLR camera out and give it a go. And, of course, share your results with us - good or bad! Here are some that have been sent in already.
What else you can do (7)
We can also listen to 13 Minutes to the Moon – Series 1 on Apollo 7, and (in progress now) the Apollo 13 rescue. Go to https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/w13xttx2/episodes/downloads. Wonderful stuff!Paul Wernick
What else you can do (8)
Catch up with the history of the Hubble Space Telescope with this podcast. https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m000h7cr Jack Martin
What else you can do (2)
Terry's Sky Notes
Keep up to date with what is visible in the sky
Astrophotography Section
If you have an interest in astro photography and are not sure where to start then HAGAS will be the place
for you. All members of HAG are welcome to come along to HAGAS meetings - just let Martin know.
All talks are held at the Stanboroughs Conservative club, Conduit Lane, Hoddesdon EN11 8EP.
Meetings start at 20:00 hrs unless otherwise stated.
The Great Conjunction - 21 December 2020
Unfortunately, the clouds conspired against us viewing the event but, anticipating this, Kathleen, Jack,
Richard and Steve took these photos on the nights before the 21st when the sky was reasonably clear. Well
done!
Kathleen Lord
Richard Sheppard
Steve Heliczer
Jack Martin
Astrophotography Section
If you have an interest in astro
photography and are not sure where to
start then HAGAS will be the place for you.
All members are welcome to come along to
HAGAS meetings - just let Denis know.
All talks are held at the Stanboroughs
Conservative Club, Conduit Lane,
Hoddesdon EN11 8FN (click for map) and
start at 20:00 hrs unless otherwise stated.
Next Meeting:
9July 8th Nik Szymanek - Zoom
Club Members Photos
Richard’s photos of
the Moon - March
2021
Chris Miles’s photos
of the Crab Nebula,
M27 and M51 July
2020
Steve Heliczer’s October Montage
•
*Notes on Steve's photo:
•
Moon: Clavius crater (with two smaller craters inside) where water molecules were
discovered, announced last week by NASA.
•
M42 and Running Man: Quick capture in a welcome return of the Orion Constellation for
the winter, taken at 3:00am. The kit was dripping wet with condensation and it was very
cold..!
•
Western Veil Nebula (supernova remnant) in Cygnus
•
Mars: Last of opposition in very poor seeing.
•
Pleiades with nebulosity captured. Prize to the person who can spot the tiny galaxy
estimated around 330 million light years away in this picture :)
Jack Martin’s images
of the asteroid Vesta
April 2021
Astrophotography Section
If you have an interest in astro
photography and are not sure where to
start then HAGAS will be the place for you.
All members are welcome to come along to
HAGAS meetings - just let Denis know.
All talks are held at the Stanboroughs
Conservative Club, Conduit Lane,
Hoddesdon EN11 8FN (click for map) and
start at 20:00 hrs unless otherwise stated.
Next Meeting:
9July 8th Nik Szymanek - Zoom
Terry’s Sky Notes
Each month our colleague Terry tells us about what to look out for in the
coming weeks. It is a great place to start when you are not sure what to
look for.
What to look out for over the coming months
APRIL Night Sky
Leo The Lion – look southwards at 20° (two fists widths) above the horizon and find the easy to
identify constellation of several bright stars, which includes the ‘Sickle’ asterism.
Philip’s Planisphere for Northern Europe – mid April
(α Leo) – A main sequence double star 79 light-years away, comprising α
1
a blue-white
spec.type B8 Ivn, together with α
2
an orange spec.type K2 V. (RA 10
h
08
m
Dec 11° 58´).
(β Leo) – A blue-white binary star system 36 light-years distant. The primary β
1
spec.type A3
Va, with 1.8x mass, 15x luminosity and 1.7x radius of the Sun. (RA 11
h
49
m
Dec +14° 34´).
Algieba (γ
Leo
) – Another binary pair 130 light-years from the earth.
γ
1
an orange-red giant spec.type
KI-IIIbCN-0.5
and
γ
2
a
yellow
giant
spec.type
G7IIICN-I.
They
are
23x
and
10x
larger,
320x
and
40x
more
luminous than our Sun, respectively. (
RA 10
h
19
m
Dec +19° 50´
).
Zosma
(δ Reg) – A bright white star 15x more luminous and 2x the mass and radius of our Sun, and is
a spec.type A4 V (RA 11
h
14
m
Dec 20° 31´).
NGC 2903 – A barred spiral galaxy of similar size to the Milky Way, about 40 million km (25 million
miles) from the Earth. (RA 09
h
32
m
Dec +21° 30´).
LRG
3-757
(
Cosmic
Horseshoe
)
–
A
massive
galaxy
(100x
mass
of
our
Milky
Way)
5Gly
away
whose
gravitational
effects
on
the
light
transmitted
from
a
pair
of
line-of-sight
galaxies
beyond
it,
distorts
and deflects that light and produces a lens-like image around it. (
RA 11
h
48
m
Dec 19° 30´
).
Hubble picture APRIL Newsletter.docx
Outreach events
Part of being members of an active club is to share knowledge and expertise with other people. To this
end we often assist with other organisations who want to run an astronomy event. This includes schools,
scouts and brownies.
We will help support these groups with activities that they have planned or are planning so if you are considering
holding such an event then do contact us if you would like some assistance.
How club members can help
If you can bring along a pair of binoculars, a telescope or some other activity then you are sure to be welcomed.
Just being able to look through a telescope is a great experience for many people and is all the more interesting
if the person who is showing it can give a bit of knowledge about what is being seen. Just remember the first
time you looked at the Moon through binoculars or a telescope! Share that passion and skill and you will be helping
to recruit someone else into this most enjoyable hobby.
Our outreach activities are currently on hold due to Covid. We will be pleased to assist when things are back to normal.
Bring and Buy
If you have some astronomy gear that you no longer need you can advertise it here for free!
Just send us a description, some photos and contact details and we will publish it for you.
Please note that we are only advertising the items and all negotiations are between you and the seller.
Brian Bradknock has this Meade LX200 telescope to re home:
This telescope is about ten years old. It has been outside only four or five times
and is in perfect condition. I am downsizing. Buyer collects from Bovingdon.
£1,500.00
Chris Miles is having a bit of a tidy up so a chance to grab some bargains here.
Hi, I have been having a clearout of stuff I am no longer using - guide cameras, a stand alone lvi autoguider £200, zwo
asi120c planetary or guide cameras £90 each, The Mead imager open to offers and brightstar off axis guider open to
offers .
You can contact Chris on 0783 756 1325 or email: cmiles4@hotmail.com
About Us
Hello and welcome to the Hertford Astronomy Group and the exciting field of astronomy.
Whether you are familiar with the night sky or have just looked up and wondered what there is beyond our planet then we are sure
that you will be interested in our activities.
We are a group that formed because we are interested in astronomy and we want to learn more.
Our group meets on the 2nd Wednesday of each month throughout the year (except July & August).
At our meetings we arrange to have a speaker come and talk to us for about an hour and then follow this with an observation
session if the sky is clear. You can come along and share members’ equipment or bring your own. You can even bring your own
along for a bit of tlc if it needs repair or adjusting and our members will be happy to help you get the best from it. Don’t worry
about it being ‘good enough’ - we all had to start somewhere even if it was with a pair of Barbie binoculars!
As well as our regular group meetings we do lots of other things too. We get invited to the regular open evenings at the
Bayfordbury Observatory where we can set ourselves up to show visitors what can be achieved with back garden astronomy.
We also have some equipment you can borrow so that you can develop your interests - members only though.
Another feature of belonging to our group is that we get invitations to go to the Institute of Physics lectures at the University in
Hatfield - all free!
We are also available to visit schools, Scouts and Guide groups to give talks and demonstrations about astronomy and related
topics - contact our Programme and Outreach Officer for details.
This year we have an exciting programme in store for you with some very notable speakers lined up.
So, we hope to see you at one of our meetings and that you enjoy our company so much that you will want to come again.
Astrophotography Section
If you have an interest in astro
photography and are not sure where to
start then HAGAS will be the place for you.
All members are welcome to come along to
HAGAS meetings - just let Denis know.
All talks are held at the Stanboroughs
Conservative Club, Conduit Lane,
Hoddesdon EN11 8FN (click for map) and
start at 20:00 hrs unless otherwise stated.
Forthcoming Meetings
Watch this space
Chair: Alan Willison
Secretary: Simon Poley
Treasurer: Anne Godwin
Membership secretary:
Tony Challoner
Programme secretary and
outreach: Jerry Stone
Federation of Astronomical
Societies Representative: Leon Gevertz
Publicity: Jerry Stone
Equipment Officer:
Steve Heliczer
Astrophotography Officers:
Martin Weston
General Committee Members:
Danny Emmett
Terry Creasey
Contacts
Chair: Alan Willison
Secretary: Simon Poley
Treasurer: Anne Godwin
Membership secretary:
Tony Challoner
Programme secretary and
outreach: Jerry Stone
Federation of Astronomical
Societies Representative: Leon Gevertz
Publicity: Jerry Stone
Equipment Officer:
Steve Heliczer
Astrophotography Officers:
Martin Weston
General Committee Members:
Danny Emmett
Terry Creasey
2020 Hertford Astronomy Group
2020 Hertford Astronomy Group
2020 Hertford Astronomy Group
2020 Hertford Astronomy Group
2020 Hertford Astronomy Group
2020 Hertford Astronomy Group
2020 Hertford Astronomy Group
2020 Hertford Astronomy Group
2020 Hertford Astronomy Group
2020 Hertford Astronomy Group
2020 Hertford Astronomy Group
