Explore the Universe with Hertford Astronomy Group

Congratulations to the crew and support team of Artemis 2 for your successful mission.

The Hertford Astronomy Group have enjoyed sharing your journey.

Next Meeting:

Wednesday May 13th at 8:00pm

How the Earth Shaped Human History
Lewis Dartnell

+ Annual General Meeting

When we talk about human history, we often focus on great leaders, revolutions, and technological advances. But our human story has also been profoundly influenced by fundamental features of the planet we live on, as well as our wider cosmic neighbourhood.

Throughout human existence we have been shaped by our environment. Geological forces drove our evolution in East Africa; mountainous terrain led to the development of democracy in Greece; and today voting behaviour in the United States follows the bed of an ancient sea. The human story is the story of all these factors, from the slow grinding of plate tectonics, to the physics of atmospheric circulation and cycles of climate change driven by astronomical forces.

By taking us through millennia of human history, and billions of years into our planet’s past, Professor Lewis Dartnell tells us the ultimate origin story. When we reach the point where history becomes science we see a vast web of connections that underwrites our modern world and helps us face the challenges of the future.

Prof. Lewis Dartnell (www.lewisdartnell.com) is an astrobiology researcher based at the University of Westminster, studying how microbial life, and signs of its existence, might persist on the surface of Mars. Alongside his research he writes regular science articles in newspapers and magazines, and has appeared in TV shows such as BBC Horizon, Wonders of the Universe, and documentaries on National Geographic, Discovery and History channels. Both ORIGINS and his previous book, ‘THE KNOWLEDGE: How To Rebuild Our World After An Apocalypse’ (www.the-knowledge.org) are Sunday Times bestsellers.

This event will be preceded by the Annual General Meeting of the Hertfordshire Astronomy Group

Minutes of last year's meeting and the Agenda for this year's meeting will be sent via Mailchimp.

Stephen Hawking

Remember to look up at the stars and not down at your feet.

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Meeting Location

Our meetings are held at the

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

Future Meetings

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June 10th - Louise Devoy - Royal Observatory Greenwich - A History through objects

September 9th - Interstellar comets, coming in and going out - Roger O'Brien

October 14th - Decoding our Cosmic Origins - Peter Goodhew

November 11th - Quark Stars and Cosmic Matter - Paul Fellowes

December 9th - Space Situational Awareness - Lord Dover

January 13th - Light Pollution and the Night Sky - Simon Thorpe

February 10th - The Astronomy of Stonehenge - Simon Banton

March 10th - The University of Hertfordshire presents: 3 Rising Stars

We offer telescope advice, access to observatory open evenings, and live Zoom meetings for those unable to attend. Join us online or in person!

Astronomy Club Services

Join our astronomy club for meetings, astrophotography, and telescope advice at the University of Hertfordshire.
...or just come along to a meeting as a visitor

Observatory Access

Enjoy open evenings at Bayfordbury Observatory and attend lectures from the Institute of Physics.

Live Meetings

Participate in our live meetings via Zoom, with recordings available on our YouTube channel.

Observation Meetings

Bring your telescopes along and carry out visual observations at our Bramfield site.

Contact Hertford Astronomy Group

Reach out for astronomy advice or meeting information today!