Membership details:
•£20 per year*
•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.
Next Meeting
Exisiting Users
Note that an update to Zoom 5 is
needed by May 30th
New to Zoom?
Wednesday September 9th at 8:00pm on Zoom
Roger O’Brien
“The James Webb Space Telescope”
After completion of an independent review, a new
launch date for the James Webb Space Telescope
has been announced: 30 March 2021. "The
James Webb Space Telescope is the most
ambitious and complex astronomical project ever
built, and bringing it to life is a long, meticulous
process.”
Roger, who is the President of our club and one
time bank clerk, will tell us in his own inimitable
style, what benefits this project will bring to the
astronomy community.
Guests welcome
Membership details:
•
£20 per year*
•
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.
Next Meeting
Wednesday September 9th at
8:00pm on Zoom
Roger O’Brien
“The James Webb Space
Telescope”
After completion of an
independent review, a new
launch date for the James
Webb Space Telescope has
been announced: 30 March
2021. "The James Webb Space
Telescope is the most ambitious
and complex astronomical
project ever built, and bringing it to life is a long,
meticulous process.”
Roger, who is the President of our club and
one time bank clerk, will tell us in his own
inimitable style, what benefits this project will
bring to the astronomy community.
Guests welcome
What else you can do (2)
Terry's Sky Notes for May
Come and explore what is probably the best known group of stars in the sky. And also what is often the most disappointing star when pointed out to first time astronomers.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 (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)
The Bringer of Peace
Venus continues to dominate the early evening sky as it approaches its brightest at the end of the month. This link will take you to an animation of how Venus will appear in the night sky over the next month and into May when it disappears.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 for May
Come and explore what is probably the best known group of stars in the sky. And also what is often the most disappointing star when pointed out to first time astronomers.
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 Denis know.
All talks are held at the Stanboroughs Conservative club, Conduit Lane, Hoddesdon EN11 8EP.
Meetings start at 20:00 hrs unless otherwise stated.
Next Meeting:
To be decided
Free Astrophotography online magazine:
Amateur Astrophotography
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
JULY Night Sky .
Using
binoculars,
look
due
south
just
above
the
horizon
at
around
23:00
to
locate
the
constellation
Sagittarius.
Scan
for
the
dense
dust
and
gas
nebulae
which
are
stellar
nurseries of new and still forming stars.
M20
M8 M21
M8 – The Lagoon Nebula, a cloud of dust and gas, who’s oval shape is around 110 x 50 light-years in
size. Although appearing optically in the sky as being close to M20, it is actually 1,000 light-years
nearer to our Sun. Within this cloud is the Hourglass Nebula NGS6531 (RA 18h 02m Dec-23° 03´)
and also a blue O type star emitting strong ultraviolet radiation, which is believed to be heating and
ionising the nebular surface.
M20
-
the
Trifid
Nebula
at
about
5,000
light-years
away
containing
clusters
of
over
3,000
young
stars.
At its centre is a star
HD 164492A
(
Spec.type O7.5 III RA 18h 02m Dec. -23° 02´
), with a mass 20x that
of the Sun.
M21 – An open cluster of mainly dim, small, closely packed and relatively young stars, together with
a few blue giant O type stars. Some astronomers believe that the insignificant spread of star ages
suggests that all their formations may have occurred at around the same time. Distance 4,000 ly
(RA 18h 04m Dec -22° 29´)
Travelling
at
over
240,000
km/h,
last
month
the
Parker
Solar
Probe
completed
its
5
th
orbit
of
the
Sun.
On
10
th
July
its
next
orbit
is
intend
to
pass
about
500
miles
above
the
surface
of
Venus
making
use
of
Gravity
Assist
techniques
to
control
its
momentum
for
the
6
th
solar
approach.
JULY
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.
We are currently looking to support the following events so if you can come along then please indicate by clicking
the button below and ticking the appropriate boxes.
Cubs and Beavers - Our Lady’s School WGC November 24 17:00
Scouts - Our Lady’s School WGC - November 26 17:00
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
Other events that may be of interest to you
Mars Encounter in November will give best view of Mars until 2033
A National Astronomy Week (NAW) will be held in the UK from Saturday 14
November to Sunday 22 November 2020. The aim of the week is to celebrate the
close approach of Mars, and to give members of the public the chance to see the
Red Planet in close-up through a telescope.
Amateur and professional astronomers around the country will be holding
observing events during the week. As seen through a telescope magnifying about
100 times, Mars will appear as a pale orange disc, with its markings clearly visible.
It will be 80 million km away.
Although Mars is at its closest to Earth a month earlier, at that time it is only high
enough in the sky to be viewed quite late in the evening. By November it is well up
in the sky during the early evening, allowing younger schoolchildren a unique
opportunity to get a good view of the planet. It will not be as close again until 2033.
And on that occasion it will be very low in the sky as seen from the UK.
‘We are excited that National Astronomy Week will give thousands of children and
their parents the chance to see Mars in close-up’ said Lucinda Offer, chairperson
of National Astronomy Week and Executive Director of the Mars Society. ‘Several
space missions are being launched towards the planet this year and we are
looking forward to getting some amazing results.’
British scientists are among those who are involved in experiments aboard
spacecraft, in particular ESA’s ExoMars mission to put a rover, named Rosalind
Franklin, on the planet next year.
As well as Mars, Jupiter, Saturn and the Moon will be on show during National
Astronomy Week. Details of observing events will be posted on the NAW website,
astronomyweek.org.uk. During the last NAW, over 200 events were organised
around the UK, and the organisers are calling upon astronomical societies,
observatories and university departments to arrange even more events this time.
About National Astronomy Week
This will be the eighth NAW. The first, held in 1981, celebrated the 200th
anniversary of the discovery of Uranus from Bath by William Herschel. Others
have celebrated Halley’s Comet in 1986, the very close approach of Mars in 2003
and the 400th anniversary of the first astronomical use of the telescope by English
observer Thomas Harriot in 1609.
The week is supported by leading UK astronomical groups and organisations. For
more information about the event please visit astronomyweek.org.uk .
To contact the NAW organisers please email info@astronomyweek.org.uk
Previous meetings now on YouTube
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:
Denis O’Shea
Publicity: Jerry Stone
Equipment Officer:
Steve Heliczer
Astrophotography Officers:
Denis O’Shea / Martin Weston
General Committee Members:
Leon Gevertz
Danny Emmett
Frank Ferguson
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:
Denis O’Shea
Publicity: Jerry Stone
Equipment Officer:
Steve Heliczer
Astrophotography Officers:
Denis O’Shea / Martin Weston
General Committee Members:
Leon Gevertz
Danny Emmett
Frank Ferguson
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