Stardate: 20261007
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Hertford Astronomy Group November Newsletter
November 4th – December 9th, 2026
Dear Members,
Welcome to our November update! Winter observing season is now in full swing, giving us long, dark evenings and plenty of fantastic opportunities to observe, connect, and share our passion for the night sky.
Below are the details for our upcoming main monthly meetings, youth outreach, and future dates for your diary.
🌌 Upcoming Main Monthly Meetings
Wednesday, November 11th at 8:00 PM
Talk: Quark Stars and Cosmic Matter
Speaker: Paul Fellows (Chairman, Cambridge Astronomical Association
Location: Lindop Building, University of Hertfordshire (College Lane Campus, Hatfield, AL10 9AB — what3words: stars.stones.energetic) & via Zoom.
About the Talk: The usual story told of the end stage of giant stars is that they either finish up as a neutron star or collapse completely into a black hole. In this talk, Paul looks at the possibility of other extremely exotic forms of matter which may add to the picture — and how the latest observations seem to back up these ideas.
About the Speaker: Paul Fellows presents open evenings at the University of Cambridge and is frequently invited as a guest speaker on the Queen Mary 2. He is an elected Fellow of both the RAS and the IET, and was awarded the British Empire Medal for services to the public understanding of science and astronomy.
Zoom Access: The Zoom link will be emailed to all paid-up members prior to the meeting.
Wednesday, December 9th at 8:00 PM
Talk: Space Situational Awareness
Speaker: Lord Dover
Location: Lindop Building, University of Hertfordshire & via Zoom.
Save the date for our final main meeting of 2026! Lord Dover will take us through the critical field of Space Situational Awareness, tracking orbital debris, space weather, and satellite safety.
🔭 Youth Outreach Event: Panshanger Park
Date: Saturday, November 14th, 2026
Time: 18:00 – 20:00
We are delighted to be hosting an interactive youth outdoor astronomy session for 20 children aged 8–11 at Panshanger Park! This session will introduce young minds to practical observing, constellation identification, and optical science.
🗓️ Future Meetings Sneak Peek (2027)
Mark your calendars for our early 2027 main meetings:
January 13th, 2027: Light Pollution and the Night Sky – Simon Thorp
February 10th, 2027: The Astronomy of Stonehenge – Simon Banton
Saturday, February 13th, 2027: Hertford Dark Skies Event (Community outreach event)
💳 Reminders & Member Services
MemberMojo System: Please remember to log into your MemberMojo account to ensure your membership profile and contact details are up to date.
Observing at Bramfield: Keep an eye out for weather-dependent announcements regarding spontaneous group observation sessions at our Bramfield village field site.
🖨️ Member Request: Poster Printing & Laminating Help
Can you help us with printing?
We are looking for a member who has access to a color printer and a laminator to help us produce 10 A4 posters (even better if you can make them A3!) for our upcoming youth event at Panshanger Park on November 14th
If you are able to assist, please get in touch with Alan Willison directly at chair@hertsastro.org.uk. Your help would be greatly appreciated!
Clear skies,
Alan Willison
Chairman, Hertford Astronomy Group
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