A piece of the iron meteorite Campo del Cielo, one of the world’s largest existing meteorites, from Argentina
This month we will follow-up on some requests from members and revisit the subject of meteorites. Nick Busby will explain, using a fine collection of specimens, what they are, where they come from and what they can tell us about the formation of the solar system and life itself.
The meeting will start at 7:30 pm. All welcome including non-members and complete novices.
The Moon is once again popular with the USA, Japan, China and India all having or about to land spacecraft on the satellite. Intuitive Machines has just landed a probe, the first private company to do so, at a cost of one thousanth of the Apollo programme.
This weekend sees a full Moon that is also a minimoon and a snowmoon, or to some a hunger moon.
Don’t know your apogee from your perigee or still think the Moon looks temptingly like a round of Stilton? Then answers to most of your questions may be found in this month’s meeting of the Society, Monday 26th February upstairs in the Hen and Chickens, Abergavenny. Meeting starts at 7:30 and the topic is “A beginners guide to the Moon” by Nick Busby
This event is part of Dark Sky Week Wales.
Mae’r ddigwyddiad hwn yn rhan o wythnos Awyr Dywyll Cymru
On the 15th February at 6:30pm Nick Busby will be giving an online talk on the life cycle of stars as can be seen in the sky at this time of year.
For further details and to sign-up (it’s free!) please follow the following link to eventbright.
Learn how stars form, shine and die and how you can see this in the sky yourself.
This online presentation will focus on the Orion Nebular and constellation of Taurus where you are able to see examples of newly formed stars and those which are nearing the end of life and dying.
Nick Busby will take you through this using Stellarium and help you to locate the nebulae and constellations which you will be able to see for yourself in the sky at night.
Questions will be welcome at the end of the session.
Dysgwch sut mae sêr yn ffurfio, yn disgleirio ac yn marw a sut gallwch chi weld hyn yn yr awyr eich hun.
Bydd y cyflwyniad ar-lein hwn yn canolbwyntio ar y Nebular Orion a chlytser Taurus lle gallwch weld enghreifftiau o sêr newydd eu ffurfio a’r rhai sy’n agosáu at ddiwedd oes ac yn marw.
Bydd Nick Busby yn mynd â chi drwy hyn gan ddefnyddio Stellarium ac yn eich helpu i ddod o hyd i’r niwl a’r cytser y byddwch chi’n gallu eu gweld drosoch eich hun yn yr awyr gyda’r nos.
Bydd cyfle i ateb westiynau ar ddiwedd y sesiwn.
Mae hen yn ddigwyddiad am ddim.
The next meeting of the Society will be on Monday 25th September 2023 at 7:30pm. As usual we will be upstairs in the Hen and Chickens Pub in Abergavenny, Flannel St, NP7 5EG.
We will be looking at the autumn sky and what can be seen with basic equipment or simply by eye. The talk is aimed at absolute beginners although there will be things to interest the more experienced observers.
All welcome whatever your level of experience or knowledge
Each year at Christmas Usk Astronomical Society holds the “Mike Thomas Lecture” in memory of a very long standing member and supporter of the Society that passed away around 5 years ago. It is traditional that members of other local astronomical societies are invited to the event which is on Thursday 15th December at 7:30 in the Grange Social club, Maryport Street, Usk. Wayne Jones from Heads of the Valleys AS will give a talk on the demands that space travel puts on the human body. This is as much a social event as it is a lecture and there will also be a buffet. There is no charge for the evening but if any member intends to go please let Nick Busby know by emailing Observing@AbergavennyAS.org.uk before Monday. This is simply so that we know how many to cater for.
Mars has just passed opposition, that means when it is at its closest point to the Earth in its orbit, so it is presently very bright in the southern sky and very hard to miss on a clear night. At just before 4am tomorrow morning, Thursday December 8th, the Moon passes in front of the planet. This is called an “occultation”, a rare event particularly when Mars is as its brightest until 2033. It will be a great sight in binoculars and a super photo opportunity. The image below shows a screen shot of a simulation of the occulation from Stellarium. Mars will emerge about an hour later at 5:56 am. The forecast is clear, so set your alarm clock!
