Next Meeting : Monday 27th Feb

The next AAS meeting will be on the Monday the 27th of Feb.  Usual time & place:-

7:30pm  :  upstairs in the Hen & Chicks, Flannel St., Abergavenny NP7 5EG

The topic is likely to be an exploration of what happens as our sun ages towards its red star phase.  In particular – how will the earth fare – will it survive – how long have we got (spoiler-  plenty of time for us!)

Meeting 30th January : Subject

Hi all, Nick has updated the message on the website:-

This meeting rescheduled for Monday 30th January

Time and venue remain the same, i.e. 7:30pm at the Hen & Chicks.
Apologies for the change but hope to see you there.  Nick will be giving a talk entitled “Big bang to diamond rings” which is a look at how the elements in our Universe were formed and their long and tortuous journey to being found on the surface of the Earth. This will be a talk in the back-to basics series and aimed at all levels but particularly beginners.

A Comet Visitor Jan/Feb 2023

Comet C/2022 E3 (ZTF) is currently visiting the inner solar system.
It is estimated to have last been here 50,000 years ago, ie at the time when the Neanderthals were roaming the land.  So, this is the first time that Homo Sapiens will have seen it.
Some have speculated that this comet originated in the Oort Cloud, the theoretical sphere of debris some 50,000 to 100,000 AU from the sun, 1-2 light years.
It is likely to be at its brightest at the end of January, beginning of Feb and is predicted to be easily seen with binoculars, and maybe also the naked eye. 
No doubt the observers in our membership will be able to advise how best to sight it but a screen shot from the video on space.com (LINK) shows where it will be during January.  There are also many other sites on the web were you can read up about C/2022 E3 (ZTF)

Comet C3/2022 E3 path Jan 2023
Comet C3/2022 E3 path Jan 2023

Next AAS meeting Monday 28th Nov.

The next meeting will be on Monday 28th November, 7:30pm in the Hen & Chicks.
The topic, suggested by a member, will be Dark Matter.

The Bullet Cluster (ESA)

Rough headings:- What’s the universe made of/Why do we need Dark Matter/What is it/Is it real/Are there alternatives?


No knowledge necessary we are all learning, but if you have any ideas, questions, thoughts or outlandish theories come along and share them.