Lecture Programme 2011-2012

MEETINGS are held monthly at 7 pm on Thursdays, in the Red Cross Headquarters, Western Avenue, (off the West road, opposite the exit from the General Hospital), except for:

The joint meeting  with the Institute of Physics which will be at Northumbria University

This is the lecture programme for 2011/2012:-

Date	Time	Subject	Speaker
6-Oct	7 pm	BBC & ITV Astronomical Programmes	David Taylor Producer/Director York Films
20-Oct	7 pm	The Largest telescopes – Gravitational lensing	Rachael Livermore Durham University
17-Nov	7 pm	Origins of the Universe - Joint meet with IOP at Northumbria University	Prof. Carlos Frenck  Durham University
15-Dec	7 pm	Black Holes	Dr Sarah Hutton  Durham University
19-Jan	7 pm	Exoplanets or SETI (are we alone)	Dr. Frazer Pearce  Nottingham University
23-Feb	7 pm	Members Night: Listening to Meteors, Solar Observing and Dark Sky Discovery Site in Northumberland National Park	Joe Gordon, Tom Moran and Duncan Wise
22-Mar	7 pm	Runaway Rockets and other space disasters	Dr. John Davies  Edinburgh Royal Observatory
19-Apr	7 pm	BAA Historical section - The Director	Mike Frost
17-May	7 pm	AGM

Observing Sessions

Sat 09-July-11   13:00-15:30   Public Solar Observing at Cawfields with Borders Astro Society & NNPA

Sat 16-July-11   13:00-15:30   Public Solar Observing at Cawfields with Borders Astro Society & NNPA

Sat 30-July-11   13:00-15:30   Public Solar Observing at Cawfields with Borders Astro Society & NNPA

Mon 29-Aug-11  13:00              Bank Holiday visit to Tom's Observatory with Solar Observing

Thu 01-Sep-11   dusk               Deep Sky wonders of the late summer sky - Vallum Farm

Thu 22-Sep-11   dusk               Equinox Observing

Thu 29-Sep-11   dusk               Early Autumn Skies

Sat 08-Oct-11     18:00-23:00   Draconid: Storm or outburst? Peak 19:11 ZHR 800?

Fri 28/Sat 29-Oct-11                  Kielder Star Camp

Mon 21-Nov-11  7:00pm           Io transit of Jupiter (21:28-23:36UT)

Tue 29-Nov-11   7:00pm          Uranus Night!

Thu 26-Jan-12   7:00pm           Winter Observing

Thu 16-Feb-12   7:00pm          Orion Night

Tue 13-Mar-12   7:30pm           The Aphelion Opposition of Mars (occurs this month)

Fri 23-Mar-12     Dusk                Young Moon observing with Venus & Jupiter

Thu 12-Apr-12    Dusk               Spring Galaxies

Wed 06-Jun-12 4:20-6:00          Venus Transit of Sun at sunrise - St Mary's lighthouse car park

These sessions are weather dependent and are subject to change. Details will be posted on the Society’s yahoo newsgroup nearer the time.

THE OBSERVING SECTION regularly organises additional observing sessions. These generally take place at Vallum farm. The sessions are organised through the society's newsgroup. No previous observing experience or equipment is necessary.  Additional loan telescopes are available.