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Friday, August 3rd, 2012
Just a quick reminder that the Mars Science Laboratory mission is due to deposit Curiosity on the Martian surface at 06:31 BST on Monday 6th August. The ’7 minutes of terror’ should be interesting to follow.
Apologies
Wednesday, July 25th, 2012
Due to a small ‘technical difficulty’ some of you were unable to access this website for a day or two. Apologies for that.
Possible aurora sightings
Saturday, July 14th, 2012
Received from the BAA today 14.7.12
Ron
At 1700 UT on July 12 the large sunspot area AR1520 produced an X1.4 class
solar flare travelling in the general direction of the Earth. The latest
forecast of the arrival time of the front of the expanding coronal mass
ejection (CME) is for it to have reached the Earth around 0917 UT on July 14
and strong auroral displays are forecast for the nights of July 14 and 15
visible from far northerly and southerly latitudes. Ultraviolet and X-ray
images of the sunspot region and its associated flare are available at:
http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/sunearth/news/News071212-X1.4flare.html
A remarkable video of this X-class flare captured by the Solar Dynamics
Observatory can be seen at:
http://spaceweather.com/images2012/12jul12/ipad/x1p4.m4v?PHPSESSID=qhmpsg3tqvfj1i95b4bdusnqa3
Current predictions are for the newly energised auroral arc to be visible
low on the horizon from Scotland. There is a possibility though that an
auroral display will be visible to UK observers further south.
Occultation of Jupiter
Friday, June 29th, 2012
In the early morning of July 15 and visible to us living in the Southwest, there will be a grazing occultation of Jupiter by the moon. This will be well worth losing some sleep to see! Details of the event can be found here.
www.shindles.co.uk/ouastro/jup-occult-meeus.pdf
www.curtrenz.com/moon13.html
Clear skies!
Ron
June meeting
Thursday, June 21st, 2012
What a full and interesting evening! Many thanks to Steve Harris for shedding light on light in such an accessible way. Let’s hear it for photons!
Thanks also to Bob Mizon for his Object of the Month presentation which followed Arthur Davis’ Skynotes. If anyone finds out where the name ‘Job’s coffin’ comes from please let Bob know. James Fradgley’s telling us about embedded clusters was an excellent bonus to round off a most enjoyable evening.
Reminder!
Friday, June 15th, 2012
At the June meeting, Lorna will be taking orders (and payment) for our CADAS ‘branded’ clothing.
In case you haven’t already filled in yours, order forms will be available at the meeting.
Our speaker will be Steve Harris: ‘Light, our only messenger from the skies’.
New Near Earth Object
Tuesday, June 12th, 2012
This has just been received from the BAA. Hope the clouds allow a view!
Venus Transit
Thursday, June 7th, 2012
I wonder which of us managed to see the transit.
Mike Holland and I chose North Hill, Minehead as our preferred site as it had an excellent view of the NE horizon. Unfortunately we didn’t get an excellent view of Venus; actually, we didn’t get any view of Venus! The sun teased us with a few glimpses through breaks but it was never clear enough to spot (sorry) Venus.
Andrew Jones was also clouded out at Cockrod on Birhill not far from Glastonbury.
The good news however, is that Arthur Davis managed to see the elusive planet for ‘ a minute or two’ from Ham Hill near Yeovil. Well done Arthur!!
For the rest of us, better luck next time??? 
Well I never knew that!
Sunday, June 3rd, 2012
Question from Radio Times 26May-1 June, ‘Eggheads quiz’ on page 146.
‘ Formulated by Johannes Kepler in the 17th century, to what do Kepler’s Laws relate?’
a Radioactivity
b Planetary motion
c Volcanic eruptions
Answer a (page 125)
er…it’s the BBC so they must be right. Surely.
May meeting
Thursday, May 17th, 2012
Another excellent meeting was it not? Lots of tips from Martin Morgan-Taylor on using a DSLR for imaging. We’ll certainly invite him back…if he survives those radioactive lenses!
Many thanks for your support of the raffle for the CfDS. We received this from Bob.
All,
An official thank you from all on the Campaign for Dark Skies committee for CADAS’ generous donation of their May raffle takings. We are shortly to be reprinting our main leaflet, Starry Starry Night, and your donation will form part of the funding for this important facet of our work
Best wishes and DARK SKIES,
Bob Mizon
Coordinator
Reminder! Don’t forget to fill in your order forms for the garments you require and to bring them to the next meeting with your payment. If you didn’t pick up an order form you can print this one out.