Monthly Meetings


All meetings start at 7.30 pm in the Village Hall, New Road, Norton sub Hambdon,  TA14 6SF. The Hall is next to the Primary School.

Visitors are most welcome. Just drop in to a meeting. Your first visit is free. Thereafter is costs £2 per meeting – or you can become a full member of CADAS for just £18 per year. Under 16s are free.

Find us on a map here.

Apart from our main programme, there will be time to ask questions or get help if you’re starting out or are stuck with some aspect of your astronomy. We also have a monthly ‘sky notes’ slot so you can find out what’s ‘up there’ in the month ahead. Our refreshment break is a great time to meet and chat with others about all things astronomical in a relaxed and friendly atmosphere.

CADAS 2024 Programme

Jan 17   Bud Budzynski Visit to Mount Palomar

Feb 21  Gordon MacKenzie Astrophotography Workflow followed by AGM

Mar 20  Tim Wetherell Astronomical Drawing

April 17th  Bud Budzynski  Astro Engineering

May 15  Ask the Panel

Jun 19  Terry Evans The Mexico Eclipse 2024

Jul 17    Ian Coster  Double Stars

Aug 21  John Chuter The BAA archive

Sep 18   Gadgets and Gizmos Evening followed by Observing Session

Oct 16   Adrian Dening  Perfecting Portable

Nov 20  Brian Fraser  Unmanned Lunar Landings

Dec 18  Christmas Social and members’ short talks

 

CADAS 2023 Programme

Jan 18   Claire Davies – Flip it and reverse it: disruption in young planetary systems

Feb 15   Steve Tonkin   Ten Ways the Universe Tries to Kill You

Mar 15  Hugh Allen Spectroscopy : Cracking starlight’s hidden code

Apr 19  Terry Evans Meteor Crater / Bud Budzynski An Eq8R mount for the Ladder Scope

May 17  Ask the Panel

Jun 21 Jo Richardson Dark skies of Exmoor

Jul 19  Bud Budzynski The life of Isaac Newton

Aug 16  Astrophotography on a Budget

Sep 20   Gadgets and Gizmos Evening followed by Observing Session

Oct 18  Kate Earl Prehistoric Astronomy

Nov 15  Brian Fraser The Space Shuttle

Dec 20  Christmas Social and members’ short talks

CADAS 2022 Programme

Jan 19   Kate Earl  Stowaways followed by Bob Mizon  Winter Objects

Feb 16 James Fradgley Title Life in the Universe – are the Aliens out there?

Mar 16  Jo Richardson   On Board the ISS

Apr 20   Richard Miles  Is Dark Matter ordinary matter?

May 18  Ask The Panel

Jun 15   Bob Mizon  The Cape York Meteorite

Jul 20    Tim Wetherell  The end of the Universe…

Aug 17  Chris Starr  Heavy Metal World: Mission to Asteroid Psyche

Sep 21   Gadgets and Gizmos Evening

Oct 19    Hugh Allen Spectroscopy : Cracking starlight’s hidden code

Nov 16  Steve Tonkin   Ten Ways the Universe Tries to Kill You

Dec 21  Christmas Social and members’ short talks

CADAS 2021 Programme

Jan 20      No Meeting

Feb 17      No Meeting

Mar 17      No Meeting

Apr 21      No Meeting

May 19      No Meeting

Jun 16       No Meeting

Jul 21        Informal Meeting. Eagle 3 computer by Gordon

Aug 18       Informal meeting. NGC6729 by Terry

Sep 15       Informal meeting. Galileo by Bud

Oct 20       Mark Radice, Observing and Imaging the Planets

Nov 17      Steve Tonkin, How Old is the Universe?

Dec 15      Members’ short talks and Social

CADAS 2020 Programme

Jan 15      Paul Spurr – Developments in Radio Astronomy

Feb 19      Tim Wetherell – Building a gentlemens’ observatory – Amateur Astronomy in Victorian Style

Mar 18       Dr Claire Davies (Exeter University) – The Formation of  Stars and their Planetary        Systems

Apr 15       Professor Chris Lintott (Oxford University) – Galaxy  mergers

May 20      Graham Bryant – The Hubble Space Telescope – one month to save the telescope.

Jun 17       Dr. Fabio Parracho Silva (Bournemouth University) – Starscape archaeology – history of  our connection with the night sky.

Jul 15        Steve Bosley – Meteors

Aug 19      Gadgets and Gizmos evening

Sep 16       APODS – more Astronomy Pictures of the Day from NASA

Oct 21        Ask the Panel

Nov 18       Bob Mizon – Comets in History

Dec 16       Christmas social and members’ images/ short talks


CADAS 2019 Programme

Jan 16      Barry FitzGerald – Lunar Geology from the safety of your own home

Feb 20      Steve Hill – Astrobiology

Mar 20     Professor Carl Murray – Cassini at Saturn

Apr 17      Bob Mizon – Solar System Alphabet

May 15     Ask the Panel

Jun 19       James Fradgley – The Story of Radio Astronomy

Jul 17        Bill Reed – Narrow-band Imaging: Pros and Cons

Aug 21      Gadgets and Gizmos evening

Sep 18       Alan Dowdell – The Herschels of Berkshire

Oct 16        Will Gater–  Dynamic skies

Nov 20       Steve Tonkin – Pseudoastronomy: Hollow Moons and Flat Earths

Dec 18       Christmas social and members’ images/short talks

 

CADAS 2018 Programme

Jan 17   Bob Mizon – Pole stars of other planets.

Feb 21   Bill Read – Early misconceptions in astronomy

Mar 21   Bill Combes – The International Space Station

Apr 18   Bud Budzynski – T’aint Rocket…

May 16   Bob Mizon – Light pollution FAQ

Jun 20   David Strange – Gilgamesh and the Bull of Heaven: the oldest story ever told..

Jul 18    Ron Westmaas – Constellation myths.

Aug 15   Gadgets and Gizmos evening.

Sept 19  James Fradgley – Orbital oddities.

Oct 17    Ask the panel.

Nov 21   Pete Adshead and Bob Mizon – Astrophotography old and new.

Dec 19    Christmas social and menbers’ short talks.

 

CADAS  2017 Programme

Jan 18   How it all moves: Members’ short talks on celestial motions

Feb 15    Graham Bryant: Pluto: from myth to discovery and the New Horizons mission

Mar 15   John Gifford: Astronomy before relativity

Apr  19   Bob Mizon: Eight great astronomers

May 17   Dan Oakley: Dark Skies: South Downs National Park and beyond

Jun 21   Steve Tonkin:  Ten ways the universe tries to kill you

Jul 19    NB Change of programme to :Equipment clinic. The care and feeding of your telescope.

Aug 16   Bill Combes:  The International Space Station

Sep 20   Richard Miles:  The mystery of comets unveiled

Oct  18   ‘Ask the experts’ evening

Nov 15   Bob Mizon:  8 Great Astronomers

Dec 20   Christmas Social and members’ short talks

 

CADAS 2016 Programme

Jan 20   James Fradgley – Cosmic Miscellany

Feb 17   Bud Budzynski – A life on Mars

Mar 16   Chris Starr – Dawn of the Solar System

Apr 20   Bob Mizon – Names in the Sky

May 18   Bob Mizon – Yet more APODS

Jun 15   Ask the Experts evening

Jul 20   James Fradgley – Discs around stars and galaxies

Aug 17  Bill Reed – Lunar photography with a WebCam

Sep 21   Philip Perkins – Deep-Sky Imaging (provisional title)

Oct 19   Starting out in Astronomy – talks, discussions.

Nov 16   Sheri Lynn Karl – Solar imaging. (to be confirmed)

Dec 21   Christmas social and members’ short talks

CADAS 2015 Programme

Jan 21   Hannah Wakeford – Exoplanet Atmospheres

Feb 18   Bob Mizon – Seven Moons

Mar 18   Bill Reed – Space: a Beginners’ Guide. Part 1: Our Solar System”

Apr 15   Bud Budzyski – Back to basics … for everyone.

May 20   Chris Bowden – Eclipses I Have Known

Jun 17   Gemma Lavender – Antarctic Astrophysics

Jul 15   Ask the Experts evening

Aug 19   Bob’s Planetarium

Sep 16   Ron Westmaas – Rocks From Space

Oct 21   Bob Mizon – APOD evening – more intriguing photos of the universe

Nov 18   Members’ short talks evening

Dec 16   Steve Tonkin: Star of Bethlehem and Christmas social


2014  Programme

Jan 15       APOD evening – more intriguing photos of the Universe

Feb 19      Len Telford – Imaging the Moon and Mars

Mar 19     ‘Bud’ Budzynski – Photon Perfect

Apr 16       Paul Hyde – Practical Radio Astronomy for Amateurs

May 21      Garry Hunt – subject TBA

Jun 18       Dave Eagle – Astronomical Photography

Jul 16         Ask the Experts evening (guest: Jerry Workman)

Aug 20      Members’ evening

Sep 17       John Gifford – Shooting Stars, and All That Other Stuff Out There

Oct 15        Bob Mizon – Dark Future?

Nov19       Robin Catchpole – Are We Alone?

Dec 17       Christmas social and members’ short talks

 

Programme for 2013

  • January 16 – APOD evening-more intriguing photos of the Universe
  • February 20 – Bob Mizon: What’s Up? The nature of Astronomical Objects
  • March 20 – James Fradgley: The Sun: from dust cloud to White Dwarf
  • April 17 – Gizmo and gadget evening
  • May 15 – Sheri Lynn Karl: Vulcanology in the Solar System
  • June 19 – Dr John Macdonald: Sundial workshop
  • July 17 – Ask the Experts evening
  • August 21 – Pete Adshead: X-planes and the Space Race
  • September 18 – Bob Mizon: Weird Astronomy
  • October 16 – Mark Radice: Lunar Observing
  • November 20 – Steve Hill: Shaping the Universe – Use the Force
  • December 18 – Christmas social and members’ short talks

 

 

Programme for 2012

  • January 18th – Ron Westmaas: Stones from Space
  • February 15th – Bob Mizon: Exoplanets
  • March 21st – Rob Hatch: Meteor detection by radar
  • April 18th – Help! Beginners’ questions
  • May 16th – Martin Morgan-Taylor: The DSLR camera in astronomy
  • June 20th – Steve Harris: Light, our only messenger from the skies
  • July 18th – Jerry Workman: Mars Rovers
  • August 15th – Ann Davies and David Boyd: Chasing the Moon’s shadow
  • September 19th – Various members: Getting the best out of your equipment
  • October 17th – Dave Strange: Deep-sky astrophotogaphy
  • November 21st – Guy Hurst: The Search for Novae and Supernovae: from visual to robotic telescopes
  • December 19th – Ron Westmaas & Bud Budzynski: Imaging the Moon, Sun and planets

Programme for 2011

  • January 19th – Bob Mizon: Oddities of the Solar System
  • February 16th – Darren Baskill: X-treme Astronomy
  • March 16th – Martin Griffiths: Black Holes
  • April 20th – Help! Beginners’ questions
  • May 18th – Martin Morgan-Taylor: Observatories Around the World
  • June 15th – Arthur Davis: Comets and Asteroids
  • July 20th – Jerry Workman: Mars Rovers
  • August 17th – APOD evening: Intriguing photos of the Universe
  • September 21st – Ron Westmaas: Stones from Space: an introduction
  • October 19th – Alan Dowdell: History of the Deep Sky
  • November 16th – James Fradgley: The Origin of the Solar System
  • December 21st – Christmas meeting: members’ contributions