Practical Astronomy Sep - Spring Star Party
Monday 06 Sep, 2010
at 20:00Hrs
Venue: Stardome Observatory
Speaker/Host:
Andrew Buckingham
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A club night based on getting stated with learning the night sky and using your telescope.
This Month: Spring Star Party
Our Spring observing event.
The evening will start in the planetarium and will progress to telescope viewing as it get dark. The EWB Zeiss Telescope will be available for viewing as well as portable telescopes outside in the courtyard. Ivan Vazey (AAS Curator) will be on hand to help people who have questions about telescopes or your own telescope. Feel free to bring your own telescope along.
The event will be weather independent as we will have the planetarium available and other activities planned.
The evening is aimed to include members who are getting started with exploring the night sky as well as the more experienced so along and join in.
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Dark Sky Weekend - September
Friday 10 Sep, 2010
at 19:00Hrs
Venue: Waharau Regional Park
Speaker/Host:
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Dark Sky Weekend at Waharau Regional Park.
Friday 10th September to Sunday 12th September 2010
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September Monthly Meeting - Astronomy: What have we learned in 100 years?
Monday 13 Sep, 2010
at 20:00Hrs
Venue: Stardome Observatory
Speaker/Host:
Grant Christie
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Astronomy: What have we learned in 100 years?
One hundred years ago, our understanding of the Universe was quite limited. This talk will chart the progress of astronomy over the last century and explain how better instruments has led to new theories about the formation of planets, stars, galaxies and, indeed, the universe. And yet today we are still confronted by major unknowns and technical technical challenges - what could we expect in the coming century?
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Film Night Sep - In the Shadow of the Moon
Monday 20 Sep, 2010
at 20:00Hrs
Venue: Stardome Observatory
Speaker/Host:
Gavin Logan
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On film night we screen astronomy and science documentaries.
This Month: In
the Shadow of the Moon.
In the Shadow of the Moon is a 2006 British documentary film that follows the manned missions to the Moon made by the United States in the late 1960s and early 1970s. The documentary reviews both the footage and media available to the public at the time of the missions, as well as NASA films and materials which had not been opened in over 30 years. All the footage is remastered, most of it colour and looks as good as new. It contains interviews and commentary with ten of the twenty-four astronauts who orbited, looped around, or landed on the Moon. It premiered at the 2007 Sundance Film Festival, where it won the World Cinema Audience Award. In March 2008, it was the first film to win the Sir Arthur Clarke Award for Best Film Presentation.
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Intro to Astronomy Sep - The Sun
Monday 27 Sep, 2010
at 20:00Hrs
Venue: Stardome Observatory
Speaker/Host:
Bernie Brenner
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An introductory astronomy course in various topics.
This Month: The Sun
This session will look at the composition, atmosphere and processes going on in our nearest star, the Sun.
The session will include a video lecture followed by a tutorial session reviewing the material covered.
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Young Astronomers - October
Friday 01 Oct, 2010
at 19:30Hrs
Venue: Stardome Observatory
Speaker/Host:
Margaret Arthur
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The young members of the Society meet to learn more about space, astronomy and space exploration. Suitable for age 7 years and up.
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Practical Astronomy Oct - Observing Planets
Monday 04 Oct, 2010
at 20:00Hrs
Venue: Stardome Observatory
Speaker/Host:
Andrew Buckingham
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A club night based on getting stated with learning the night sky and using your telescope.
This Month: Observing Planets & the Gas Giants
An introduction to the Gas Giants; Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune, followed by guide to observing planets.
If the weather permits, Venus, Jupiter, Uranus and Neptune will all be in the sky for us to try and observe.
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2010 Burbidge Dinner
Saturday 09 Oct, 2010
at 18:30Hrs
Venue: Alexandra Park
Speaker/Host:
Prof. John Hernshaw
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The societys annual dinner. The evening will include prizegiving for the Beaumont Prize, for contributions in the journal, and the Harry Williams Trophy for astrophotography.
Guest Speaker:
Prof. John Hernhsaw, University of Canterbury
Adventures of a Travelling Astronomer in Central Asia: in the footsteps of Marco Polo and Ulugh Beg
John will describe his experiences in recent years in three countries of Central Asia wherehe made astronomical visits, namely Mongolia (2004), Uzbekistan (2008) and Tajikistan (2010). The history and culture of these three countries are all completely different and the problems faced by astronomers there are also different, although they are relatively poor countries struggling to do good science. But they all share one thing in common: some of the worlds best high altitude sites for optical and infrared astronomy are to be found in this region bordering on the Himalayas.
A full buffet dinner in included.
Tickets are $70 per person and are available from Andrew Buckingham on 09 473 5877 or treasurer@astronomy.org.nz
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October Monthly Meeting - 20/25: The 25 Greatest Discoveries in Astronomy and Astrophysics of the 20th Century
Monday 11 Oct, 2010
at 20:00Hrs
Venue: Stardome Observatory
Speaker/Host:
Prof. John Hearnshaw
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Prof. Hearnshaw will present his personal list of the 25 most important and influential discoveries in astronomy of the 20th century. I will analyse the papers that reported these discoveries by the year they occurred, the age of the discoverers and the country where the people worked.
The decades 1911-20 and the mid-1960s to mid-70s were the most productive of the 20th century, in spite of the later arrival of computers and observatories in space. I suggest reasons for the decline in the rate of really important papers in the final two decades of the century.
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Film Night Oct - Einstein and Eddington
Sunday 17 Oct, 2010
at 20:00Hrs
Venue: Stardome Observatory
Speaker/Host:
Gavin Logan
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On film night we screen astronomy and science documentaries.
This Month: Einstein and Eddington
In the Spring of 1914, with Europe on
the brink of war, no one had heard of an obscure German physicist called Albert
Einstein. A British astronomer, Arthur Eddington, realised that Einstein’s
theories could unlock whole new ways of thinking about time and space. Despite
the danger of being labelled traitors, the two men began a unique
correspondence. An eclipse in Africa provided an
opportunity to prove Einstein’s theories to the world. Eddington, an unlikely
hero, set out on a journey to Africa that would change
people’s perceptions of the universe forever.
This human story chronicles
the two men and takes a closer look at the story behind the creation of Albert
Einsteins general theory of relativity and the personal lives of the men behind
it. It looks at Einsteins relationship with British scientist Sir Arthur
Eddington, and the introduction of this theory to the world.
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Intro to Astronomy Oct -
Monday 25 Oct, 2010
at 20:00Hrs
Venue: Stardome Observatory
Speaker/Host:
Bernie Brenner
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An Introductory Astronomy course from Michigan Tech University followed by a tutorial.
This Month: tba
??.
The session will be followed by a tutorial session reviewing the material covered.
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Practical Astronomy Nov - tba
Monday 01 Nov, 2010
at 20:00Hrs
Venue: Stardome Observatory
Speaker/Host:
Andrew Buckingham
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A club night based on getting stated with learning the night sky andusing your telescope.
This Month: tba
??.
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Young Astronomers - November
Friday 05 Nov, 2010
at 19:30Hrs
Venue: Stardome Observatory
Speaker/Host:
Margaret Arthur
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The young members of the Society meet to learn more about space, astronomy and space exploration. Suitable for age 7 years and up.
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Film Night Nov -
Monday 08 Nov, 2010
at 20:00Hrs
Venue: Stardome Observatory
Speaker/Host:
Gavin Logan
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On film night we screen astronomy and science documentaries.
This Month: tba
??
NOTE: Date Change
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Intro to Astronomy Nov -
Monday 15 Nov, 2010
at 20:00Hrs
Venue: Stardome Observatory
Speaker/Host:
Bernie Brenner
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An Introductory Astronomy course from Michigan Tech University followed by a tutorial.
This Month: tba
??.
The session will be followed by a tutorial session reviewing the material covered.
NOTE: Date Change
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November Monthly Meeting - A Message from Earth: the Voyager Golden Record
Monday 22 Nov, 2010
at 20:00Hrs
Venue: Stardome Observatory
Speaker/Host:
Jon Lomberg
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Jon Lomberg was Design Director of this legendary project. He devised the portrait of humanity in photographs and diagrams intended for ETs who find either of the two Voyager spacecraft, adrift in space, thousands of millennia hence.
His cover design for the Record should endure for at least a thousand million years. Mr. Lomberg will tell the story of the evolution of the images, music and sounds that represent our species to the Galaxy.
NOTE: Date Change
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Young Astronomers - December
Friday 03 Dec, 2010
at 19:30Hrs
Venue: Stardome Observatory
Speaker/Host:
Margaret Arthur
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The young members of the Society meet to learn more about space, astronomy and space exploration. Suitable for age 7 years and up.
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Practical Astronomy Dec - Summer Star Party
Monday 06 Dec, 2010
at 20:00Hrs
Venue: Stardome Observatory
Speaker/Host:
Andrew Buckingham
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A club night based on getting stated with learning the night sky and using your telescope.
This Month: Summer Star Party
Our Summer observing event.
The evening will start in the planetarium and will progress to telescope viewing as it get dark. The EWB Zeiss Telescope will be available for viewing as well as portable telescopes outside in the courtyard. Ivan Vazey (AAS Curator) will be on hand to help people who have questions about telescopes or your own telescope. Feel free to bring your own telescope along.
The event will be weather independent as we will have the planetarium available and other activities planned.
The evening is aimed to include members who are getting started with exploring the night sky as well as the more experienced so along and join in.
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December Monthly Meeting -
Monday 13 Dec, 2010
at 20:00Hrs
Venue: Stardome Observatory
Speaker/Host:
-
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details tba
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Intro to Astronomy Dec -
Monday 20 Dec, 2010
at 20:00Hrs
Venue: Stardome Observatory
Speaker/Host:
Bernie Brenner
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An Introductory Astronomy course from Michigan Tech University followed by a tutorial.
This Month: tba
??.
The session will be followed by a tutorial session reviewing the material covered.
Note: This session is one week earlier than normal
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