Previous meetings

10 July 2023
Andrew Green, ‘Space Shuttle & the International Space Station’

A video of the zoom presentation is unavailable.


12 June 2023
Matthew Hoskin, ‘Observing White Dwarf Stars: A glimpse of almost everything’

A video of the zoom presentation is unavailable.


15 May 2023
Dr. Ernie Hill, ‘Graphene in Space?’

A video of the zoom presentation can be viewed below.


17 April 2023
Professor Christopher Conselice, ‘Origins: The Big Bang to Intelligent Life & Everything in Between (The James Webb Telescope)’

A video of the zoom presentation can be viewed below.


13 March 2023
Professor Derek Ward-Thompson, ‘Black Holes Update’

This was the last talk to be held at Cavendish Community Primary School. A video of the zoom presentation is unavailable.


13 February 2023
Marissa Lo, ‘The Volcanic History of the Moon’

Click here to download a PowerPoint of the presentation.


09 January 2023
Paul Money, ‘Wonders of our Solar System’

Take a tour of the major and minor bodies of our solar system and our nearest star, the Sun.

A video of this zoom presentation is unavailable due to copyright restrictions.


12 December 2022
‘Members Christmas Evening’

Festive cheer! – including: a 15 minute planetarium show, (kindly set up and provided by our member, Annette Hunsley). The show was based on ‘We are Aliens’ by the National Space Centre

Astrophotography displays by some of our members, plus a display of methods used and results achieved to take photographs of the path of the sun over a six month period using Solarcan pin hole cameras.

Discussions around a ‘beginners pack’ of information to help in finding your way around the night sky and understanding the phases of the moon and how and when this can be observed. Plus – the ‘magic’ mirror, which produces truly amazing hovering 3D images of the night sky.


14 November 2022
Professor Jeff Forshaw: ‘Black Holes: The Key to Understanding the Universe’

A video of the zoom presentation can be viewed below.


10 October 2022
Dr. Steve Barrett: ‘The Weird World of the Very Very Small’

If you would like to view a video of the talk please click here.
If you would like to view a PDF of the presenter’s slides please click here.


12 September 2022
Dr. Megan Argo BEM: ‘Predictions for Astronomy in the next 200 years’

If you would like to view a video of the talk please contact the society.


11 July 2022
Professor Ian Robson: ‘The Pluto Story’ followed by the AGM

A video of Professor Robson’s zoom presentation can be viewed below.


13 June 2022
Pauline Norris, ‘Ancient Egyptian Constellations’

A video of this zoom presentation is unavailable due to copyright restrictions.


09 May 2022
Paul Money, ‘Triumphs of Voyager Part 2’

A video of this zoom presentation is unavailable due to copyright restrictions.


11 April 2022
Professor Andy Newsam (Liverpool John Moores University), ‘Astronomy and Art: Universal Appeal?’

A video of the zoom presentation can be viewed below.


14 March 2022
Martin Lunn (The Rambling Astronomer), ‘Anglo-Saxon Astronomy’

A video of the zoom presentation can be viewed below.


07 February 2022
Dr. Dimitris Stamatellos (University of Central Lancashire), ‘Exoplanet update – The search for new worlds in our Galaxy’

A video of the zoom presentation can be viewed below.


10 January 2022
Steve Hurley, ‘Messages From Earth’

A video of the zoom presentation can be viewed below.


13 December 2021
Dr. Steve Barrett (University of Liverpool), ‘The Science of Santa’

A talk by Dr. Steve Barrett given to the society on Monday, 13 December 2021. A video of the ‘Zoom’ presentation can be viewed here.

To view the slides from the presentation please click here.


08 November 2021
Dr. Rhian Jones (University of Manchester), ‘The Wonders of Asteroids’


11 October 2021
Andrew Lound, ‘Apollo: A Moon Odyssey’

Author and presenter Andrew Lound told us the story of the Apollo project tracing the highs and lows, the sweat and tears of the most ambitious and daring mission in history. This was a fascinating story of human achievement illustrated with images, scale models and accompanied by sound and music.


13 September 2021
Professor Isobel Hook, (University of Lancaster) ‘Supernovae and the search for Dark Energy’

A video of the zoom presentation can be viewed below.


12 July 2021
Rickbir Bahia, Research Fellow, European Space Agency ‘The ExoMars 2022 Mission’

A video of the zoom presentation can be viewed below.


15 June 2021
Dr. Clive Saunders, Centre for Atmospheric Studies, University of Manchester: ‘Atmospheric Optical Phenomena: Rainbows, Halos & Glories’

A video of the zoom presentation can be viewed below.


10 May 2021
Steve Hurley: ‘Satellite Navigation’

A talk by Steve Hurley. How satellite navigation works, its history and how it may develop further over the next 10 years. A video of Steve’s zoom presentation can be viewed below.


12 April 2021
Colin Stuart: ‘How We’ll Live on Mars’

A talk by Colin Stuart Astronomy author, writer and speaker. (given – rather appropriately, on the 60th anniversary of the first human spaceflight).

Colin’s website: www.colinstuart.net Colin’s twitter: @skyponderer Subscribe to Colin’s weekly astronomy newsletter and get a free e-book www.colinstuart.net/newsletter


08 March 2021
William Stewart: ‘The Size of Space – just how do astronomers estimate distances?’

A video of the talk can be viewed below.


08 February 2021
Professor Ian Robson: ‘The Changing Scene of Astronomy’

A video of the talk can be viewed below.


11 January 2021
Martin Kessel: ‘Introduction to Astrophotography Part 2’

Part 2 of Martin Kessel’s talk from 2019.

A video of the talk can be viewed below.


14 December 2020
Dr. Steve Barrett: ‘Star of Bethlehem’

A talk by Dr. Steve Barrett, University of Liverpool

To view the slides from the presentation please click here. (PDF opens in a new window)

A video of the talk can be viewed below.


09 November 2020
Professor Ivan Baldry: ‘Galaxy Populations and the Colour of the Universe’

A talk by Professor Ivan Baldry, Astrophysics Research Institute, Liverpool John Moores University

A video of the talk can be viewed below.


12 October 2020
Dr. Chris Arridge: ‘The JUICE (JUpiter ICy moons Explorer) Mission to Jupiter and Ganymede’

A talk by Dr. Chris Arridge, Royal Society Research Fellow and Reader in Planetary Physics, Department of Physics, Lancaster University.

A video of the talk can be viewed below.


14 September 2020
Dr. Chris Wareing: ‘Filaments, Feedback and forming the Rosette’

A talk by Dr. Chris Wareing, School of Physics & Astronomy, University of Leeds. If you would like to see a video of the talk please contact the society.


13 July 2020
Steve Hurley: ‘SETI and the Rare Earth Hypothesis’

A video of the talk can be viewed below.

For further information please visit Steve’s blog here. There is also a kindle e-book by Steve which can be purchased here.


8 June 2020
Dr. Licia Ray (Lancaster University):
‘Auroral Emissions Through the Solar System’

A video of the talk can be viewed below.


11 May 2020
Boyd Bowdish & Andrew Bradshaw:
‘The World’s Biggest Digital Camera and why the StarLink Programme is a significant Issue for it …’

‘How we look at Space and Time at VRO’ & ‘Sudden StarLink Syndrome’ An overview of the work of The Vera Rubin Observatory (with its 27-ft (8.4-m) mirror telescope and 3200 megapixel camera) given by Boyd Bowdish (How we look at Space and Time at VRO) followed by a further presentation on the effects on VRO data caused by the StarLink satellite constellation (Sudden StarLink Syndrome) by Andrew Bradshaw. Our first intercontinental talk by guest speakers from the USA and an exclusive first for our society here in the UK using Zoom video conferencing.

A video of the talk can be viewed below.

To view the slides from the first presentation ‘How we look at Space and Time at VRO’ please click here. (PDF opens in a new window)

To view the slides from the second presentation ‘Sudden StarLink Syndrome’ please click here. (PDF opens in a new window)


09 March 2020
Pauline Norris: ‘
The Ancient Egyptians and their Astronomy

A talk by Pauline Norris


10 February 2020
Dr. Rene Breton: ‘A Hitchhikers Guide to Black Holes’

A talk by Dr. Rene Breton (University of Manchester)


13 January 2020
Martin Kessel: ‘Introduction to Astrophotography’

To see Martin’s website please click here

To see Martin’s Flickr album please click here


09 December 2019
Dr. Paul Connolly (University of Manchester): ‘Saturn’s Hexagon’


11 November 2019
Professor Matthew Cobb (University of Manchester): ‘Alien Life in the Universe’


14 October 2019
Steve Hurley: ‘Dark Matter & Dark Energy’

A talk given to the society on Monday, 14 October 2019
To see Steve’s blog spots on these subjects please click here for Dark Matter and here for Dark Energy


09 September 2019
Dr. Steve Barrett: ‘The Great Moon Hoax’

A talk given to the society on Monday, 09 September 2019
To see a video presentation of the talk please click here
To view the presentation handout please click here
[This content has been kindly provided by Dr. Steve Barrett]

Click here to view the video presentation

List of earlier meetings:

DateEvent
2019
10/06/19Chris Suddick (Altrincham and District Astronomical Society) – Mythology of the Stars
13/05/19Paul Money – Triumphs of Voyager pt1: Journey to Jupiter/Splendors of Saturn
12/04/19Dr Steve Hurley (West Didsbury Astronomical Society) – Venus
11/03/19David Sobral (Lancaster University) – The Quest for Our Cosmic Origins : The Sky is Only the Beginning!
11/02/19Timo Laitined (UCLAN) – Sun-Earth Connection
14/01/19West Didsbury Astronomical Society Quiz
 2018
10/12/18Rickbir Bahia (University of Manchester) – The Evolution of Surface Topography on Mars from Channel Networks
12/11/18Tom Scragg (University of Manchester) – Pulars
08/10/18Chris Reed (Altrincham and District Astronomical Society) – Moons: of the Solar System and Beyond
10/09/18Mark Derbyshire – Asteroids in Northern Europe
09/07/18Annual General Meeting & Nigel Henbest – Cosmic Quest: From Babylon to the Big Bang
11/06/18Dr Jacco van Loon – Spaceship Earth
14/05/18Prof. Michael Garrett – SETI (Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence) efforts and how we can do better…
09/04/18Andrew Green – Apollo: One Small Step
12/03/18Gemma Reed – The James Webb Telescope
12/02/18Stacey Habergham – Exploring the Universe with Exploding Stars
08/01/18Annual Quiz – Fun and Games
 2017
11/12/17Jeff Forshaw – Universal – A Journey Through the Cosmos
13/11/17Rene Breton – Cosmic Fireworks
09/10/17Michael Oates – “What’s in an Image?”
11/09/17Dean Harris – The UK Beagle 2 Lander for Mars
10/07/17Annual General Meeting & Dimitris Stamatellos – Exoplanets.
12/06/17Harvinder Atwal – Balloons, flights and experiments from the Manchester Space Programme.
08/05/17Daniel Jubb – Rockets.
10/04/17Peter Robinson – Space Elevators.
13/03/17Eclipse 2017 – Members Meeting.
13/02/17Colin Steel – A Day On Each Planet.
09/01/17West Didsbury Astronomical Society Quiz.
 2016
12/12/16Stacey Habergham – Exploring the Universe with Exploding Stars.
14/11/16Rhian Jones – Birth of the Solar System – The Story from Chrondite to Meteorites.
10/10/16Clive Dickinson – Unveiling the Cosmic Microwave Background.
12/09/16West Didsbury Opening Season Meeting & Monique Henson – Giants of the Universe.
11/07/16West Didsbury AGM & Steve Warbis Astronomy in Art
13/06/16Prof. A Zijlstra – University of Manchester – Evolution of Planetary Nebulae
09/05/16Mike Shaw – Sundials and How they Work
11/04/16Prof. Mike Seymour – University of Manchester – Update on the Latest from the Large Hadron Collider
14/03/16Prof. Derek Ward-Thompson – University of Central Lancashire (UCLAN) – The Herschel Space Telescope and What it taught us about Star Formation
08/02/16Prof. Phillipa Browning – University of Manchester – Space Weather Forecast
11/01/16West Didsbury Astronomical Society – 2016 Quiz 
  2015
14/12/15Prof. Lucio Piccirillo – University of Manchester – Origins of the Universe
09/11/15Prof. Phil James – Liverpool John Moore University – Supernovae and the Evidence for Dark Energy
12/10/15Lee Sproats- Green Witch Telescopes – Observing Techniques:Tips and Tricks
14/09/15Dr. Joe Zuntz – University of Manchester – Weak Gravitational Lensing
13/07/15Annual General Meeting and Lingjie Kong – Introduction to Cosmology
07/06/15Ben Stappers – Manchester University – Pulsars and Pulsations
11/05/15William Stewart – South Cheshire Astronomical Society – “Shooting while you Sleep – Modern Methods for Detecting and Analysing Meteors”
13/04/15Prof. Donald Kurtz – University of Central Lancashire – Planets and Pulsations
09/03/15David Sellers – Author – William Gascoigne
09/02/15Dr. Patricia Gorgojo-Alonso – Manchester University – Graphine
12/01/15West Didsbury Astronomical Society Quiz
  2014
08/12/14Emeritus Professor of Astrophysics Michael Edmunds – Cardiff University– The Anthikythera Mechanism
10/11/14Megan Argo – Manchester University – When Galaxies Collide
13/10/14Dr. Katherine Joy – Manchester University – Exploration and Science of the Moon
08/09/14West Didsbury Astronomical Society – Backyard Astronomy
14/07/14Annual General Meeting
09/06/14Andrew Greenwood – Mars
12/05/14Barry Henshall Manchester Astronomical Society – The Birth of Astrophotography
07/04/14Lorelly Wilson – Chemistry for Astronomers
10/03/14Michael Bode – Liverpool John Moores University – The Liverpool Telescope, a Giant Robotic Eye on the Sky
10/02/14Sheila Kanani – Moons in the Solar System
13/01/14Annual Quiz
  2013
09/12/13Chris Simpson – Liverpool John Moore University – Search for the most Distant Quasars
11/11/13John Thomson – West Didsbury Astronomical Society President – Charting the Milky Way
14/10/13Maurizio Salaris – Liverpool John Moore University – Dead Stars and the Origin of the Universe
09/09/13Eamonn Kerins – Manchester University – The Hunt for Earth 2
08/07/13AGM & Society President Presentation: Charting the Milky Way
10/06/13Andrew Bate – Chester AS – The Waverton Long Pendulum. Foucault’s Pendulum revisited
13/05/13Paola Caselli – Leeds University – From Interstellar Clouds to Planets, the Universal Factory
15/04/13Jeff Forshaw – University of Manchester – The Quantum Universe
11/03/13Althea Wilkinson – University of Manchester – Planck Mission
11/02/13Mark Purver – University of Manchester – Detecting Gravitational Waves Using Pulsars
14/01/13West Didsbury Astronomical Society Annual Quiz
 2012
Dec 10Anthony Bristow – Astra Zeneca – Touching from a Distance, Chemical Analysis in Space
Nov 12
Prof. Chris Parkes – University of Manchester – What is the Matter with Anti-matter
Oct 8
Prof. Lionel Wilson – Lancaster University – Ancient Volcanism on the Moon and Mercury
Sep 10
Chris Bowdery – Lancaster University – Higgs Boson – an Update
Jul 9Annual General Meeting, and John Brooke – University of Manchester – Magnetism and Space Weather
Jun 11Martin Lunn – Cassiopeia A : a 17th century Supernova
May 14Postponded to 2013 (Althea Wilkinson – University of Manchester – Planck Mission).  Members attended Talk by Lord Martin Rees (Astronomer Royal) at RNCM
 Apr 16Bruno Maffei – University of Manchester  – Present and future instruments for Radio to Far-Infrared Astronomy
Mar 12 
 William Stewart – South Cheshire Astronomy Society – Dark Matter 
Feb 13
 Duncan Hall – University of Manchester – Data Processing Challenges for the SKA
Jan 9
 West Didsbury Astronomical Society Annual Quiz
 2011
Dec 12
 Paul Ruffle – University of Manchester–How I Wonder What You Are. The Birth and Life and Death of Stars. 
Nov 14
 Carole Mundell – Liverpool John Moores – Big Bangs and Black Holes
Oct 10
 Sarah Crowther – University of Manchester – NASA Genesis mission
Sep 12  Myfanwy Lloyd ‘ Planetary Nebulae with Binary Stars’
 Jul 11
 Dr. Ed Daw ‘The Hunt for Gravitational Waves
 Jun 13
 Prof. Jeff Forshaw ‘Fundamental Physics and the Large Hadron Collider’
 May 9
 Annual General Meeting. Members ‘Show and Tell’
 Apr 11
 Richard Battye ‘The Cosmic Microwave Background’ 
Mar 14
Tom Mullins ‘Order out of Chaos’
Feb 7
Andy Newsam -‘Exploring the Dynamic Universe’
Jan 10
West Didsbury Astronomical Society Annual Quiz
 2010
Dec 13Benny Peiser ‘Apocalypse NO: Cosmic Hazards and Planetary Protection’
Nov 8
Tim O’Brien ‘Exploring the invisible universe’
Oct 11
Grant Allen ‘Weather on the Planets’
Sep 13Welcome to the WDAS Society Year & Andrew Greenwood ‘Naked Eye Astronomy’
Jul 12
Annual General Meeting. Members ‘Show and Tell’ 
Jun 14
Chris Wareing – Lost in Space
May 10
Prof. Ian Morison ‘A great TIME to be an Astronomer’
Mar 8
Dave Ogden ‘Magnetism in the Universe’
Apr 12
Jaime Gilmore “The Chronology of Solar System Formation” 
Feb 8
Fred Lobinger – Particle Physics
Jan 11
West Didsbury Astronomical Society Annual Quiz
 2009
Dec 14Paul Fitzgerald ‘History or Hoax ? A lighthearted look at the Apollo Missions’
Nov 9November 9 
Sounding Out the SUN 
 Speaker:  Dr. Roger New 7 – 9 pm. William Hulme’s Grammar School Lecture Room, First Floor, ZOCHONIS Building    
Oct 14October 12 
Galaxy Clusters 
 Speakers:  Dr. Scott Kay  7 – 9 pm. William Hulme’s Grammar School Lecture Room, First Floor, ZOCHONIS Building    
Sep 14September 14 
WDAS Welcome and Opticstar Speakers:  Chairman &  Opticstar – Peter Karboulonis  7 – 9 pm. William Hulme’s Grammar School Lecture Room, First Floor, ZOCHONIS Building    
Jul 13July 13 WDAS AGM and Science Experiments Speakers:  AGM – Chairman &          Science – John Thomson  7 – 9 pm. William Hulme’s Grammar School Lecture Room, First Floor, ZOCHONIS Building    
Jun 8June 8  The Aurora Borealis: Nature’s light showSpeaker:  Jim Wild  7 – 9 pm. William Hulme’s Grammar School Lecture Room, First Floor, ZOCHONIS Building  
May 11May 11  “New Advances in Photography”Speaker:  David Ratledge
  7 – 9 pm. William Hulme’s Grammar School Lecture Room, First Floor, ZOCHONIS Building  
Apr 20Apr 20  “Large Aperture Telescopes”Speaker:  David Owen, Geoff Regan, Dave Thomson
(From  Liverpool Astronomical Society)  7 – 9 pm. William Hulme’s Grammar School Lecture Room, First Floor, ZOCHONIS Building  
Mar 9 March 9  “The Active SUN”Speaker:  Dr. Philippa Browning (From  The University of Manchester)  7 – 9 pm. William Hulme’s Grammar School Lecture Room, First Floor, ZOCHONIS Building  
Feb 9Colin SteeleSheffield University
Astronomy in FlatlandFeb 9 Astronomy in 2-dimensions! 


7-9pm at William Hulme’s Grammar School Lecture Room, First Floor, ZOCHONIS Building  
Jan 14 
Annual QuizJan. 14th Can you answer the Questions ??? 


7-9pm at William Hulme’s Grammar School Lecture Room, First Floor, ZOCHONIS Building  
 2008
Dec 8December 8th   ‘President’s Christmas Lecture‘Speaker: John Thomson  
7 – 9 pm.  William Hulme’s Grammar School Lecture Room, First Floor, ZOCHONIS Building   
Oct 13October 13th  ‘The Higgs-Boson & the origin of mass‘Speaker:  Chris Bowdery  (From Lancaster University)  
7 – 9 pm.  William Hulme’s Grammar School Lecture Room, First Floor, ZOCHONIS Building  
Sep 8Introductory Members’ Evening
Jul 14Annual General Meeting. Members ‘Show and Tell’ 
Jun 9Discussion
May 12Mike Merrifield – Nottingham University – Galactic Centre
Apr 14Mark Jones – Open University – Infrared Astronomy 
Mar 10Dr. Grant Allen, University of Manchester, Clouds and Atmospheric Optical Phenomena
Feb 11David Mottershead, WDAS. Saturn
Jan 14Annual Quiz
Jan 11 12 13Hardraw Weekend
 2007
Dec 10‘Making an Impact’ (Crater formation), Annual Prestige Lecture : John Thomson, WHGS and WDAS President
Nov 12Next Meeting: November 12th  “Relativistic Jets”Speaker:  Prof. Sam Falle  (From Leeds University)  
7 – 9 pm.  William Hulme’s Grammar School Lecture Room, First Floor, ZOCHONIS Building  
Oct 8Mars : Dave Ogden
Sep 10First meeting of the new year! : Jason (WDAS) on The Story of Observation from Twilight to Dawn
Jun 25WDAS AGM / Show & Tell / Summer Astronomy? : 
Note: This is the July Meeting brought forward due to College term dates
Jun 11Meteorites and the Early Solar System : Dr. Jamie Gilmour
Most meteorites are samples of asteroids that have been geologically inactive since the earliest stage of the solar system’s evolution, so they preserve a record of the processes that occurred as planets like our Earth formed around the young sun. I
May 1450 years of the Lovell Telescope : Ian Morison
The talk will look at the exciting 50 year history of the Lovell Telescope – now an icon of British science and technology. It will cover the early days when it tracked Russian and American spacecraft, the discovery of the quasars, then the most di
Apr 16The Night Sky : John Thomson
Note: 9th April=Easter Monday
Mar 12The Life of a Star : Myfanwy Bryce
Feb 19Webcam Astronomy : David Mottershead
After his successful pre-talk on Photography in Astronomy, David returns to cover the use of webcams.
Jan 8Observing Night /Jason’s AstroQuiz : 
Observing Night (weather permitting)
 2006
Dec 11Solar Physics : Dr Robert Walsh
An astrophysicist at UCLan, Robert was given the title �Scientist for the New Centuryyy� by the Royal Institution.
Nov 13Webcam Astronomy : David Mottershead
Due to power problems this meeting was cancelled. The talk will be rescheduled – please check the calendar for updates.
Oct 9The Origin of Gamma Ray Bursts : Dr David Bersier
Sep 11So, You Think You Might Be Interested in Astronomy? : WDAS Committee
2006-07 Introductory meeting
Jun 264th WDAS AGM : 
WDAS AGM / Show & Tell / Summer Astronomy? 
Jun 12Mysteries of the Sun : Dr David Tsiklauri
Dr David Tsiklauri attempted to answer the burning question: “Why is the Solar Corona so Hot?”
May 8Libyan Eclipse Experience : Jason Woolley
Jason showed us his pictures of the recent Total Eclipse as seen from Libya.
Apr 10A Recipe for Galaxy Soup: When Galaxies Collide : Richard de Grijs
Richard de Grijs talked on the consequences of smashing galaxies together.
Mar 13James Nasmyth – The Lost Gardens of Fireside : Kevin Kilburn
Kevin gave a talk on the life of this character from Astronomy history
Feb 13The Exploration of Mars : Dr. Jamie Gilmour
Dr. Jamie Gilmour (a senior lecturer from Manchester University’s Earth Sciences department) returns to WDAS.
Jan 9Observing Night/Astroquiz : 
Annual astroquiz
 2005
Dec 12White Dwarfs & Rockets : Nigel Bannister
Nov 14Observing Satellites : William Stewart
Committee Member Willam Stewart gave a multimedia presentation on how to observe satellites
Oct 10Life in Space? : Dr. Jim Cohen
“Radio astronomers have made strange discoveries, but none stranger than the existence of organic molecules in space. The molecules are formed in the same clouds of gas and dust where the stars are born, so it is hard to imagine that life could be widespr
Sep 12Member’s Meeting : Various speakers
PhilB talked about plans and arrangements for the coming year.This was followed by An Astronomy Talk by Jason Woolley which covered the Astronomer’s Year, what to see, when and where.
Jul AGMAGM : Annual General Meeting
Jun 13Jodrell Bank’s Supernova Project : Megan Argo
May TBCTBC : TBC
Apr TBCTBC : TBC
Mar TBCTBC : TBC
Feb 21Observing the planets with the Hubble Space Telescope : Ian Griffin
We welcome Dr. Ian Griffin, the new Director of the Museum of Science and Industry in Manchester. Previously Ian was Head of the Office of Public Outreach for NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope and Director of Armagh Planetarium.
Jan 13Observing Night/Astroquiz : 
Annual astroquiz
 2004
Dec 12‘Something new at Jodrell Bank’ : Ian Morison
We’re promised ‘Something new at Jodrell Bank’
Nov 14Theories on the Origins of Life : Ian Favell
Oct 10Project Spaceguard : Nigel Marshall
This talk covered the establishment of a scale model of the solar system in school playgrounds around the UK. Visit http://www.spacedout-uk.com
Sep 14A Tale of Two Transits : Andrew Greenwood
Andrew gave a very interesting talk based on the transits of 1639 and 2004
Jun 28Planetary Nebulae : Myfanwy Bryce
Jun 143rd WDAS AGM : 
AGM followed by a Show and tell session. Refreshments were provided.
May 10Our Active Sun : Phillipa Browning
Apr 19Understanding the most Distant Galaxies : Prof. Clive Tadhunter
Mar 8The Moon : Simon Warner
Feb 9Robotic Telescopes : John Baruch
Jan 12AstroQuiz : Phil Brocklebank
 2003
Dec 8The Dynamic Universe: Astronomy Schools and the Liverpool Telescope : Dr Andy Newsam
Nov 10Mars (Beagle 2) : Dr Nigel Bannister
Oct 13Light : Dave Ogden
Dave gave a very entertaining talk on the subject of ‘Light’
Sep 15Astrophotography Re-visited : Andrew Greenwood
Andrew, chair of Macclesfield Astronomical Society, brought us more of his wonderful images.
Jun 30How Special is the Earth? : Jamie Gilmour
(aka the July meeting)
Jun 9Active Galactic Nuclei : Prof Joachim Rose
May 122nd WDAS AGM : 
Our 2nd AGM followed by a Show and Tell session
Apr 14Infra Red Astronomy : Prof Nye Evans
Mar 10Exploring the Universe from Jodrell Bank : Dr Tim O’Brien
The latest information on current and future work at Jodrell
Feb 10Binocular and Telescope Workshop : Tony Hill
A fairly informal evening with college and members telescopes and binoculars and other equipment out on show. Tony Hill, from the Stockport Binocular and Telescope Centre also made a return visit to give a presentation and advice on telescopes, binocular
Jan 14Astroquiz #2 : WDAS
After the observing weekend away in Hardraw, a quieter, more social evening was held with our second AstroQuiz
 2002
Dec 9A New View of the Universe : Dr Ian Morison
Ian brought us up to date with the latest cosmological theory on Dark Energy
Nov 11Star Formation and the Hubble Sequence of Galaxies : Dr Phil James
Phil also brought us information on the Distance Learning Course available through his University
Oct 14Messier Object : Dave Ogden
Sep 9The Sun : Dr Robert Walsh
Jul 1Rocketry : Megan Argo
Megan came to talk to us about her team’s recent adventures in the National Rocket Championships, which they won in both 2000 and 2001
Jun 10Satellites and their significance for Astronomy : Dr David Clark
Nobby spoke to us on “Satellites and their significance for Astronomy”
May 131st WDAS AGM : 
Apr 8Comets : Dave Ogden
A presentation on Comets, including recent images of Comet Ikeya-Zhang
Mar 11Earth as a Planet : Fred Broadhurst
Feb 11GCSE Astronomy : Nigel Marshall
Nigel Marshall spoke about GCSE Astronomy from the Chief Examiner’s viewpoint
Jan 14AstroQuiz : WDAS
 2001
Dec 10Project Spaceguard – saving people from going the way of the Dinosaurs : Duncan Steel
Duncan alerted us to the risk to Earth from asteroid impact
Nov 12Practical Astrophotography Workshop : Sue Metcalfe and John Thomson
Oct 8Astrophotography : Andrew Greenwood
Andrew covered the full gamut of astrophotography, from conventional film to digital photography, and showed the spectacular photos he took of eclipses in Turkey and South Africa
Sep 10Choosing and using Telescopes and Binoculars : Tony Hill
Jul 9Astronomy Software : John Thomson
Members had the opportunity to look at and use Astronomy software on laptops
Jun 11College telescopes : John Thomson
John Thomson guided us through the setting up and use of the College’s telescopes.