| Date | Event |
|---|
| 2019 |
| 10/06/19 | Chris Suddick (Altrincham and District Astronomical Society) – Mythology of the Stars |
| 13/05/19 | Paul Money – Triumphs of Voyager pt1: Journey to Jupiter/Splendors of Saturn |
| 12/04/19 | Dr Steve Hurley (West Didsbury Astronomical Society) – Venus |
| 11/03/19 | David Sobral (Lancaster University) – The Quest for Our Cosmic Origins : The Sky is Only the Beginning! |
| 11/02/19 | Timo Laitined (UCLAN) – Sun-Earth Connection |
| 14/01/19 | West Didsbury Astronomical Society Quiz |
| 2018 |
| 10/12/18 | Rickbir Bahia (University of Manchester) – The Evolution of Surface Topography on Mars from Channel Networks |
| 12/11/18 | Tom Scragg (University of Manchester) – Pulars |
| 08/10/18 | Chris Reed (Altrincham and District Astronomical Society) – Moons: of the Solar System and Beyond |
| 10/09/18 | Mark Derbyshire – Asteroids in Northern Europe |
| 09/07/18 | Annual General Meeting & Nigel Henbest – Cosmic Quest: From Babylon to the Big Bang |
| 11/06/18 | Dr Jacco van Loon – Spaceship Earth |
| 14/05/18 | Prof. Michael Garrett – SETI (Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence) efforts and how we can do better… |
| 09/04/18 | Andrew Green – Apollo: One Small Step |
| 12/03/18 | Gemma Reed – The James Webb Telescope |
| 12/02/18 | Stacey Habergham – Exploring the Universe with Exploding Stars |
| 08/01/18 | Annual Quiz – Fun and Games |
| 2017 |
| 11/12/17 | Jeff Forshaw – Universal – A Journey Through the Cosmos |
| 13/11/17 | Rene Breton – Cosmic Fireworks |
| 09/10/17 | Michael Oates – “What’s in an Image?” |
| 11/09/17 | Dean Harris – The UK Beagle 2 Lander for Mars |
| 10/07/17 | Annual General Meeting & Dimitris Stamatellos – Exoplanets. |
| 12/06/17 | Harvinder Atwal – Balloons, flights and experiments from the Manchester Space Programme. |
| 08/05/17 | Daniel Jubb – Rockets. |
| 10/04/17 | Peter Robinson – Space Elevators. |
| 13/03/17 | Eclipse 2017 – Members Meeting. |
| 13/02/17 | Colin Steel – A Day On Each Planet. |
| 09/01/17 | West Didsbury Astronomical Society Quiz. |
| 2016 |
| 12/12/16 | Stacey Habergham – Exploring the Universe with Exploding Stars. |
| 14/11/16 | Rhian Jones – Birth of the Solar System – The Story from Chrondite to Meteorites. |
| 10/10/16 | Clive Dickinson – Unveiling the Cosmic Microwave Background. |
| 12/09/16 | West Didsbury Opening Season Meeting & Monique Henson – Giants of the Universe. |
| 11/07/16 | West Didsbury AGM & Steve Warbis Astronomy in Art |
| 13/06/16 | Prof. A Zijlstra – University of Manchester – Evolution of Planetary Nebulae |
| 09/05/16 | Mike Shaw – Sundials and How they Work |
| 11/04/16 | Prof. Mike Seymour – University of Manchester – Update on the Latest from the Large Hadron Collider |
| 14/03/16 | Prof. Derek Ward-Thompson – University of Central Lancashire (UCLAN) – The Herschel Space Telescope and What it taught us about Star Formation |
| 08/02/16 | Prof. Phillipa Browning – University of Manchester – Space Weather Forecast |
| 11/01/16 | West Didsbury Astronomical Society – 2016 Quiz |
| 2015 |
| 14/12/15 | Prof. Lucio Piccirillo – University of Manchester – Origins of the Universe |
| 09/11/15 | Prof. Phil James – Liverpool John Moore University – Supernovae and the Evidence for Dark Energy |
| 12/10/15 | Lee Sproats- Green Witch Telescopes – Observing Techniques:Tips and Tricks |
| 14/09/15 | Dr. Joe Zuntz – University of Manchester – Weak Gravitational Lensing |
| 13/07/15 | Annual General Meeting and Lingjie Kong – Introduction to Cosmology |
| 07/06/15 | Ben Stappers – Manchester University – Pulsars and Pulsations |
| 11/05/15 | William Stewart – South Cheshire Astronomical Society – “Shooting while you Sleep – Modern Methods for Detecting and Analysing Meteors” |
| 13/04/15 | Prof. Donald Kurtz – University of Central Lancashire – Planets and Pulsations |
| 09/03/15 | David Sellers – Author – William Gascoigne |
| 09/02/15 | Dr. Patricia Gorgojo-Alonso – Manchester University – Graphine |
| 12/01/15 | West Didsbury Astronomical Society Quiz |
| 2014 |
| 08/12/14 | Emeritus Professor of Astrophysics Michael Edmunds – Cardiff University– The Anthikythera Mechanism |
| 10/11/14 | Megan Argo – Manchester University – When Galaxies Collide |
| 13/10/14 | Dr. Katherine Joy – Manchester University – Exploration and Science of the Moon |
| 08/09/14 | West Didsbury Astronomical Society – Backyard Astronomy |
| 14/07/14 | Annual General Meeting |
| 09/06/14 | Andrew Greenwood – Mars |
| 12/05/14 | Barry Henshall Manchester Astronomical Society – The Birth of Astrophotography |
| 07/04/14 | Lorelly Wilson – Chemistry for Astronomers |
| 10/03/14 | Michael Bode – Liverpool John Moores University – The Liverpool Telescope, a Giant Robotic Eye on the Sky |
| 10/02/14 | Sheila Kanani – Moons in the Solar System |
| 13/01/14 | Annual Quiz |
| 2013 |
| 09/12/13 | Chris Simpson – Liverpool John Moore University – Search for the most Distant Quasars |
| 11/11/13 | John Thomson – West Didsbury Astronomical Society President – Charting the Milky Way |
| 14/10/13 | Maurizio Salaris – Liverpool John Moore University – Dead Stars and the Origin of the Universe |
| 09/09/13 | Eamonn Kerins – Manchester University – The Hunt for Earth 2 |
| 08/07/13 | AGM & Society President Presentation: Charting the Milky Way |
| 10/06/13 | Andrew Bate – Chester AS – The Waverton Long Pendulum. Foucault’s Pendulum revisited |
| 13/05/13 | Paola Caselli – Leeds University – From Interstellar Clouds to Planets, the Universal Factory |
| 15/04/13 | Jeff Forshaw – University of Manchester – The Quantum Universe |
| 11/03/13 | Althea Wilkinson – University of Manchester – Planck Mission |
| 11/02/13 | Mark Purver – University of Manchester – Detecting Gravitational Waves Using Pulsars |
| 14/01/13 | West Didsbury Astronomical Society Annual Quiz |
| 2012 |
| Dec 10 | Anthony 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 9 | Annual General Meeting, and John Brooke – University of Manchester – Magnetism and Space Weather |
| Jun 11 | Martin Lunn – Cassiopeia A : a 17th century Supernova |
| May 14 | Postponded to 2013 (Althea Wilkinson – University of Manchester – Planck Mission). Members attended Talk by Lord Martin Rees (Astronomer Royal) at RNCM
|
| Apr 16 | Bruno 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 13 | Benny 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 13 | Welcome 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 14 | Paul Fitzgerald ‘History or Hoax ? A lighthearted look at the Apollo Missions’ |
| Nov 9 | November 9
Sounding Out the SUN
Speaker: Dr. Roger New 7 – 9 pm. William Hulme’s Grammar School Lecture Room, First Floor, ZOCHONIS Building |
| Oct 14 | October 12
Galaxy Clusters
Speakers: Dr. Scott Kay 7 – 9 pm. William Hulme’s Grammar School Lecture Room, First Floor, ZOCHONIS Building |
| Sep 14 | September 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 13 | July 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 8 | June 8 “The Aurora Borealis: Nature’s light show“Speaker: Jim Wild 7 – 9 pm. William Hulme’s Grammar School Lecture Room, First Floor, ZOCHONIS Building |
| May 11 | May 11 “New Advances in Photography”Speaker: David Ratledge
7 – 9 pm. William Hulme’s Grammar School Lecture Room, First Floor, ZOCHONIS Building |
| Apr 20 | Apr 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 9 | Colin 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 8 | December 8th ‘President’s Christmas Lecture‘Speaker: John Thomson
7 – 9 pm. William Hulme’s Grammar School Lecture Room, First Floor, ZOCHONIS Building |
| Oct 13 | October 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 8 | Introductory Members’ Evening
|
| Jul 14 | Annual General Meeting. Members ‘Show and Tell’
|
| Jun 9 | Discussion
|
| May 12 | Mike Merrifield – Nottingham University – Galactic Centre
|
| Apr 14 | Mark Jones – Open University – Infrared Astronomy
|
| Mar 10 | Dr. Grant Allen, University of Manchester, Clouds and Atmospheric Optical Phenomena
|
| Feb 11 | David Mottershead, WDAS. Saturn
|
| Jan 14 | Annual Quiz
|
| Jan 11 12 13 | Hardraw Weekend
|
|
| 2007 |
| Dec 10 | ‘Making an Impact’ (Crater formation), Annual Prestige Lecture : John Thomson, WHGS and WDAS President
|
| Nov 12 | Next 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 8 | Mars : Dave Ogden
|
| Sep 10 | First meeting of the new year! : Jason (WDAS) on The Story of Observation from Twilight to Dawn
|
| Jun 25 | WDAS AGM / Show & Tell / Summer Astronomy? :
Note: This is the July Meeting brought forward due to College term dates |
| Jun 11 | Meteorites 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 14 | 50 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 16 | The Night Sky : John Thomson
Note: 9th April=Easter Monday |
| Mar 12 | The Life of a Star : Myfanwy Bryce
|
| Feb 19 | Webcam Astronomy : David Mottershead
After his successful pre-talk on Photography in Astronomy, David returns to cover the use of webcams. |
| Jan 8 | Observing Night /Jason’s AstroQuiz :
Observing Night (weather permitting) |
| 2006 |
| Dec 11 | Solar Physics : Dr Robert Walsh
An astrophysicist at UCLan, Robert was given the title �Scientist for the New Centuryyy� by the Royal Institution. |
| Nov 13 | Webcam Astronomy : David Mottershead
Due to power problems this meeting was cancelled. The talk will be rescheduled – please check the calendar for updates. |
| Oct 9 | The Origin of Gamma Ray Bursts : Dr David Bersier
|
| Sep 11 | So, You Think You Might Be Interested in Astronomy? : WDAS Committee
2006-07 Introductory meeting |
| Jun 26 | 4th WDAS AGM :
WDAS AGM / Show & Tell / Summer Astronomy? |
| Jun 12 | Mysteries of the Sun : Dr David Tsiklauri
Dr David Tsiklauri attempted to answer the burning question: “Why is the Solar Corona so Hot?” |
| May 8 | Libyan Eclipse Experience : Jason Woolley
Jason showed us his pictures of the recent Total Eclipse as seen from Libya. |
| Apr 10 | A Recipe for Galaxy Soup: When Galaxies Collide : Richard de Grijs
Richard de Grijs talked on the consequences of smashing galaxies together. |
| Mar 13 | James Nasmyth – The Lost Gardens of Fireside : Kevin Kilburn
Kevin gave a talk on the life of this character from Astronomy history |
| Feb 13 | The Exploration of Mars : Dr. Jamie Gilmour
Dr. Jamie Gilmour (a senior lecturer from Manchester University’s Earth Sciences department) returns to WDAS. |
| Jan 9 | Observing Night/Astroquiz :
Annual astroquiz |
| 2005 |
| Dec 12 | White Dwarfs & Rockets : Nigel Bannister
|
| Nov 14 | Observing Satellites : William Stewart
Committee Member Willam Stewart gave a multimedia presentation on how to observe satellites |
| Oct 10 | Life 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 12 | Member’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 AGM | AGM : Annual General Meeting
|
| Jun 13 | Jodrell Bank’s Supernova Project : Megan Argo
|
| May TBC | TBC : TBC
|
| Apr TBC | TBC : TBC
|
| Mar TBC | TBC : TBC
|
| Feb 21 | Observing 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 13 | Observing Night/Astroquiz :
Annual astroquiz |
| 2004 |
| Dec 12 | ‘Something new at Jodrell Bank’ : Ian Morison
We’re promised ‘Something new at Jodrell Bank’ |
| Nov 14 | Theories on the Origins of Life : Ian Favell
|
| Oct 10 | Project 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 14 | A Tale of Two Transits : Andrew Greenwood
Andrew gave a very interesting talk based on the transits of 1639 and 2004 |
| Jun 28 | Planetary Nebulae : Myfanwy Bryce
|
| Jun 14 | 3rd WDAS AGM :
AGM followed by a Show and tell session. Refreshments were provided. |
| May 10 | Our Active Sun : Phillipa Browning
|
| Apr 19 | Understanding the most Distant Galaxies : Prof. Clive Tadhunter
|
| Mar 8 | The Moon : Simon Warner
|
| Feb 9 | Robotic Telescopes : John Baruch
|
| Jan 12 | AstroQuiz : Phil Brocklebank
|
| 2003 |
| Dec 8 | The Dynamic Universe: Astronomy Schools and the Liverpool Telescope : Dr Andy Newsam
|
| Nov 10 | Mars (Beagle 2) : Dr Nigel Bannister
|
| Oct 13 | Light : Dave Ogden
Dave gave a very entertaining talk on the subject of ‘Light’ |
| Sep 15 | Astrophotography Re-visited : Andrew Greenwood
Andrew, chair of Macclesfield Astronomical Society, brought us more of his wonderful images. |
| Jun 30 | How Special is the Earth? : Jamie Gilmour
(aka the July meeting) |
| Jun 9 | Active Galactic Nuclei : Prof Joachim Rose
|
| May 12 | 2nd WDAS AGM :
Our 2nd AGM followed by a Show and Tell session |
| Apr 14 | Infra Red Astronomy : Prof Nye Evans
|
| Mar 10 | Exploring the Universe from Jodrell Bank : Dr Tim O’Brien
The latest information on current and future work at Jodrell |
| Feb 10 | Binocular 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 14 | Astroquiz #2 : WDAS
After the observing weekend away in Hardraw, a quieter, more social evening was held with our second AstroQuiz |
| 2002 |
| Dec 9 | A New View of the Universe : Dr Ian Morison
Ian brought us up to date with the latest cosmological theory on Dark Energy |
| Nov 11 | Star 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 14 | Messier Object : Dave Ogden
|
| Sep 9 | The Sun : Dr Robert Walsh
|
| Jul 1 | Rocketry : 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 10 | Satellites and their significance for Astronomy : Dr David Clark
Nobby spoke to us on “Satellites and their significance for Astronomy” |
| May 13 | 1st WDAS AGM :
|
| Apr 8 | Comets : Dave Ogden
A presentation on Comets, including recent images of Comet Ikeya-Zhang |
| Mar 11 | Earth as a Planet : Fred Broadhurst
|
| Feb 11 | GCSE Astronomy : Nigel Marshall
Nigel Marshall spoke about GCSE Astronomy from the Chief Examiner’s viewpoint |
| Jan 14 | AstroQuiz : WDAS
|
| 2001 |
| Dec 10 | Project Spaceguard – saving people from going the way of the Dinosaurs : Duncan Steel
Duncan alerted us to the risk to Earth from asteroid impact |
| Nov 12 | Practical Astrophotography Workshop : Sue Metcalfe and John Thomson
|
| Oct 8 | Astrophotography : 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 10 | Choosing and using Telescopes and Binoculars : Tony Hill
|
| Jul 9 | Astronomy Software : John Thomson
Members had the opportunity to look at and use Astronomy software on laptops |
| Jun 11 | College telescopes : John Thomson
John Thomson guided us through the setting up and use of the College’s telescopes. |
