A common assumption is that amateur astronomy is just that, an amateur pursuit, closely akin to stamp collecting or train-spotting. With so many large professional telescopes constantly scanning the night sky, producing detailed and highly accurate pictures of the sky on a nightly basis, you might think that there was little or no room for the work of the amateur with just a small backyard scope.
However, modern technology means that today's amateur is able to produce images of dazzling quality with equipment that can be bought on eBay.
And, better still, the modern amateur is often able to dedicate far more of his precious time to exploring the night sky than the budget conscious professional astronomer. Indeed, a significant number of recent astronomical events - such as the cometary body that collided with the planet Jupiter a few weeks ago - were detected by amateurs first.
In this talk, David Hughes and will look at the work of amateur astronomers and the invaluable contributions they have made and, indeed, continue to be made to modern science.
Please note that this meeting will be held in our normal room at the Centre for Life. The start time is 1900 hours. Tea and biscuits will be provided.
Many amateur astronomers put away their scopes over the summer months because the sky is, from their point of view, never dark enough for serious observing. However, summer is quite possibly the best time of year for beginners to get to grips with the night sky.
Why? Well, first and foremost, it's usually warm enough to observe in little more than a t-shirt and shorts, less if you are that way inclined, and the warmer weather means that you don't have to worry about catching hyperthermia. More so, observing sessions can be combined with other activities like barbecues, which can be a good way of keeping the youngsters interested whilst you find your way around the summer constellations.
Then, of course, there are the other summer phenomena to look forward to - Noctilucent (night shining) clouds, and the annual Perseid meteor shower in August - all combine to make the summer an interesting and enthralling period for the amateur astronomer.
These are just a few of the reasons why the summer is great for astronomy. In this talk, David Hughes will try to encourage even the most dedicated of armchair astronomers outside for a brief glimpse of the sky.
Please note that this meeting will be held in our normal room at the Centre for Life. The start time is 1900 hours. Tea and biscuits will be provided.
Today is International Star Wars Day and so we've decided that anyone who comes along to the venue in suitable fancy dress will win a year's free membership. Your costume doesn't have to strictly follow a Star Wars theme - The Centre for Life has a rather excellent Doctor Who exhibition on at the moment so anything Who-related will also qualify.
3-D is all the rage in the cinema at the moment and so, in a blatent and unapologetic attempt to cash in on this latest fad, Luna Founder Dave Newton will give an unusual and thought-provoking insight into the 3-D nature of the Universe.
Dave gave a similar talk at the recent Keilder Star Camp where it proved extremely popular.
3-D glasses will be provided so come along and see something truly unique.
Please note that this meeting will be held in our normal room at the Centre for Life. The start time is 1900 hours. Tea and biscuits will be provided.
Peter Vasey is one of the UK's best astrophotographers and his work has been featured in numerous magazines, as well as on local and national TV. Peter has very kindly invited Luna and the other active astronomical societies to visit his observatory up in Hexham, Northumberland.
This visit has proved enormously popular and is heavily over-subscribed. Spaces have been allocated to those individuals who have supported the society since its inception and, currently, we are not able to accept any more people onto the visit.
We're trying to arrange transport for those in need. Watch this space for further details. Any car owners able to provide lifts should let Dave Admin know through the usual contact form.
Please note that there will be no meeting at the Centre for Life on this occasion.
Find out in this lecture produced by Luna Astronomical Society for Newcastle upon Tyne Science Festival 2010, 16th March 2010 at 1900 hours, Centre for Life, Newcastle.
America's National UFO Reporting Centre (NUFORC) receives hundreds of UFO sightings every month and yet a significant proportion of these reports are everyday objects that are easily explained.
In this fun lecture/discussion, Luna's Dave Newton and David Hughes will show you how to avoid confusing typical celestial objects such as Venus, the International Space Station, Iridium Flares, Chinese Lanterns etc with a possible visit from E.T.
The two Astro-Dave's will also talk about some of the more obvious scams passed off as the real thing in recent years, and how modern technology makes it possible for you to create your own Alien-invasion/Hollywood Blockbuster on a humble desktop PC.
Space is limited at this event so make sure you book early to avoid disappointment.
We are all familiar with weather: Wet or dry, hot or cold, it has a major impact on our everyday lives. We now understand how the movement of our planet, Earth, causes day and night and the four seasons, and how the heat from the Sun drives weather patterns around the world. The growing understanding of global warming and climate change is increasing our awareness of extreme weather and the devastation it can bring.
The Earth has much in common with the other planets in our solar system. However, the weather on our neighbouring worlds makes our own extreme weather look tame. For instance, the Great Red Spot on Jupiter is a hurricane bigger than planet Earth, which has been raging since at least the 17th Century when it was first observed with a telescope. The planet Mars, which is very similar to Earth in many ways, occasionally suffers from planet-wide dust storms where only the tallest volcano can be seen breaking through the swirling haze. Venus, presently a brilliant object in the morning sky just before dawn, has rain clouds made of sulphuric acid that can dissolve spacecraft in a matter of minutes.
For astronomers, the visibility of stars and planets is often hampered by our own atmospheric conditions. 'Back on Earth, the current state of the weather is a major concern to astronomers, professional and amateur alike. Global warming has meant that the climate in the UK is becoming less predictable,' explains David Hughes of the Luna Astronomical Society. 'We're seeing more cloud and more rain. Summers are not as long or as hot as they used to be. The weather with its resultant atmospheric conditions is crucial to anyone who is either a casual stargazer or an experienced astronomer'.
With this in mind the Luna Astronomical Society are hosting a special event with an hour long talk by Paul Mooney, Met Office trained weather forecaster and Look North's lead weather presenter.
December 1st 2009, "Weather and the Planets", Paul Mooney, BBC Look North Weatherman
February 2nd 2010, "An Observer's Guide to UFOs", David Newton/David Hughes
March 16th 2010, "Warp drives, worm holes and wishful thinking", David Newton/David Hughes (in conjunction with Newcastle Science Festival)
Meetings are held in the Education Welcome Room on the first Tuesday of each month at the The Centre for Life, Newcastle upon Tyne.
Access to the facility is through the side door, usually used for the Conference Facilities rather than through the front door - which will probably be locked!
The Centre will open at 1830 hours, and the main meeting starts at 1900 hours.
