Our honorary president, Professor Andrew Lawrence, gave a very engaging talk on Wandering Astronomers: the past, present, and future of mountaintop astronomy, celebrating the work of Charles Piazzi Smyth and linking it to his own experiences of working at remote observatories.
Download the ASE presentation as a PDF
Also at out meeting:
- President Andrew Farrow welcomed 1 new member, bringing our membership up to 99.
- We were also celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Moon landings. We had planned to do a live stream of the Moon but the weather prevented that from happening.
- Alan Pickup gave on overview of the sky in July.
- The ASE will have a stand at Scotland’s National Airshow at East Fortune 27th July and we now have enough volunteers.
- The Piazzi Smyth Symposium will take place in September and this is free to current ASE members. Register online on the Symposium page of the Piazzi Smyth website.
- We will be involved in the ROE Doors Open Days on 28/29 September and will require volunteers as usual. Please give your name to Geraldine or use the sign-up sheet on the Members website (once it’s up!).
- We will also taking part in a Newbattle Abbey evening walk and observing session on 14th August. Please sign up for this on the Members website (once available).
- Mark Phillips reminded members about the new Members area of the website. It will be used for volunteer sign-ups in the future so please remember to register if you are a member.
- The 10 inch Lewis Dobsonian telescope owned by the Society is in need of a new home so any member wishing to use this excellent scope should get in touch.
- Andrew gave an overview of news items in the astronomy and space world that had caught his attention.
- Andrew also did a comparison of various rockets, displaying some of his own models.
- Hugh Sommerville gave a member presentation on some of his interests including imaging, SpaceX rockets and… Iridium Satellites.