Upcoming Events

The Leviathan of Parsonstown is the unofficial name of the Rosse six-foot telescope. This is a historic reflecting telescope of 72 in (1.8 m) aperture, which was the largest telescope in the world from 1845 until the construction of the 100-inch (2.5 m) Hooker Telescope in 1917. The Rosse six-foot telescope was built by William Parsons, 3rd Earl of Rosse on his estate, Birr Castle, at Parsonstown (now Birr in County Offaly, Ireland).

An important date for your diary, and your chance to have an input into the workings of the Society.

Dr McGee is from the school of physics and astronomy at Birmingham University.  He works on galaxy formation and evolution, with particular interests in how the growth of cosmic structures affect the formation of galaxies; how gas is accreted into galaxies and the formation of the first generation of stars and black holes.

Dr Onions is an astrophysics researcher.  He will discuss what metals are to an astronomer, how do they get made, and what can they tell us about the history of the universe in terms of stars and galaxies.

Martin Braddock is a professional scientist and project manager working in the field of drug discovery and development.  He has a serious interest in astronomy. He will discuss the possibilities of extra-terrestrial life within the solar system and beyond.

A members' discussion evening.  Bring your own equipment and ideas, we will have several bases round the room covering different activities. This format is brought back by popular request!

The British Astronomical Association was founded in 1890. Right from the start, the membership included talented lady astronomers. In part this was because the Royal Astronomical Society did not admit women at this time. This talk tells the stories of many of the lady pioneers of the BAA.

A look at the exploration of the Earth's closest planetary neighbour. From the time of Galileo to possible future missions.

Mark Gibbons is a committee member of the Cotswold astronomical Society and he will give us an insight into this fascinating topic.

Professor Jeffries is from the astrophysics group at Keele University. Gravitational waves can travel through any object or material unimpeded and will tell us about things that are otherwise shielded from view, most of Keele's research involves stars and (exo)planets - the gravitational waves produced by such objects are likely to be too weak for detection even in the medium term.