Author Archives: Martin Kennedy

21st January Lecture: Viewing the Universe in light of Gravitational Lensing (CANCELLED)

UPDATE: The SAS Lecture tonight has been cancelled at short notice due to severe weather and transport difficulties of lecturer getting to wetlands.

It will be re-schedule for later date.

The SAS are still opening up as normal from 7 pm. It strongly suggested to use the main car park due to the weather conditions. 

Einstein’s theory of general relativity famously unified gravity with the geometry of the Universe, making two remarkable predictions, that light-rays take a straight path through space and that mass bends the space surrounding it.

Together, this means that where there is mass, light appears bent, a phenomenon known today as gravitational lensing and a tool used by astrophysicists to study almost everything in the Universe; from planets on stars neighbouring the Sun to weighing the entire observable Universe.

Durham University’s Centre for Extragalactic Astronomy James Nightingale will give a run-through of the exciting and innovative ways that astronomers are using gravitational lensing to obtain a new and unique view of the Universe and speculate how it may hold our best hope of one day disproving Einstein’s famous theory.

Membership Subscription Renewals for 2017-2018

September is the start of our new season. SAS Memberships will be due from 1st September 2017 (payable throughout September) for this season 2017/2018.

Joining/Renewing helps support your local astronomical society & community.

So come on down to the Cygnus Observatory join or renew your SAS membership.

The SAS the largest & probably most active astronomical society’s in the North East, for advice, information, observing the night sky, and get together at various meet-ups, events, visits and join in the ‘Craic’ on all things astronomical.

17th December Lecture: The Great American Eclipse 2017

On August 21, 2017, millions of people across the United States saw nature’s most wondrous spectacle — a total eclipse of the Sun. 

The ‘Great American Eclipse’ as it has been called was a truly spectacular event for millions of people. This much anticipated eclipse was the most watched, most photographed and most televised astronomical event of a generation.

Graham Darke will explain why we have solar eclipses, the different kinds of eclipse and share his experiences from his August 2017 trip to Idaho.

19th November Lecture: Grubb Parsons: The first (A gift of stars) – When Geordies reached for the stars

David Kidds’ talk will outline the early history of Grubb Parsons (international telescope manufacturer, based in Heaton Newcastle upon Tyne).

David will be outlining Grubb-Parsons early history leading to the 74” Reflectors.

David’s talk, ‘A Gift of Stars’, will tell the story of how Grubb Parsons came to be in Newcastle and will, in particular, focus on (no pun intended!) the firm’s first big reflector, the 74 inch David Dunlap telescope.

SAS Talk/Lectures 2017- 2018: Now all year round

SAS Members,

You will be pleased to know that as our SAS talk/lectures are so awesome and so well attended that SAS has decided is extending the talk series from  September through to the following August each year.

As always the talks will posted periodically in the SAS Society News and SAS Events Calendar. 

And a snapshot of the complete talks this season can be found here and on  the SAS Events Calendar (under lectures section).

Please support and attend these talks/lectures if you can.

At these events all raffle fundraising goes directly towards our society’s Washington Wetlands Centre ground rent costs.

13th October: Stargazing Event (Northumberland Park)

Back by popular demand, Sunderland Astronomical Society are will visiting Northumberland Park).

• Date: Friday 13th OCtober 2017.
• Time: from 7:00 pm.
• Entry: Free (Contributions to SAS fundraising nonetheless welcomed).

SAS have been asked by the Northumberland Park (the park in North Shields) to hold a Stargazing event on Friday 17th February from 7.00pm till late.