The latest news from Sunderland Astronomical Society
September is the start of our new season. SAS Memberships will be due from 1st September 2022 (payable throughout September) for this season 2022/2023 Joining/Renewing helps support your local astronomical society & community. So come on down to the Cygnus Observatory (based at the Washington Wetlands Centre) to join or renew your SAS membership. The SAS is the largest…
SAS Starbeque event at Derwent Reservoir Car Park. Date: Saturday 3trd September 2022 Time: From 7 pm until very late, observing afterwards if weather is favorable. Venue: Will take place at at Derwent Reservoir located at our Millshield dark sky site. This is our traditional celebration of the return of darker nights and, as in previous years…
Astro Boot. Come down to the Wetlands Centre and sell your unwanted astro gear. You can post you items for sale on our related FB pages. We have accumulated a lot of astro gear over the over the last few years and we’re running out of space. We’re therefore holding an Astroboot sale on Sunday…
In this talk Dr Steve Barrett will give an overview in the ABC of galaxy evolution from the Big Bang to their evolution. Accretion Galaxies were formed by matter created in the Big Bang accreting under the influence of gravity. Black Holes Supermassive black holes are at the centres of galaxies; some are very active,…
A view of one ,old, mans approach to astro-imaging and the journey that let him to it, in addition to an overview of the methods he uses it also covers the mistakes and lessons learned along the way. The talk will held at the Washington Wetlands Centre on Sunday 17th July If you haven’t…
We Astronomers are fond of telling anyone who will listen about the enormity of space. Quoting how many light years it is to that star or this Galaxy, but how do we know? Who worked it all out? When did they do it? How did they do it? The talk is a journey of thousands…
Sunderland Astronomical Society is planning another day trip for the forthcoming summer season. We are planning a trip for our SAS members to visit the National Space Centre in Leicester (https://spacecentre.co.uk) We are hiring a coach for the day, leaving from and returning to Washington Wetlands Centre. We (Sunderland Astro) are hoping to re commence…
The Aurora Borealis (also known as Northern Lights) are magical and inspirational phenomena that grace the Northern night skies. What are they and how can you go hunting for them successfully? Aurorae are now very well understood by physicists around the world but for thousands of years and for many communities, they played a part…
In this fascinating and wide scoping talk Graham Edwards will talk about robotics from early day automatons from past, their use in science fiction to their current use through to artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning. The scope of this talk is quite wide so the areas will be covered briefly and Graham hopes light…
Until not too long ago, astronomers often made their own instruments, if telescopes or devices attached behind them. Astronomy nowadays is way too diverse and specialised, and the instruments getting too complicated and large to be developed single handed. Usually a whole group of engineers and scientists is needed to conceive, design and build what…