The latest news from Sunderland Astronomical Society
There are 2 short talks for our SAS Christmas/festive themed Lectures in December: Star of Bethlehem. A light-hearted look at the Gospel of St Matthew. What are the astronomical candidates for the Star of Bethlehem? How well do they fit the account? Do known events fit the timeline of the nativity? Science of Santa…
Sunderland Astro Xmas Virtual Benker night. Traditionally between Christmas and New Year, but under the current Pandemic Restrictions it’s going to be virtual. If you attend we will enlighten you on what the Benker Night means?, Nothing wrong with an incentive to try to get people to come along. Zoom Members Meeting password (begins with…
September is the start of our new season (September – August). SAS Memberships start form 1st September 2021 to 31st August 2022. Free Membership Renewal (2021-2022) The SAS committee decided to wave the 2021 membership renewal fee for all existing members. This would normally have become due on 1st September, however as we have…
There are several lines of evidence pointing to the existence of an as yet elusive dark matter which is more abundant in the Universe on average than the ordinary stuff of gas, stars and planets. Despite the persistent lack of a plausible particle candidate, the LCDM cosmological theory has been remarkably successful in describing…
Meteors cannot only be observed in visible light, but also with radio. If you are tuning a radio set to a special radio beacon, you can detect meteors both during the day and at night and during cloudy weather. And with a simple radio receiver, this form of radio astronomy is within reach for…
Dear SAS members, At our August Committee meeting the Committee discussed how we can start to return to normal and start meeting up in person again. The management of the Washington Wetlands Centre are still very cautious about mass gatherings indoors and have asked that we keep numbers to a minimum. Therefore, we have therefore…
SAS Starbeque event at Derwent Reservoir Car Park. Date: Saturday 11th September 2021, 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…
The North East of England has a rich astronomical heritage and this talk will examine a timeline which started in the Neolithic period right up to modern day research and the recent explosion in Astro tourism in our region. In this talk Graham will look at the people, organisations, places and practices which have often…
Quasars are the brightest known objects in the visible universe. They are so bright that they outshine the entire galaxy they sit in and are useful in all areas of astronomy, especially cosmology where they can be used as a probe for the early Universe. Most quasars appear very blue, but there are some that…
The Summer Solstice is the longest day of the year and has been marked by ceremony and celebration for thousands of years. In this talk Chris will explore the history, the myths and legends. Also, the science. We astronomers look at the Solstice as the turning point in the year when we start to look…