That nursery rhyme, you know: “Twinkle, twinkle, little star” has a real resonance. Firstly the twinkling star. Why? Because of atmospheric effects on light. Secondly, there is a wandering about the nature of the star. Good questions indeed. Our nearest star is our sun, provider of energy and stable orbits of planets including our own, Earth. We know it is one star among billions and that is in our own galaxy, the Milky Way. In turn the Milky Way is one galaxy among billions. Wow!
At time of writing we have just witnessed startling photograph of Saturn and its rings from the Cassini space probe. The pictures will astound you. Last year we had amazing pictures from Pluto
Now the nights are drawing in and it gets dark earlier take time to look up at the sky and ponder. If you would like to know more about the night sky and space you could come and join us at the Leeds Astronomical Society. We are a friendly bunch of enthusiasts who welcome beginners and experienced astronomers. We are keen to offer help with equipment and advice. We also love discussing ideas in astronomy and science.
We meet every second and fourth Wednesday of the month at the Quaker Friends meeting house opposite the University 7:30 pm. The first meeting, we call formal, a speaker comes to do demonstrations with a film or slides. The second meeting members are invited to speak and do demonstrations. We also have observation nights where we invite members of the public to come to the New Inn Eccup, just outside Leeds. It’s very dark there, which makes it easier to see stars.
We have an outreach remit too. We link with other astronomical societies and the RSPB (Royal Society for the Protection of Birds). We are available to speak or do a demonstration for your school, youth group, college, university or adult group. We are only too happy to oblige.
If you want more information check our web site: astronomyleeds.org.uk or email info@astromyleeds.org.uk
This post was written by Robert Lewis using our Create an article for South Leeds Life page.
