Enter Members Area

New!

Guildford Astronomical Society

serving sw surrey since 1955

Meetings

S tarting on Thursday, 2nd September 2010 our meetings will be held in Lecture Theatre M, Lecture Theatre Block (Level 3), at the University of Surrey, Guildford.

A detailed campus map showing the location of the Lecture Theatre Block (pale blue and near the middle of the map), Main Car Parks 1-4 and Bus Stops next to Senate House and North of the Austin Pearce Building is available here. There are also more convenient car park spaces available for disabled drivers at various nearby locations. A lift is available to level 3.

For a preview of the lecture room see here

Meetings start at 7.30pm on the first Thursday of each month, (except August when there is no meeting). Meetings usually finish around 10pm. One or two meetings in the year, (including the AGM), are set aside for members only; these are indicated in our list of Talks for upcoming meetings.

Note for Visitors: To cover the cost of the room hire, we charge just £3.00 per meeting. On arrival, please introduce yourself to any member of the Committee (look for their badges) — you'll be very warmly welcomed!

If you have any special access requirements, please contact the Secretary,  .

Meeting Format

The featured speaker (Robin Scagell) at a meeting of the Society.

Meetings generally take one of two formats:

  • An invited expert gives a talk/presentation – illustrated and/or animated - of an aspect of astronomy. Subjects are chosen because they're topical, practical – or just interesting to astronomers. Each year we arrange a balanced mix, covering a wide range of topics. and levels.
  • A 'members evening', in which members present short talks on their own interests, projects, and topics of general interest.

Occasionally, invited speakers have to cancel, (usually at extremely short notice), and at these times the meeting often takes the form of an informal quiz, a question and answer session, or a hands-on Workshop.

After the break, the members settle down to hear the Society reports and What's On for the coming month

Typically,the main talk of the evening lasts for an hour or so, after which we have a 15-20 minute comfort break. Tea, coffee and biscuits are available from the adjoining refreshments room.

Following the break, the remaining time until 10pm usually features Society news and business, (such as the latest reports from the Observatory, Observing Evening Reports, etc), and a short 'What's on?' feature describing events happening later in the current month.

Afterwards

If there's time at the end, some members go for a drink and chat. You're welcome to join us in the bar in Wates House (see the map).

Talks for the 2010-2011 session

Date Talk/Presentation Title Speaker
5 Aug 2010 Note: There is no meeting in August
2 Sep 2010 Meteors: Showers, Storms and Their Progenitors Dr John Mason,
Southdowns Planetarium
7 Oct 2010 10 Must-See Astronomical Objects Grant Privett
4 Nov 2010 Sizing the Universe Kevin Pretorius
2 Dec 2010 Dark Energy Prof Bob Nichol,
University of Portsmouth
6 Jan 2011 The Solar System James Fradgley
3 Feb 2011 Atmospheric Phenomena Mike Maunder,
Guildford Astronomical Society
3 Mar 2011 TBA TBA
7 Apr 2011 My Astronomical Journey Richie Jarvis
5 May 2011 SKYLON – Beginning the Conquest of Space Alan Bond,
Reaction Engines Ltd
2 Jun 2011 TBA TBA
7 Jul 2011 AGM & Members Presentations
Members Only
Short talks by GAS Members
4 Aug 2011 Note: There is no meeting in August

Click here to see the profiles of past and forthcoming speakers and access any presentation material they may have provided.