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Meetings

Our meetings are held in Lecture Theatre L The Griffiths Lecture Theatre (for December only) in the Lecture Theatre Block (Level 2) of the University of Surrey, Guildford.

Click here for a map to show you directions to the University Main Car Parks. If you're travelling using a SatNav the postcode is GU2 7XH.

A detailed map (available here) shows 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. There are also more convenient car park spaces available for disabled drivers at various nearby locations. The University also has a web page here for newcomers to the campus.

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) and 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

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.

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 2011-2012 session

Date	Talk/Presentation Title	Speaker
2 Feb 2012	It's ONLY Rocket Science	Dr Lucy Rogers
1 Mar 2012	High-resolution Imaging The Bright Planets	Dr David Arditti, West of London AS
5 Apr 2012	The Magellanic Clouds and Southern Stars	Konrad Malin-Smith, Croydon AS
3 May 2012	Pro-Am Liaison in Astronomy	Guy Hurst, Editor The Astronomer
7 Jun 2012	Observing The Sun With Coronado Telescopes	Nick Howes, Astronomy Now
5 Jul 2012	AGM & Members Presentations Members Only	Short talks by GAS Members
2 Aug 2012	Note: There is no meeting in August

Talks for the 2012-2013 session

Subject to change

Date	Talk/Presentation Title	Speaker
6 Sep 2012		Dr David Arditti is now speaking on 1st March 2012
4 Oct 2012	TBD (Astrobiology)	Prof Chandra Wickramasinghe, Director Buckingham Centre for Astrobiology, University of Buckingham
1 Nov 2012	TBD (History)	Dr Allan Chapman, Wadham College, Oxford University
5 Dec 2012	The Star of Bethlehem, an astronomer's view In 1976 I wrote an 85,000 word book explaining the biblical and astronomical clues as to the physical nature of the Star of Bethlehem. The conclusion was that the wise men had predicted and seen a close approach of the planets Jupiter and Saturn in the zodiacal constellation of Pisces. This was the sign that a new king of the Jews had been born in Israel. This talk discusses the Jupiter-Saturn theory and also contrasts it with a host of other suggestions concerning comets, new stars, and lunar conjunctions. One tentative conclusion of the planetary conjunction hypothesis is that Jesus was born on Tuesday 15th September 7 BC. Another Biblical possibility is that St Matthew made the whole thing up!	Prof David W Hughes, Emeritus Professor of Astronomy, Sheffield University

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