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Talk by John I. Davies, Senior Researcher & Principium Editor, The Initiative for Interstellar Studies i4is Project Glowworm – near term low earth orbit demonstration of laser push technology Visitors are welcome at our meetings, but because of the popularity of our talks, visitors must register for a free ticket as visitor spaces are limited. Visitors can also leave after the main talk or are welcome to stay on for the rest of the meeting. Tickets will go live 1 month before the event. https://www.astronomyedinburgh.org/event/first-steps-to-interstellar-probes/ Also at our meetings: What’s in the night sky this month Overview of astronomy and space news Occasional member presentations View the calendar event

29 September 2019 Event time: 7.30pm Location: Caban Coch Car Park SN923646 Booking is required - please book online via Eventbrite A unique night-time event, held under the dark skies of the Elan Valley International Dark Sky Park. Join storyteller, Kama Roberts, as she takes you on a journey of the stars. She will illuminate the night with her immersive tales of the constellations, touching on ancient mythology and night-time culture from across the world. This will involve a gentle walk along the Caban Coch cycle trail and will not be more than 2 miles in length. Please note, this event is also suitable for supervised children aged eight years old and above. Please wear suitable outdoor clothing, bring torches and your imagination! Meet at Caban Coch Car Park SN923646. If the weather is bad, the event will be held at Penbont House – you will be contacted prior to the event. This project has received funding through the Welsh Government Rural Communities - Rural Development Programme 2014-2020, which is funded by the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development and the Welsh Government. View the calendar event

Event date: 19 September 2019 Event time: 7.30pm Location: Gilfach Nature Reserve, Rhayader Booking is required - please book online via Eventbrite This area of Mid Wales is known for its stunning, dark skies with an International Dark Sky Park nearby. Listen to night noises and gaze at the stars if it is clear. We will be looking at moths and detecting bats with our specialised detectors. Please bring torches, a mat to sit on, insect repellent and wear outdoor clothing and footwear. Meet at the Pont Marteg Gateway, Gilfach Nature Reserve SN 952715. This project has received funding through the Welsh Government Rural Communities - Rural Development Programme 2014-2020, which is funded by the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development and the Welsh Government. View the calendar event

Talk by Dr Richard A. McCracken, Research Fellow Heriot-Watt University Institute of Photonics and Quantum Sciences The discovery of an planet orbiting a Sun-like star in 1995 sparked a quarter-century of research. In this talk we will look at how we hunt for exoplanets, some of the incredible systems observed so far, and what the future holds for this exciting field. Visitors are welcome at our meetings, but because of the popularity of our talks, visitors must register for a free ticket as visitor spaces are limited. Visitors can also leave after the main talk or are welcome to stay on for the rest of the meeting. Tickets will go live 1 month before the event. https://www.astronomyedinburgh.org/event/25-years-of-exoplanet-discoveries/ Also at our meetings: What’s in the night sky this month Overview of astronomy and space news Occasional member presentations View the calendar event

Seven metre diameter moon, talks, solar observing, open air (space-themed) cinema, and much more, plus a stargazing session in the evening up at Maiden Castle ... More details here: http://moonburyrings.co.uk View the calendar event

Talk by Prof. Andrew Lawrence, Regius Professor of Astronomy at the Royal Observatory Edinburgh. Celebrating the 200th anniversary of Edinburgh’s forgotten astronomer Charles Piazzi Smyth. In 1856, Charles Piazzi Smyth, together with his scientist wife Jessie, and a crew of sailors and Spanish helpers, changed the way we do astronomy. They traveled to Tenerife, lived on the mountain in stone houses they built themselves, and made amazing measurements that proved that observations were much better – clearer, sharper, deeper – than from smoky cities like Edinburgh. Piazzi Smyth believed that in the future we would all become “peripatetic astronomers”, wandering from mountain to mountain to get the best results. I will trace the story of how this idea became a reality, and how indeed wandering the globe to use bigger and better telescopes has been the story of my own career for 40 years. However, this golden age of peripatetic mountain astronomy is coming to a close. Why, and what lies ahead? This is the 200th anniversary of the birth of the extraordinary Charles Piazzi Smyth, so it is an excellent time to examine his legacy. Visitors are welcome at our meetings, but because of the popularity of our talks, visitors must register for a free ticket as visitor spaces are limited. Visitors can also leave after the main talk or are welcome to stay on for the rest of the meeting. Tickets will go live 2 weeks before the event. https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/61638104229/ Also at our meetings: What’s in the night sky this month Overview of astronomy and space news Occasional member presentations View the calendar event

Telescopic Astronomy - Afternoon of June 19th 2019 (Provisional) View the calendar event

Naked-eye Astronomy - Afternoon of June 3rd 2019 (provisional) View the calendar event

That is clear and succinct. Please. No more drama.

Talk by Dr Paul Dalgarno, MPhys PhD CPhys, Associate Professor of Physics at Heriot Watt University . Black holes remain one of the most fascinating and intriguing phenomenon of the universe. On the one hand they are conceptually amazingly simple, on the other we still know very little about the detailed complexity around them. This talk will discuss the history of our understanding of black holes, some of the main properties of them and touch on some of the deeper questions connected to them. Regular meetings are held monthly and are open to members and non-members. Admission is free and visitors are always welcome. Also at our meetings: What's in the night sky this month News of what's happening in the world of astronomy and space Occasional member presentations Tea/coffee and chat afterwards View the calendar event

At around 7am, the waning crescent Moon will be at 14 degrees above the horizon and between Venus and Jupiter. Given some clear skies, this should make quite a spectacle. The 25 day old moon will be 17.8% illuminated, and about 4 degrees from Jupiter and 4.5 degrees from Venus. Well worth a look in binos or a widefield photo opportunity. View the calendar event

Talk by Dr Andrew Dennis, Director of Product Management at Andor Technology. When we think of Astronomy we think of beautiful Astrophotograpy images, but behind the scenes there are usually a vast array of “technical” cameras which ensure the telescope remains aligned, perform deep Astronomical analysis or produce details of the chemical composition of far off worlds. To make a Hollywood analogy, these cameras could be considered to be the Screenplay writers, Producers, Visual effects engineers of the Astronomy world, without these cameras the “lead actors” simply couldn’t perform. Regular meetings are held monthly and are open to members and non-members. Admission is free and visitors are always welcome. Also at our meetings: What's in the night sky this month News of what's happening in the world of astronomy and space Occasional member presentations Tea/coffee and chat afterwards View the calendar event

Talk by Dr Aleks Scholz, University of St Andrews. The talk will give a brief overview of the star and planet formation process and detail the scientific goals of our citizen science project which monitors nearby young star clusters with amateur telescopes. We will show some of our recent results and explain how to participate in our research. View the calendar event

A new moon so good conditions if the skies allow. Mars and Neptune will be separated by only 8 arcminutes so could make a colourful double in the eyepiece. Note: it may also be a good opportunity to look for Comet 46P/Wirtanen. View the calendar event