Stars - stock photo
  • Room 002, Ground Floor, Rolle Building, University of Plymouth

  • Room 002, Ground Floor, Rolle Building, University of Plymouth

  • Room 002, Ground Floor, Rolle Building, University of Plymouth

  • Room 002, Ground Floor, Rolle Building, University of Plymouth

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The Plymouth Astronomical Society (PAS) meets on the second Friday of each month at the University of Plymouth from September to July. Society meetings are free to members and visitors are very welcome to attend at a cost of £2 on the door. Please bring cash (change preferred) as we have no card payment facilities.
All meetings are held in the Rolle Building and there is disabled access to the venue. If the ground floor door is locked, please ring 01752 588400. Please contact PAS via the webform for further information.
Meetings normally conclude with a short presentation of 'What's in the night sky this month?' by Committee Member Phil James.
Friday 12 April | Shakespeare's Astronomy
  • Speaker: Sheila Evans
This talk is about the many astronomical references in Shakespeare's plays and other works, set in the context of the times in which he lived. These were times when our view of humanity's place in the universe was undergoing enormous changes.
Friday 10 May | The James Webb Space Telescope: Two Years of Discovery
  • Speaker: Dave Norman, President, Torquay Museum Society
After its launch on Christmas Day 2021 and start of science work in the summer of 2022, the James Webb Space Telescope has continued its amazing series of discoveries across the cosmos, reaching further than any previous scientific instrument. This talk will summarise those discoveries and present some of the wonderful images and science data collected in that period.
Friday 14 June | Comets, asteroids and things that fall from the sky
  • Speaker: Professor David Southwood, Previous President of the Royal Astronomical Society, Previous Director of Science and Robotic Exploration at the European Space Agency and Plymouth Astronomical Society Patron
Forty years ago, the prospect of Comet Halley’s return in 1986 led to the start of a space race towards the small bodies of the solar system. These small bodies, comets, asteroids and meteor showers are immensely important as they are the likely raw material from which our solar system formed originally. However, also in the early 80s, the geological discovery of a distinct sedimentary layer containing far more Iridium than occurs naturally on Earth led to the notion that it marked the remains of a catastrophic impact of our planet with a celestial body. The impact, dated to 66 million years ago, appeared to wipe out many species, most famously the dinosaurs. Accordingly, small system bodies not only provide evidence of how our planet and its life started but also are a threat to life on our planet. In the 21st century, for both the reasons above, small bodies in our solar system are important targets for space missions. The talk will explore some of the history and what is planned.
Friday 12 July | Summer quiz, raffle and AGM
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