Check out these online astronomy events taking place in 2025
To register for these fascinating talks please click on the links below.
We will regularly update this page as details of more events become available.
Members will also continue to receive email invitations to join our SWHAS monthly meetings.
March 2025
SWHAS MEMBERS MONTHLY MEETING
Friday 28 February 2025
20:00 – 22:00 GMT
Mechanics of Solar Eclipses by Sheridan Williams
As there are 3 central solar eclipses through Spain in 2026 this will be the focus of the talk.
Sheridan Williams is a Fellow of the Royal Astronomical Society, recipient of the British Astronomical Association’s Lydia Brown medal, secretary of the Open University Astronomy Club and former professional ‘rocket scientist’ for the UK Ministry of Defence. He watched his first total solar eclipse through smoked glass from his school playground in 1954. Since then, Williams has travelled the world – from Antigua to Australia, Mexico to Madagascar, Siberia to Sumatra – to see 18 total solar eclipses. He has written extensively about total solar eclipses, including authoring previous Bradt guides to the total solar eclipses of 2006, 2008/09, and 2012/13. He lectures widely to astronomical societies, is an astronomy-travel consultant, and guides groups to see astronomical events such as aurorae and meteor showers. He initiated education tours at the National Museum of Computing at Bletchley Park, where attractions include Colossus, the world’s first programmable digital computer.
The meeting will also include a news item of interest and a tour of the night sky.
We look forward to seeing you.
Revised RMS meeting protocols now in place
In order to keep everyone safe we still need to adhere to the school guidelines following the relaxation of rules regarding the COVID situation.
We ask you to respect social distancing where appropriate, as not everyone is comfortable in crowds.
Use good hygiene and the wearing of face coverings is a now a personal choice.
We will endeavour to keep the hall well ventilated at all times and this may mean some doors need to be left open from time to time.
1. We will ask you to collect your own chair from the back of the hall and take it to a place in the hall where you would like to sit. This can be either near friends/family or well away from everyone else – the choice is yours, but we encourage you to respect social distancing where appropriate. Be aware that some doors may be left open to aid better ventilation, so bear this in mind when you choose a seating location. It might be advisable to wear layers ! Sanitising wipes will be provided when you collect your chair for you to wipe down your seat.
2. In addition to the school cleaning regime, we will, prior to the meeting, wipe down all accessible surfaces including the handrails, door handles and toilets.
3. All beverages will be dispensed in paper cups and consumables (such as sugar, UHT milk and biscuits) will be supplied as individually sealed packs. After use, please dispose of these items in the rubbish bags provided.
4. After the talk is over, please return your chair to the back of the hall where it will be wiped down and stacked away.
5. For the time being, we will not be holding planetarium visits – because the space in there is too confined to safely ventilate it. Instead Richard will do a summary of the upcoming night sky in the hall.
Members will be advised of the RMS gate code nearer the date of the meeting.
Keep safe and we look forward to seeing you in person.
