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X-WR-CALDESC:Events for South West Herts Astronomical Society
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=UTC:20260130T200000
DTEND;TZID=UTC:20260130T220000
DTSTAMP:20260120T182246Z
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SUMMARY:SWHAS Monthly Meeting January 2026
DESCRIPTION:‘Rocky Planet Formation in the Outer Solar System’ by Dr. Ben Rider-Stokes \nJoin us for this fascinating talk at our first monthly meeting of 2026. \nDr. Ben Rider-Stokes is a Postdoctoral Research Associate at The Open University\, specialising in planetary materials and asteroid science. His current research integrates laboratory spectroscopy with meteorite microanalysis to interpret the mineralogy of asteroids\, providing ground truth for astronomical observations and supporting ongoing and future space missions. His focus is on linking differentiated planetesimals and their meteorite analogues to asteroid spectral properties\, with implications for planetary formation\, resource utilisation\, and the evolution of the early Solar System. \nLooking ahead\, Dr. Rider-Stokes aims to build an academic career that advances our understanding of planetary bodies through chemical and spectroscopic techniques\, while contributing to the teaching and mentoring of the next generation of planetary scientists. \nThe meeting will also include a news item of interest and a tour of the night sky. \nWe look forward to seeing you.
URL:https://swhas.org/event/swhas-monthly-meeting-january-2026/
LOCATION:Royal Masonic School\, Rickmansworth\, Hertfordshire\, WD3 4HF\, United Kingdom
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DTSTART;TZID=UTC:20260227T200000
DTEND;TZID=UTC:20260227T220000
DTSTAMP:20260211T172743Z
CREATED:20260211T172743Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260211T172743Z
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SUMMARY:SWHAS Monthly Meeting February 2026
DESCRIPTION:An Astronomer’s Guide to Strange Things in the Sky  \nby Andrew Mowbray BSc (Hons). MSc. \nThis fascinating talk covers lots of different things and includes some audience participation! \nAndrew Mowbray is a former IT Professional who worked mainly in local government as well as teaching IT for several years. Having retired early he is a fully qualified tour guide who gives walking tours in the City of Colchester in Essex. Andrew has numerous interests\, one of which has always been astronomy. He has been a member of Castle Point Astronomy Club for many years and served fifteen years as the Secretary and Webmaster. \nThe meeting will also include a news item of interest and a tour of the night sky. \nWe look forward to seeing you.
URL:https://swhas.org/event/swhas-monthly-meeting-february-2026/
LOCATION:Royal Masonic School\, Rickmansworth\, Hertfordshire\, WD3 4HF\, United Kingdom
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=UTC:20260327T200000
DTEND;TZID=UTC:20260327T220000
DTSTAMP:20260320T224520Z
CREATED:20260319T215211Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260320T224520Z
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SUMMARY:SWHAS Monthly Meeting March 2026
DESCRIPTION:Full Moon by Dr Mike Foulkes \nMike is the director of the British Astronomical Association’s Saturn\, Uranus and Neptune Section. He is a keen observer\, particularly of the Moon and planets. Professionally he has worked in the spacecraft industry on both communication satellites and scientific spacecraft. \nThe Moon is a fascinating object to observe both with small and large telescopes. However the time around the full Moon can be frustrating for many observers as its brightness can make observing many objects in the sky more difficult.\nAfter briefly describing out nearest neighbour\, this talk will make a case for observing the Moon when it is close to or at full perigee. It will describe some of the features that can be seen including lunar eclipses. \nThe meeting will also include a tour of the night sky. \nWe look forward to seeing you. \n  \n 
URL:https://swhas.org/event/swhas-monthly-meeting-march-2026/
LOCATION:Royal Masonic School\, Rickmansworth\, Hertfordshire\, WD3 4HF\, United Kingdom
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=UTC:20260424T200000
DTEND;TZID=UTC:20260424T220000
DTSTAMP:20260416T201247Z
CREATED:20260327T181156Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260416T201247Z
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SUMMARY:SWHAS Monthly Meeting April 2026
DESCRIPTION:‘An Introduction to Astrophotography’ by Dr. Antonio Filippi. \n  \nUnfortunately we have had to cancel the planned talk by Andy Green on the Apollo Missions due to the speaker becoming unwell. \nAndy’s talk will be re-scheduled for a later date and we will let you know when that is in due course. \n  \nInstead our own accomplished astrophotographer\, Dr. Antonio Filippi\, has stepped up to give us a talk about Astrophotography. \nAntonio will lead us through the basics and talk about the equipment and tools now available to the modern astrophotographer. \n  \nThe meeting will also include a news item of interest. \n  \nWe look forward to seeing you there.
URL:https://swhas.org/event/swhas-monthly-meeting-april-2026/
LOCATION:Royal Masonic School\, Rickmansworth\, Hertfordshire\, WD3 4HF\, United Kingdom
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=UTC:20260529T200000
DTEND;TZID=UTC:20260529T220000
DTSTAMP:20260505T105232Z
CREATED:20260505T105232Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260505T105232Z
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SUMMARY:SWHAS Monthly Meeting May 2026
DESCRIPTION:Join us for our AGM & Members Images Meeting. \n \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \nThis is your chance as a member of the SWHAS to have your say on how the society is run\, elect the committee members and make suggestions as to how to improve the way things are done. \nIn addition we hope that you will be inspired by the astrophotography images captured by our members. \nThe meeting will also include a news item and a tour of the night sky. \nWe look forward to seeing you.
URL:https://swhas.org/event/swhas-monthly-meeting-may-2026/
LOCATION:Royal Masonic School\, Rickmansworth\, Hertfordshire\, WD3 4HF\, United Kingdom
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=UTC:20260925T200000
DTEND;TZID=UTC:20260925T220000
DTSTAMP:20260829T193144Z
CREATED:20260829T193144Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260829T193144Z
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SUMMARY:SWHAS Monthly Meeting September 2026
DESCRIPTION:The Pluto Story by Professor Ian Robson \nThis talk is about the erstwhile planet Pluto\, how it was discovered and how discovery and observations of the Kuiper Belt Objects eventually led to the International Astronomy Union (IAU) in 2006 to declassify Pluto from being a planet. Although ‘what is a planet?’ might seem to be an easy question to answer\, it turns out that the ensuing debate by professional astronomers was both complicated and fractious. The twists and turns of how Pluto finally came to be demoted by the IAU are revisited on a personal basis – astronomy democracy in action – or not\, and what was the legacy from the decision and what have we learned from the New Horizons space mission to Pluto and beyond. \nProfessor Robson has been Head of Dept of Physics and Astronomy at UCLAN; Director of the James Clerk Maxwell Telescope in Hawaii; Director of the UK Astronomy Technology Centre at the Royal Observatory Edinburgh and Director of the Science and Technology Facility Council’s Technology Department. He has undertaken extensive research in the fields of Active Galaxies and submillimetre astronomy and wrote an undergraduate textbook on Active Galactic Nuclei. \nProfessor Robson is very active in outreach and was the first President of the International Astronomy Union’s (IAU) Commission for Communicating Astronomy with the Public. He led the UK programme for the International Year of Astronomy in 2009. He was the International Astronomy Union Assistant General Secretary for 2018-19 and has been President of the Society for Popular Astronomy and the Royal Scottish Society for the Arts. He was Vice-president of the Royal Astronomical Society from 2021-23 and received the prestigious Service Award in 2024. \nThe meeting will also include a news item of interest and a tour of the night sky. \nWe look forward to seeing you.
URL:https://swhas.org/event/swhas-monthly-meeting-september-2026/
LOCATION:Royal Masonic School\, Rickmansworth\, Hertfordshire\, WD3 4HF\, United Kingdom
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