Talks programme for 2021

Professor Marc Schumann – Professor of Experimental Astroparticle Physics at the University of Freiburg

‘Exploring the Dark Universe with XENON’

Professor Alan Fitzsimmons – Professor of Astronomy at Queen's University Belfast: 

‘Understanding Near-Earth Objects and Planetary Defence’

Ryan French – Solar Physics PhD student at the UCL Mullard Space Science Laboratory, and a Newkirk Fellow at the NCAR High Altitude Observatory, Boulder, Colorado: 

‘Ancient times to new results – a journey through solar physics

Dr Dafydd Wyn Evans – member of the Cambridge Astronomical Survey Unit at the Institute of Astronomy, Cambridge: 

‘Gaia: what was delivered in EDR3 and what is to come in DR3’

Dr Rebekah Higgitt – Principal Curator of Science at National Museums Scotland:

‘Transits of Venus and 'precision exploration' in the 18th century’

Dr Greg Brown – Astronomy Education Officer, Royal Museums Greenwich:

‘Black Holes: The Small, the Medium and the XXL’ 

Professor Stephen Lowry – Professor of Astronomy and Planetary Science, School of Physical Sciences, University of Kent

‘Comet Interceptor: an ESA mission to an ancient world'

Konrad Malin-Smith – founder member of, and regular speaker to, the HAS; retired senior schoolteacher of chemistry and physics, and Head of Science for a number of years

‘Clusters of stars and their evolution’

Affelia Wibisono – PhD student of the Planetary Science group at UCL’s Mullard Space Science Laboratory

‘Seeing Jupiter’s aurora in a different light’

Roger O’Brien – regular speaker to the HAS, and astronomy tutor at several institutions, which have included the Workers’ Educational Association, the Open University, City Lit and the Royal Observatory Greenwich

‘The James Webb Space Telescope: On track for an Hallowe'en launch’ 

Dr Don Lincoln – Fermilab scientist and science popularizer; also host of the Fermilab YouTube channel

‘Understanding God’s Thoughts: Practical Progress Towards a Theory of Everything’

Held jointly with the Flamsteed Astronomy Society

Dr Jeff Wagg – Canadian astronomer at the Square Kilometre Array Observatory (SKA) in Jodrell Bank

‘A golden age for radio astronomy’

Greg Smye-Rumbsy – specialist planetarium presenter for Royal Observatory Greenwich; supplies diagrams and celestial maps, and writes occasional articles for ‘Astronomy Now’ magazine 

‘The History of Longitude at Greenwich’

Dr Benjamin Joachimi – Reader in the Astrophysics Group at UCL 

‘How clumpy is the Universe?’

Paul Fellows – Chairman of the Cambridge Astronomical Association

‘Quark Stars and Strange Matter’

Paul Money – regular and popular speaker to HAS; also reviews editor for the BBC ‘Sky at Night’ magazine

‘Why are there no Green Stars?’

Dr Sanjay Limaye – Distinguished Scientist, Space Science and Engineering Center, University of Wisconsin-Madison

‘Why the Sudden Interest in Venus?’

Nik Szymanek – amateur astronomer, renowned astrophotographer and author

'New Adventures with Robotic Imaging'

This will be followed by our AGM. 

Professor Duncan Lorimer – Professor of Physics and Astronomy; Associate Dean for External Research Development in the Eberly College of Arts and Sciences at West Virginia University

‘Fast Radio Bursts – An Evolving Cosmic Mystery’

Dr Paul Whiting – one of our regular speakers and an outreach astronomer providing talks, activities and courses to schools, youth and adult groups – will present a “Practical Radio Astronomy” session

Dr Peter JT Morris and Magda Wheatley– HAS Meetings Secretaries (Joint) 

Christmas Quiz 

- and results of our annual Photography Competition