Public Talks

Friday, 10th September 2021

Telescope Live: How to practice astrophotography wherever and whenever you like

A talk by Alex Curry

Cost: There is no charge for a Zoom lecture

This talk will show you how Telescope Live can let you practice astrophotography at any time no matter where you are.

Moreover, you will find out how to overcome the most common problems that ruin your observations (such as cloudy skies, bad weather, light pollution, or moon interference).

Finally, Alexander Curry will tell you how you can cheaply gather high quality data without having to buy expensive gear, even if you are just starting out and you don’t have much experience in astrophotography.

Alexander Curry FRAS is a co-founder of Telescope Live and avid amateur astrophotographer, his images created using Telescope Live have been featured in BBC Sky at Night Magazine, NASA APOD & APOD Atronomia.

 This talk will be held via Zoom - if you want to attend, please email lindy.bryant@hantsastro.org.uk for your ZOOM link and "doors" will open at 7.45pm for an 8pm start.

Friday, 8th October 2021

The Fermi Paradox

A talk by Dr Stephen Webb

Cost: No charge for members or non-members for a Zoom meeting

Ray Bootland Memorial Lecture

Named after Enrico Fermi, the paradox asks us "If they are out there, where is everyone??"

More details of this talk will be added later

Friday, 10th December 2021

Science of Santa

A talk by Dr Steve Barrett

Cost: No charge for members or non-members for a Zoom meeting

A short tongue-in-cheek 'stocking-filler' talk for the festive season. Is Santa Claus real? Can the myth be reconciled with scientific reasoning?

Our speaker tonight, on a return visit, is Dr Steve Barrett who is a Senior Researcch Fellow in the Department of Physics of Liverpool University, where his research interests span all aspects of imaging, image processing and image analysis. This includes medical imaging (biophysics), scanning probe microscopy of atoms, molecules and surfaces (nanophysics), microscopy of earth materials (geophysics) and astrophotography.

Dr Steve MAY be unable to travel to us and, if this is the case, this talk will be held via Zoom - if you want to attend, please email lindy.bryant@hantsastro.org.uk for your ZOOM link and "doors" will open at 7.30pm for a 8pm start.

Friday, 14th January 2022

Time in Einstein's Universe

A talk by Colin Stuart

Cost: No charge for members or non-members for a Zoom meeting

Due to Covid restrictions, this talk may be held via Zoom - changes to that status will be confirmed here if you want to attend, please email

lindy.bryant@hantsastro.org.uk 

for your ZOOM link and "doors" will open at 7.30pm for a 8pm start.

Friday, 11th February 2022

Appley Bridge meteorite - The Space Rock that Hit Lancashire

A talk by Russell Parry

Cost: No charge for members or non-members for a Zoom meeting

Join Russell Parry presenting the fascinating story of the fall and find of the Appley Bridge meteorite in 1914 as told through newspaper reports and archive documents of the time.

It tells the story of the confusion with enemy Zeppelins, the confiscation of the meteorite by the police and its subsequent release for analysis.

The presentation includes many previously unseen photographs of the meteorite and images provided by various organisations around the World.

Russell has appeared on several TV and radio programmes talking about the Appley Bridge meteorite, has presented talks on several voyages on Cunard's Queen Mary 2 and at the American Museum of Natural History in New York.