Special Planetarium Meeting, 20 October

There will be a special SPA planetarium meeting on Saturday 20 October, at the South Downs Planetarium in Chichester, Sussex, open to all. The meeting runs from 2 to 5 pm.
Speakers will be:

Damian Peach, prizewinning astrophotographer, whose work is included in the current Astronomy Photographer of the Year exhibition at the Royal Observatory, Greenwich. Damian will be showing how recent advances in imaging have transformed amateur planetary astronomy, so that some discoveries are being made even before they were picked up by orbiting spacecraft.

Dr John Mason of the South Downs Planetarium will use the planetarium sky to explain Galaxy Collisions in Our Own Backyard. Cosmic collisions don’t just happen in the distant Universe – there’s plenty of evidence of them on our own doorstep.

Robin Scagell, SPA Vice President, will be giving a popular guide to comets. With Comet ISON likely to give a spectacular display next year, interest in these celestial visitors is high. Robin will explain why some comets are great and others are not, using the planetarium sky.

This is a great opportunity to visit the planetarium, to meet other members and to enjoy a day out in leafy Sussex. Light refreshments will be available at an interval during the meeting.

Admission is just £2 per person, payable at the Planetarium, and entry is open to all. Because of potential demand, particularly from SAGAS members, we now request that you pre-register your attendance, though payment will not be required in advance. Please reserve your place by ending an email to planetarium@popastro.com, stating the number of places required. Those who have already pre-registered with the SPA need not do so again, even if you did not receive a reply.

The Planetarium is 5 minutes' walk from Chichester bus and railway station.  It is in the Chichester High Schools site, but we are advised that the postcode for that location cannot be used by satnavs for getting there by road. Full details are available on the South Downs Planetarium website.