Biographical Information

• Professor Lionel Wilson
• Professor David Hughes
• Professor Stephen J. Edberg
• Professor Ian Robson
• Bob Mizon
• Professor David Southwood
• Dr Robert (Bob) Fosbury
• Gilbert E Satterthwaite
• Dr Ian Waddington

• Dr Lilian Hobbs
• Professor Sir Denys Wilkinson FRS
• Professor Mark Bailey
• Dr Iain Nicolson
• Nick James
• Wil Tirion
• Dr Allan Chapman
• Professor Jim Whitford-Stark

Professor Lionel Wilson - Emeritus Professor of Earth and Planetary Sciences and Head of Planetary Science Research Group, Lancaster University

Professor David Hughes - Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Sheffield

Comets have been objects of fascination for millennia and were originally regarded at portents of doom, disease, death and disaster. They became astronomical bodies when Isaac Newton calculated the first cometary orbit and then Edmond Halley discovered the first periodic comet. Comets vary in brightness hugely as they pass close to the Sun and lose gas and dust.
Comet Halley's return in 1986, some 29 years after the start of the space race, triggered the space exploration of these bodies. To date spacecraft have visited four comets and the results of these mission are discussed in detail in the talk. Future mission are also reviewed.

David W. Hughes is Professor of Astronomy at the University of Sheffield. He has spent his academic life teaching astronomy and researching into the minor bodies of the solar system. His special interests are: comets and their decay into meteoroid streams; asteroids and their origin and size distribution; and the history of astronomy. He is an former Vice President of the Royal Astronomical Society. Asteroid 4205 is named in his honour. He lives in Sheffield with his wife Carole Stott (who writes on astronomical and space topics), and has two children and a dog. He spends his spare time collecting uniform buttons, ceramics and railway cast iron signs.

Professor Stephen J. Edberg - NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory

Steve Edberg and Peter Mata

After only two years in orbit around Saturn, Cassini is forcing the complete revision of textbook entries on this fascinating planet, its weather, rings and satellites. The talk will describe recent results from the mission and options for its extended mission.

Stephen J. Edberg has been an active amateur astronomer since 1966 and has worked professionally in the field since 1970, initially in solar physics through college (University of California, Santa Cruz), grad school (University of California, San Diego and University of California, Los Angeles) and his first job, at San Fernando Observatory. He joined NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), at Pasadena, California, in 1979, where he has worked on the Galileo mission to Jupiter (serving as spacecraft/ground co-ordinator for the impact of Comet Shoemaker-Levy 9) and the Cassini mission to Saturn, for which he is now on-call as Remote Sensing Discipline Scientist for the Cross Discipline Target Working Team. He is also System Scientist on the Space Interferometry Mission (SIM) PlanetQuest (a 9-metre optical interferometer intended to search for extrasolar planets to be launched in 2015 into an Earth-trailing orbit around the Sun). In 1981 he became Co-ordinator for Amateur Observations of the International Halley Watch (for which he wrote the ‘Amateur Observers’ Manual for Scientific Studies’ and edited the newsletter). He is an astrophotographer and telescope maker, and his photography, research, instruments and writing have appeared in professional journals, popular periodicals and several books (including Observing Comets, Asteroids, Meteors and the Zodiacal Light, which he wrote with David Levy). He is heavily involved in astronomical education and co-ordinates the annual RTMC Astronomy Expo (previously known as the Riverside Telescope Makers Conference), which is held in the San Bernardino Mountains over the US Memorial Day weekend (late May). He is an avid total solar eclipse-chaser, organizing and leading expeditions for serious amateur observers, and has successfully observed 15 eclipses. He has been honoured by NASA with an Exceptional Service Medal and a JPL Award for Excellence and by the International Astronomical Union with the naming of a minor planet, 3672 Stevedberg.

Professor Ian Robson

"Active Galaxies were originally defined as optical galaxies with incredibly bright nuclei. These galaxies can shine with the light of hundreds or thousands of normal galaxies, and this light is concentrated from an extremely small volume of space, about the size of our Solar System. This tremendous energy output is due to the presence of a supermassive black hole, of mass between a million and a thousand million times that of our Sun, lurking at the centre of the galaxy. The gravitational attraction of the black hole sucks surrounding material into it and in the process creates the energy that we now recognise as an active galaxy - and seen across all regions of the electromagnetic spectrum. The highly illustrated talk will describe the discovery of active galaxies and the minefield of the classification zoo, give a simplified overview of black holes, how they form and how they power active galaxies, and will show how activity in galaxies may be a natural part of galaxian evolution in the Universe. The lecture will close with a look at our Galaxy and the evidence for a supermassive black hole at its centre."

Professor Ian Robson, currently Director, United Kingdom Astronomical Technology Centre, Royal Observatory Edinburgh (PPARC). Previously Director of the Joint Astronomy Centre, Hilo, Hawaii (James Clerk Maxwell and United Kingdon Infrared Telescopes); Head of Department and Director of Observatories University of Central Lancashire. Research interests in submillimetre astronomy, active galaxies, multifrequency observations of blazars, debris disks. Published over 200 papers in astronomy, textbook on 'Active Galactic Nuclei', editor of three conference proceedings. Member of and Chair of numerous SERC/PPARC committees/boards. Co-Chair of IAU Working Group on Communicating Astronomy with the Public, Council Member of the Royal Astronomical Society (RAS).

Bob Mizon

"Since about 1950 the night sky has gradually disappeared over much of the UK, even in some rural areas. The British Astronomical Association's Campaign for Dark Skies (CfDS) was founded in 1989 to counter this deterioration in the environment above (which has no protection in law, even though it is indisputably yet unofficially a Site of Special Scientific Interest and an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty). The CfDS, which now has 135 local officers and publishes a newsletter that is sent to hundreds of concerned members nationwide, is not just a campaign for a narrow interest group. Many non-astronomers too are affected by wasted, ill-directed light, and its impact on wildlife is only just beginning to be appreciated. Light pollution is a feature of the rural environment, where it has increased by about 25% over the past decade, according to the Campaign for the Protection of Rural England (CPRE). Recent developments have much accelerated the momentum of the Campaign. 'On-side' now we have the CPRE, the House of Commons Science and Technology Select Committee, the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister, and the Clean Neighbourhoods and Environment Act 2005. Winning back our heritage of starry skies is an idea whose time has come. To lose the stars, and the cold beauty of the aurora borealis, is as cruel a dispossession as the loss of sparkling streams and wild flowers. Putting light where it is needed and in the correct amount is not 'rocket science' [!], as it tends to travel in straight lines. When we finally achieve a sane lighting policy in the UK, and the optimum night sky, even over great cities, is visible to all, the CfDS will have reached its goal."

Bob Mizon is UK co-ordinator of the British Astronomical Association¹s Campaign for Dark Skies, which aims to turn back the tide of light pollution which has seriously affected our view of the stars over the past 50 years, and also addresses the related problems of light trespass and energy waste. Bob has taught astronomy to students of all ages since 1971. Since 1996, he has provided a full-time mobile planetarium service to south-central England, and has taken the experience of the night sky to nearly 60,000 people, mostly schoolchildren. He was elected a Fellow of the Royal Astronomical Society in 1985, and has been associated with the Wessex Astronomical Society in various offices for many years. He is an active observer of the night sky, and lectures to societies and groups all over the country. He also writes for the astronomical press, and translates books on astronomy and meteorology from French into English. Bob is author of 'Light Pollution: Responses and Remedies' (Springer-Verlag London, 2001; ISBN 1-85233-497-5). Bob's website can be found at http://www.mizar-astro.freeserve.co.uk/

Professor David Southwood - Director of Science, European Space Agency

"Career and research history (all at Imperial College London, unless noted). My interests include:
Solar terrestrial and solar planetary physics, Planetary science, Collision-free magnetohydrodynamics (esp. waves), Space magnetometry, Earth Observation, as well as a general interest in doing science from space.

PhD work 1966-1970 and post doctoral work in USA 1970-71, my thesis, unusually for the time, concerned both theory and data analysis of low frequency waves in the earth's space environment. Lecturer, 1971-1981, during the ten years 71-81 I developed a lot of the early understanding (using theory and data from US satellites and ground data from Canada and UK) of the way magneto-hydrodynamic waves couple the solar and terrrestrial environment. Reader in Physics (and Head of Space Physics, from 1984), 1981-86, during the next half decade I did a large amount of work on the time and spatial structure of coupling between the solar wind and the sun and ventured into true experimental work. Professor of Physics (and Head of Space and Atmospheric Physics), 1986-94, my most important work on solar-terrestrial physics from this time is that on the 'turbulence' and shock like formations seen in the ' magnetosheath' region separating the solar wind proper from the Earth's magnetosphere. Head of Blackett Laboratory, 1994-7, in this time, despite the very satisfying job of heading an extremely good and broad-based Physics Department, I managed to keep up my personal research. ESA (EO Strategy) 1997-2000, given an opportunity to go into the European Space Agency when it was clear a new path needed to be set for Earth Observation science, I took leave from Imperial and became Head of Earth Observation Strategy. I worked first with R. M. Bonnet and then with Claudio Mastracci to set up and get funded the 'Living Planet' programme. Regent's Professor, University of California, 2000 I completed my three years leave from Imperial by leaving ESA after 2½ years and taking up a Regent's Professorship at UCLA. This position allowed me to get back into research and teaching. ISSI, 2000 (and prospects for Saturn system science), the exile from Imperial ended with two brief sojourns at the International Space Science Institute in Berne, Switzerland, whose Science Committee I have chaired since ISSI’s founding in 1995. I have been on committees in Britain (SERC/PPARC, NERC, Royal Society and others) and the USA (NASA and AGU), but also for the European Commission, Norwegian Research Council, Finnish Academy, and various universities/institutes from the University of Tokyo to the International Space Science Institute in Switzerland. On October 19th 2000, the ESA Council chose me to become the Director of Science of ESA. I was ‘over the moon’. It will be hard to deliver the ambitious programme that Horizons 2000 now is. Even harder will be succeeding Roger Bonnet, who created the present programme. However, it is wonderful to have been given the opportunity."

Excerpts taken from http://www.sp.ph.ic.ac.uk/~davids/
More can be found about David Southwood at http://www.esa.int/esaCP/ESANPKG18ZC_index_0.html"

Dr Robert (Bob) Fosbury

"There is currently a huge effort going on in astronomy to learn about the early history of the Universe. In addition to the painstaking work of mapping the microwave sky to measure the imprint of the early expansion on the Cosmic Microwave Background radiation (COBE, WMAP, and soon, Planck in space) and numerous experiments from the ground and balloons (e.g. Boomerang), the most powerful terrestrial and orbiting telescopes are peering for long periods of time at apparently sparsely populated patches of sky in order to see how galaxies were assembled during the first billion years (the Universe is now approx.14 billion years old). This has triggered a revolution in observational cosmology over the past decade and it is now relatively routine to study galaxies and quasars at a redshift of 6 or so (z = 6 corresponds to a lookback time of about 13 billion years). When I started doing astronomy at the RGO in the early 70s, redshift 0.1 was a big deal! What kind of things are we seeing and is it confirming our expectations? I'll talk about some of the deep surveys we are doing now in the first talk, and in the second one I'll describe some of the current observational facilities on the ground and in space and show how these will help us see these early times even more clearly. I'll focus particularly on developments at ESO (Chile) and ESA (which is collaborating with NASA on the James Webb Space Telescope)."

See a biography at http://www.spacetelescope.org/projects/anniversary/about_bob.html

Gilbert E Satterthwaite

"Sir George Airy, who served as Astronomer Royal for 46 years in the 19th Century, is remembered for many great contributions to astronomical research and instrument design, and for giving the Royal Observatory a new lease of life and setting it on the path it was to follow so successfully for many decades after his death. Unfortunately, during the 20th Century certain aspects of his personality received a great deal of criticism, much of it very unfair. My talk seeks to redress this."

Dr Ian Waddington

"Galaxy Formation and the Cosmic Web" was Ian's talk given to the society in May 2005.

Dr Lilian Hobbs

How to control Telescopes Remotely
1 piece of software for each to control;
the telescope (standard software)
the CCD / Webcam
the focus

PC Anywhere at a cost will remotely control another PC. VNC or TightVNC (free) will do the same job adequately. Microsoft Net Meeting is another alternative.

1 PC at the telescope and 1 indoors are required, linked via a network cable, this can be buried in the garden inside a hosepipe. A fibreglass enclosure for the telescope can cause condensation, so a wooden one could be better, i.e. a run-off shed.

Maxim DL is software for controlling the CCD camera and telescope. A Meade ETX 90 telescope can produce good results, combined with a Philips ToUCam Pro webcam. To view straight onto a TV, the Meade LPI electronic eyepiece can be used, or any other electronic eyepice. Be careful that what is in the eyepiece holder doesn't foul the telescope fork when at high declinations.

Astro Snap software is available at a small cost, and can take time interval webcam pictures, for planet rotation shots. Robo Focus at about $154 can be worth investing in, allows minute changes in focus to be made, unless a cheaper alternative can be found. Another webcam in the shed/dome is useful to see what is actually going on there. Don't move the equipment by large amounts remotely, some foul-ups may occur. Accurate times can be achieved by downloading special software onto the PC, search for Atomic PC clock on the internet, there are a large number of them. If required, a GPS receiver can be added to the scope, BC&F supply a GPS Mate. Images can be processed using Registax software which is free on the internet.

On larger SCT scopes, a refractor can be piggy-backed to give an alternative scope with a wider field of view using the same mount. Obserivng sessions can be shared via the internet on broadband connections. Control of the telescope can be handed over to a third party.

Professor Sir Denys Wilkinson FRS

Professor Mark Bailey

Near Earth Objects
Collisions of comets and asteroids with the Earth have recently been recognized as posing a significant hazard to civilization, even to life on Earth. The objects -- mostly relatively small astronomical bodies with sizes in the range ten of metres to tens of kilometres -- are collectively known as Near-Earth Objects (NEOs). The talk briefly reviewed the origin and source orbits of NEOs, their likely collision rate with the Earth, and the hazard or level of risk they pose in comparison with other norms. It was concluded that our generation has a unique capability and understanding of these issues, and a responsibility not only to assess the risk but to mitigate it where possible.

Dr Iain Nicolson

The Dark Side of The Universe
Recent observational evidence suggests that the mean density of matter and energy in the Universe is essentially equal to the 'critical density', the density of a model universe that 'sits on the fence' between expanding forever and eventually collapsing. Although the mean density of luminous matter is less than 1 per cent of the critical value, dark matter is believed to provide about 30 per cent of the critical density. Dark matter probably consists predominantly of exotic elementary particles that are completely different in nature from baryons (particles such as protons and neutrons), which are the building blocks of atoms.

The remainder of the mean density of the Universe (about 70 per cent) is believed to be provided by a mysterious quantity called dark energy, the nature of which is as yet unknown. Observations of supernovae in remote galaxies imply that, contrary to what had previously been thought, the Universe is expanding at an accelerating rate. Dark energy is thought to be responsible for driving the acceleration.

The talk focussed on the observational evidence for the existence of dark matter and dark energy, the possible nature of these commodities, and current research in this field.

Nick James

He owns a 12-inch Newtonian telescope, equipped with a Rockingham Instruments (Audine) CCD camera. This is used for observations of a wide variety of objects, ranging from Near Earth Objects (NEOs) to Gamma Ray Burst afterglows. He has obtained photometric data on NEOs to determine their period of rotation, and has undertaken high-speed photometry of cataclysmic variables to identify eclipses of their components. He has also written a great deal of software to automate the process. In addition to observing he has designed of a number of computer-controlled telescope mounts, which are used by several amateurs, and has a general interest in telescope hardware and imaging systems.

Gamma-ray Bursters
Gamma-ray bursters (GRBs) have intrigued and mystified astronomers since their discovery in the late 1960s. As recently as 1997 even the basic question of their distance was a matter of heated debate among researchers. Were they relatively nearby or were they far away at cosmological distances? The highly uniform distribution of events on the sky tended to favour the cosmological interpretation but this would have meant that GRBs are extremely energetic. Other evidence suggested that they were nearby and rather less extreme. In 1997 February the afterglow of a GRB was seen at optical wavelengths for the first time. Shortly afterwards the first redshift was measured and indicated that the cosmological hypothesis was correct, implying that GRBs are by far the most luminous phenomena known in the Universe.

Since then great efforts, and considerable amounts of telescope time, have been devoted to studying GRB afterglows, but there are still many questions to be answered about these extraordinary objects. A number of amateur astronomers have obtained images of GRB afterglows but UK observers have been unlucky until recently.

This all changed on Friday 4 October 2002, when a number of UK observers [including the speaker and EAS member Mark Armstrong - PG] managed to image an afterglow as it faded through magnitude 18. In this talk an outline was given of our current knowledge of these powerful objects together with an explanation of how suitably equipped amateur observers can help unravel their mysteries.

Wil Tirion

Charting the Stars
The talk began with an outline of the history of 'uranography', or the charting of the heavens. The origin of the constellations - including the southern ones - was discussed and some of the magnificent 17th and 18th century star atlases, with their mythological constellation figures and other curiosities, were described and illustrated by slides. The more functional and therefore more scientifically useful (but perhaps less visually appealing?) 19th and 20th century star atlases were then considered and the changes in stellar cartography over the centuries put into context.

After the break, Wil told us how he became interested in star charts and began making his own as a hobby, how this hobby evolved, and how finally it became a full-time profession in which much of the plotting is now done by computer.

Visit  Wil Tirion's website  for more information about him.

Dr Allan Chapman

Professor Jim Whitford-Stark

The return to Earth of lunar samples by the Apollo astronauts established the major role played by impact in shaping the surface of that body. Meanwhile, the US Navy had been mapping the floors of the oceans of the Earth and had discovered a ridge system that formed the greatest mountain chain on the planet. This is still being formed by volcanic activity out of sight beneath thousands of feet of ocean water - a discovery that played a critical role in the acceptance of the idea of plate tectonics.

Next came the exploration of Mars by the Mariner and Viking spacecraft. When the dust cleared, it was apparent that the Tharsis region of Mars was dominated by giant volcanoes, constructed by repeated eruptions at the same locality. Meanwhile Mariner 10's mission to Mercury had established that it also had probably been subjected to volcanism.

The Voyager spacecraft pushed back the frontiers even further, imaging the moons of the outer planets of the Solar System. Most notable were the images received from Io, the innermost Galilean satellite of Jupiter, which showed active volcanoes and a surface coloration far different from that of Earth. Similarly, Europa was notably lacking in impact craters, unlike its outer companions Ganymede and Callisto, suggesting 'recent' resurfacing by volcanic activity in which water ice took the place of magma.

Similar resurfacing has been observed on satellites of Saturn, Uranus and Neptune. Only Pluto and its moon, Charon, remain poorly known. Venus, when finally imaged at radar wavelengths by Magellan, also exhibited a history of past and perhaps current volcanism. Even achondritic meteorites show evidence of igneous activity dating from the early years of the Solar System.

Volcanism is the second most important geological process that has shaped the bodies of the Solar System (after meteoritic impact), and planetary exploration has enabled us to examine the roles played by the intrinsic characteristics of each body in affecting the nature and timing of volcanism.