I'm sure there are many Mensans interested in Astronomy.  I would imagine that many of them are knowledgeable on the subject, but I bet there are more whose interest has never yet transformed into participation or experience.

I'm a member of Space SIG, and thoroughly inexperienced in astronomy.  Last year, I was fascinated by a nightly dance played out by Venus and Jupiter in the evening sky.  I was pleased that I had correctly identified Venus, and surprised to discover that Jupiter should be so easily visible with the naked eye.  I had never previously, knowingly seen a planet, and seeing both Venus and Jupiter together with the naked eye really did impress upon me just how small the solar system is.

I bought a telescope a month or so later, but had difficulty finding anywhere convenient to use it.  I decided to see if there were any astronomy clubs in my area, as I thought this would be the best way to find a place to use the telescope, together with finding advice on how to use it and how to understand the sky.

A search on Google soon revealed the Northumberland Astronomical Society, or 'Nastro'.  As luck would have it, Nastro meet and observe at a local nature reserve, called Hauxley, just south of Amble, and only a few minutes' drive from where I live, so I joined and have enjoyed fascinating talks, and spectacular sights.  Having secured funding, Nastro recently built an observatory, housing a large telescope (14” Meade LX200, for those that understand what that is).  Nastro own's other equipment too, which members can borrow, but the purpose of building the observatory, was to conduct outreach programmes to get the public more interested in astronomy.

Some very lively discussions in our recent meetings have led to the finalisation of details for our first outreach sessions.  As a member of both Nastro and Mensa, I thought I would write in to the magazine, to tell other Mensans about our outreach programme.  I don't know how many members Mensa has in Northumberland, but there certainly aren't many events organised in the county.  It's difficult to consider organising an event when never having done so before, and when there seems to be so little activity from the society in my area.  I therefore hope that we can use the Northumberland Astronomical Society's outreach programme to encourage Mensans to meet together in Northumberland, whether it be members that live here, or just members that are visiting Northumberland on holiday this summer, as I'm sure all will enjoy it.

Our inaugural outreach programme is arranged as a series of talks and observing sessions (weather permitting), over a period five weeks.  The observing sessions will involve the use of the society's equipment, observatory, and large telescope, as well as the opportunity to speak with members, some of whom are extremely talented astro-photographers, and observe with various equipment brought by members on the night.  Each talk stands on its own, and therefore, there is no obligation to attend all five.  The talks will be given by a local expert with an encyclopaedic knowledge of astronomy, and a gift for writing and presenting fascinating talks.  Dr Adrian Jannetta is a teacher of mathematics at Newcastle University, he is a Fellow of the Royal Astronomical Society (FRAS), he is a published cosmologist (indeed, Dr Jannetta is also published in other areas too), and he is the Northumberland Astronomical Society's Training Officer (so lucky us then).

I usually find that the talks Adrian gives are not merely informative and entertaining, but utterly mesmeric.  Like a child, I sit transfixed by his subject-matter, learning from his superior knowledge of things that thoroughly interest me, but which, unlike him, I never spent years studying, learning, and taking exams.  So Adrian will be giving the talks for our outreach programme, and as all five are talks that I have not previously heard, I can't wait. 

Written by Dave Scott ©

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