Next Meeting : Monday 28th September

After the sad news of Nick’s death we considered whether to go ahead with the September meeting.  In the end we concluded that we can best remember Nick at the next meeting which marks the return from our summer break.

Usual time and place, 7:30pm, upstairs in the Hen & Chicks, Flannel Street, Abergavenny

For this discussion session I thought nothing too complex but a bit controversial would do.  I did discuss the topic with Nick when I visited him in hospital and he seemed OK with my choice – well he didn’t say “silly idea”.
There are many speculative astro theories to choose from out there so I thought, why not pick up on one and explore it.
The choice is broad but I have settled on :

“Are we living inside a Black Hole?”  

Although the concept of Black Holes were first proposed in the 1700s it was only in the 1970s they were accepted by most scientists as real.  Now they seem to be everywhere, from small stellar collapse ones, twice the mass of our sun, up to the super massive ones sitting at the centres of galaxies, over 10 billion times the mass of the sun.
It has been suggested that there are also very small, primordial black holes from the early times of the universe so why not one that contains an entire universe!!

Let’s explore the pros and cons of this “maybe” scenario and see what our combined discussion comes up with.

No knowledge necessary – come along and speculate with the rest of us!

Nick Busby

I just had some very sad news.  Nick Busby, one of the founders of the Abergavenny Astronomy Society, our chair until last year, and also a stalwart of the Usk Astronomical Society, died last night (Sunday).
As those who attend our meetings will be aware he has been undergoing treatment for some time.
He will be sorely missed by our society.  He was by far the most astronomically knowledgeable person in the society and devoted a huge amount of time and effort to education and support for all things astro both locally and nationally.

I’m sure we will all wish to offer our condolences to his family at this time.

Solar eclipse observing, 12th August 2026

There is a solar eclipse on the evening of the 12th August this year that is easily visible from South Wales. Although in some parts of Europe, for example Northern Spain, the eclipse is total from the UK is a creditable 93% or so.

It is the intention to set up some special telescopes, designed and professionally built for observing the Sun safely, in Belgrave Park in Abergavenny. This park has been chosen for its very open aspect to the west. By the time the eclipse is over the Sun will be only just above the horizon so a clear unobstructed view to the west is essential.

Under no circumstances should anyone ever look at the Sun with the naked eye or any optical instrument that is not built for the purpose. Makeshift filters and welders masks etc. should not be used as they are very dangerous. Even when 93% obscured the Sun is bright enough to cause serious irreversible damage.

Arrangements

The eclipse starts at around 6:15 pm, the maximum coverage is at around 7:13 pm when the Sun is around 12 degrees above the horizon. The eclipse ends at around 8:07 and the Sun sets at 8:42pm. The telescopes will be set up at around 5:30 pm.

This is a totally informal viewing session. The team are very experienced with solar observing. There is no charge, just turn up and have a look through the telescopes and ask any questions you may have of the astronomers present.

Location

The location is Belgrave Park in Abergavenny. The postcode for Belgrave Park in Abergavenny is NP7 7AD. The recreation area has pedestrian access points connected via Belgrave Road and Cresta.

You can also find it with “What Three Words” application. Belgrave Road entrance is ///aquatic.culling.broker and Cresta Road entrance is ///sleep.chairing.nails

Quick reminder : Next meeting Monday 29th June

A week later than usual, due to my mess up, this Monday Philip will introduce a topic entitled:-
“Cosmic Rays : Messengers from the Extreme Universe”,

Usual time & place:-7:30pm, upper room in the Hen & Chicks, Abergavenny

I look forward to meeting up and learning from what Philip has investigated.

This will be the last meeting before the summer break – the next session will be in September – so come along, have a chat, ask questions, share your views or just pick up some new knowledge about our amazing universe.

See you Monday evening – ALL ARE WELCOME!

Next Meeting : Confirmation of Date 29th June

Apologies!!!!!!!
It would seem that I made a mistake counting Mondays in June. Fortunately my error has been pointed out by a number of people.
Philip has contacted the Hen & Chicks and changed the booking date to the 29th.
So, to confirm:-

The next meeting will be on : “MONDAY 29TH JUNE AT 7:30PM”

Hopefully that will not cause to much disruption.

Next meeting Monday 29th June

The usual time and place, 7:30pm upstairs in the Hen & Chicks, Abergavenny NP7 5EG

Philip Howell will be leading our discussion this month on the subject of

“Cosmic Rays : Messengers from the Extreme Universe”

Cosmic Ray Illustration
Cosmic Rays Arriving at Earth

Cosmic rays are high‑energy particles from space that travel at nearly the speed of light. Although it was known that there were ions in the atmosphere in the 18th Century it was over a 100 years later, in the 1900s, that it was shown that these rays came from outside the atmosphere.
Philip will explain what they are, where they come from and why they are important.

Come along and learn a bit more about these particles and share any thoughts you may have on their origin and importance.

“ALL ARE WELCOME” All you need is your curiosity!