Last Updated: 26 February 2019

Prior to some of the public lectures, we have an Observing Section talk, the purpose of which is to highlight topical items of interest in the night sky over the following few weeks - planets that will be above the horizon, nebulae, interesting stars and asterisms, etc.

Delivered by the supremely knowledgeable Charles Cavanagh, for the 2018 - 2019 session these talks are scheduled for:

• Thursday 18th October
• Thursday 20th December
• Thursday 21st March
• Thursday 16th May

In each case, the talk starts promptly at 6:45 pm, with the aim of finishing in good time for the following scheduled lecture.

Recently, Charles prepared a short note about Observing our Solar System in 2019.

The talks are generally be held in Room 6.41, Royal College, Strathclyde University.  Access is via the Montrose Street entrance, take the lift to Level 3, exit the lift (turning left) and take the 2nd (furthest away) set of steps, and go through the double glass doors.  Room 6.41 is on your left approximately half way along the corridor.  

Last Updated: 10 December 2018

NASA, through the http://eclipse.gsfc.nasa.gov/SKYCAL/SKYCAL.html website produce a Sky Events Calendar. To quote:

"SKYCAL (Sky Events Calendar) will help you keep track of the sky by calculating the local date and time of all these celestial happenings. It displays them on a convenient calendar that you can print and hang on the wall. You can generate a calendar for a single month or for an entire year."

For the convenience of members and the public the calendar from July 2018 to December 2018 has been generated. "All SKYCAL astronomical calculations are by Fred Espenak, and he assumes full responsibility for their accuracy. Special thanks to National Space Club summer intern Sumit Dutta for his valuable assistance in developing the Sky Events Calendar (July 2007). Permission is freely granted to reproduce this data when accompanied by an acknowledgment: "Sky Events Calendar by Fred Espenak and Sumit Dutta (NASA's GSFC)"