In October we will be back to studying the solar system and looking at our biggest planetary neighbour, Jupiter. It was the first planet to be created and is a gas giant that you could fit about 1,300 Earths inside! After creation Jupiter was gravitationally attracted to the Sun and threatened to destroy everything in its path, including Earth, but another newly formed giant, Saturn, saved us.
In November we will return to my favourite little world Pluto and watch a DVD covering the New Horizons flyby mission, including its problems and the many interesting facts that it revealed. December will be our ‘Christmas Special’ where the topic will be interferometers and gravitational waves. We meet on the fourth Thursday of every month from 10am to 12 noon in the back room of Southwell Library.
The dates of the next few meetings are 23rd October, 27th November and (on the 3rd Thursday) 18th December. We try to cater for beginners by not making the sessions too technical but with enough content to stimulate the more knowledgeable. After coffee the audience have the chance to ask questions, comment or offer views, which is, I think, an important part of our sessions.
I hope to see as many people as possible at the next meeting
Please see our webpage Astronomy - Southwell u3a.
Group Leader: Richard Peacock