NWGAS Minutes -- Saturday, 15th September, 2001
The meeting was held at the Godlee Observatory of Manchester Astronomical Society.
Representatives from Salford AS, Chester AS, Altrincham & District AS, Gwynedd AS and Manchester AS were present. Apologies for absence had been received from Gerard Gilligan of Liverpool AS.
Guy Duckworth (Manchester AS) was in the chair and welcomed everyone to the meeting. After introductions the minutes of the last NWGAS meeting were noted.
Richard Sargent (Chester
AS & NWGAS Secretary) reported that despite reminders in recent meeting minutes,
he had not received any updates to the NWGAS Society speakers' list or society
e-mail contact addresses. There was discussion on the ADAS inspired NWGAS observing
trip to the dark sky site at Llyn Brenig in North Wales targeted for 22nd September.
A number of people were expressing serious interest in participating and this
was very welcome.
There was a feeling that in advance of
the Commonwealth Games in Manchester there was a light up the
city attitude. It was unlikely that additional lighting would be removed after
the games were over. A general discussion followed on the lack of media coverage
of the problems from light pollution and the desirability of having say, some
TV personality not connected with astronomy, presenting the negative impact
of light pollution in a TV programme to make the public more aware.
The CfDS web site is at... http://www.dark-skies.freeserve.co.uk/
No report, Ron Kelley not present.
NWGAS on the WWW: http://www.manastro.co.uk/nwgas/
Michael Oates (Manchester AS and webmaster for the NWGAS site) apologised for not having access statistics for visits to the various pages of the NWGAS web site. This was due to software problems. Michael explained the many personal commitments and demands on his time, that had led him to reluctantly decide to step down from being webmaster for the NWGAS web site. Ideally he would like to handover these duties to another volunteer from within the NWGAS societies, and he appealed to member societies to sound out their members to see if there were any volunteers. If however, no one came forward he would mothball the web site. It was noted that only 3 societies within the NWGAS did not operate their own separate web site. Please contact Michael if your society has any volunteers.
Society representatives passed a vote of
thanks to Michael and expressed their great appreciation for all his hard work
in setting up the NWGAS website and running it for a number of years.
Kath Redford reported on behalf of Salford AS that the society had purchased a CCD camera with a £500 grant from the Local Council.
Ernie Greenwood from Gwynedd AS described how their programme for the next 4 months was emerging. A particular aim for the society for the next year was to expand the number of observing nights and events.
Graham Cliff from Altrincham and District Astronomical Society (ADAS) hoped that NWGAS society members would support the proposed dark sky observing sessions at Llyn Brenig, North Wales. ADAS also invited interested NWGAS members to attend their observatory inauguration ceremony on 23rd September. A recent grant had enabled them to improve wheelchair access to their Timperley observatory, provide hardstanding for telescopes and purchase some equipment.
Richard Sargent reported that Chester AS had moved its monthly meetings to a new venue a few miles outside of Chester. The old venue was no longer available due to building work. A map and directions for the new meeting place is available on the Chester AS page of the NWGAS web site.
Using notes provided by Gerard Gilligan,
Richard reported the following items on behalf of Liverpool AS
. LAS's plans for the North West convention of Societies
were well in hand.
All speakers are confirmed, and the event has a web site with contact full details:
http://www.liv.ac.uk/~ggastro/NWSOC.Oct01.html
The trip to the LAS twinned Society in the Czech Republic, at Vlasim, was a great success. Reports in AN, FAS newsletter, BAAJ and S&T will appear soon, subject to editors meeting. The Vlasim AS Members have been invited to the UK with plans to view, with Liverpool members the May 2003 annual eclipse from North Western Scotland. Peter Drew has been given the go ahead to construct the new dome for the LAS Pex Hill Observatory. It is hoped it can be complete and in place by Easter or Summer 2002. The Observatory is to be renamed the Phillip Leighton Observatory after its last Patron, who left a large bequest to the Society, which partly funded the new dome.
Gerard wrote that St Helens Astronomical Society has been reformed following a not so successful launch after the August 1999 eclipse. The contact details are:
Carl Dingsdale, Society Sec. (Tel 07799
780890)
125 Canberra Ave
Thatto Heath
St.Helens, Merseyside
WA9 5RT
Tony Cross from Manchester AS
reported that the society failed to obtain a grant from the Manchester
Airport Community Fund, as their observatory was 150 yards outside the area
covered by the scheme! He also noted that UMIST was applying for a £1M
grant to refurbish the Godlee Observatory - rain is leaking in. The society
was in consultation with the Architects. It would be nice to complete the refurbishment
by the society's centenary in 2003. However the structure contained asbestos
the removal of which could lengthen the work. Manchester AS
were considering organising a society trip to view the May 2003 annular eclipse.
1. ADAS extended an invitation to all societies in the NWGAS to participate in their annual Xmas Astronomy Quiz, to be held on Friday, 1st December in the Timperley Village Hall. This was always a very enjoyable event and a chance for members from the different societies to have a social get together.
2. Manchester AS gave advance notice of celebrations they would be holding in August 2003 to mark the centenary of their society. There would also be a National Astronomy Week in August 2003, the astronomical highlight of which would be the very favourable opposition of Mars.
3. It was reported that Peter Drew
at the Amateur Astronomy Centre had commenced regular Saturday
evening public observing sessions (weather permitting).
11am, Saturday, 19th January, 2002.
The meeting will be held at the Manchester Astronomical Society:
Godlee Observatory,
Floor G, Main Building, UMIST,
Sackville Street,
Manchester
R.Sargent,
NWGAS Secretary