General Information
These reports appear in the last Thursday of the month (before our monthly meeting held on the first Thursday of the month) editions of the 'Clacton Gazzette' and 'Essex Evening Standard' in their 'Neighbourhood News' sections
Radio Astronomy by Dr. Lawrence Newell
Dr. Laurence Newell, an amateur radio astronomer from Martlesham in Suffolk presented a very informative talk on his area of expertise at our meeting on 2nd April. He began by describing the history of Radio Astronomy, mentioning relatively well known pioneers such as Karl Jansky, as well as some far less well known names such as Grote Reber – who built equipment that was far ahead of its time. Dr. Newell went on to explain where the radio signals come from and how they are produced, as well as demonstrating how weak they are. The talk then explored common Radio Astronomy targets such as galaxies, the Sun, Jupiter, and even the Moon – where it is possible to see differences in the terrain in radio waves. Dr. Newell’s talk then explored the equipment amateurs use, and how they can monitor changes in our own planets Ionosphere using radio waves, before going on to explain and demonstrate software and equipment developed and built by his BAA group.
The Next Meeting
At our next meeting on May 7th, one of our members – Stephen Hill will present a talk on the History of Gravity. The meeting will be held as usual at the 'Friends Meeting House' in Granville Road, Clacton. Please note that new members and visitors are always welcome at these meetings. Visitors are very welcome but are charged a fee of £2.00..