General Information

These reports appear in the Friday (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

Astro-Images from Mauna Kea by Nik Szymanek

At the May 5th meeting we were extremely fortunate to have as our main speaker, Nik Szymanek. He gave a presentation entitled 'Astro-imaging from Mauna Kea, Hawaii'. During a recent visit (funded by 'PPARC') he was given a special tour of the facility with unprecedented access to a number of the major telescopes sited there. With camera in hand, he was able to take photos (interior and exterior) of telescopes such as the 'Keck', Gemini, and the 'James Clarke Maxwell'. He took a number of impressive star trail shots with the famous telescopes in the foreground. In addition, using his own portable telescopes, he showed just how clear the night sky was by producing stunning pictures of star fields and nebula.

The Next Meeting

The next meeting to be held as usual at the 'Friends Meeting House' in Granville Road, Clacton on 12th June when David Peachey will be talking about 'Migrating Planets'.