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
Molecules in Space by Stephen Hill
At the 1st November meeting, one of our new members Stephen Hill gave a talk entitled 'Molecules in Space'. He first described how the simplest elements were formed during the Big Bang (Hydrogen, Helium and trace quantities of Lithium) and how these were further processed in the hearts of stars to the heavier elements such as carbon and oxygen. He explained how elements heavier than Iron were only produced in supernovas. As the stars lived and died, these atoms and molecular fragments are scattered throughout space to eventually condense and compress into new stars and galaxies. The main subject of his talk concerned the chemical reactions taking place and the surprising complexity of molecules and chemical 'species' that are found to have formed within the extensive and rarefied clouds of atoms and molecular fragments that haven't yet collapsed to form stars.
The Next Meeting
The next meeting set for 6th December 2007 will have our club secretary David Pugh hosting 'The Annual Quiz'. 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. First time visitors may attend for free but subsequent visits are charged a fee of £1.50.