Monthly Meetings
All meetings start at 7.30 pm in the Village Hall, New Road, Norton sub Hambdon, TA14 6SF. The Hall is next to the Primary School.
Visitors are most welcome. Just drop in to a meeting. Your first visit is free. Thereafter is costs £2 per meeting – or you can become a full member of CADAS for just £18 per year. Under 16s are free.
Find us on a map here.
Apart from our main programme, there will be time to ask questions or get help if you’re starting out or are stuck with some aspect of your astronomy. We also have a monthly ‘sky notes’ slot so you can find out what’s ‘up there’ in the month ahead. Our refreshment break is a great time to meet and chat with others about all things astronomical in a relaxed and friendly atmosphere.
CADAS 2025 Programme
Jan 15 Bud Budzynski In Search Of Aliens (and a look forward to 2025)
Feb 19 Andrew Ciavarella The Discovery of the Milky Way
Mar 19 Richard Kilbey Captain Cook and the Transit of Venus
Apr 16 Professor Chris Lintott
May 21 Ask the Panel
June 18 Kate Earl The 88 Constellations
July 16 Tim Whetherell
Aug 20 Joe Williams Formation of Planets and their Atmospheres (Title TBC)
Sep 17 Gadgets and Gizmos followed by Observing Session
Oct 15 TBA
Nov 19 Heather Johnston The rise and fall of the giant planet occurrence rate
Dec 17 Arthur Davis lecture and Christmas Social
CADAS 2024 Programme
Jan 17 Bud Budzynski Visit to Mount Palomar
Feb 21 Gordon MacKenzie Astrophotography Workflow followed by AGM
Mar 20 Tim Wetherell Astronomical Drawing
April 17th Bud Budzynski Astro Engineering
May 15 Ask the Panel
Jun 19 Terry Evans The Mexico Eclipse 2024
Jul 17 Ian Coster Double Stars
Aug 21 John Chuter The BAA archive
Sep 18 Gadgets and Gizmos Evening followed by Observing Session
Oct 16 Adrian Dening Perfecting Portable
Nov 20 Brian Fraser Unmanned Lunar Landings
Dec 18 Christmas Social and members’ short talks
CADAS 2023 Programme
Jan 18 Claire Davies – Flip it and reverse it: disruption in young planetary systems
Feb 15 Steve Tonkin Ten Ways the Universe Tries to Kill You
Mar 15 Hugh Allen Spectroscopy : Cracking starlight’s hidden code
Apr 19 Terry Evans Meteor Crater / Bud Budzynski An Eq8R mount for the Ladder Scope
May 17 Ask the Panel
Jun 21 Jo Richardson Dark skies of Exmoor
Jul 19 Bud Budzynski The life of Isaac Newton
Aug 16 Astrophotography on a Budget
Sep 20 Gadgets and Gizmos Evening followed by Observing Session
Oct 18 Kate Earl Prehistoric Astronomy
Nov 15 Brian Fraser The Space Shuttle
Dec 20 Christmas Social and members’ short talks
CADAS 2022 Programme
Jan 19 Kate Earl Stowaways followed by Bob Mizon Winter Objects
Feb 16 James Fradgley Title Life in the Universe – are the Aliens out there?
Mar 16 Jo Richardson On Board the ISS
Apr 20 Richard Miles Is Dark Matter ordinary matter?
May 18 Ask The Panel
Jun 15 Bob Mizon The Cape York Meteorite
Jul 20 Tim Wetherell The end of the Universe…
Aug 17 Chris Starr Heavy Metal World: Mission to Asteroid Psyche
Sep 21 Gadgets and Gizmos Evening
Oct 19 Hugh Allen Spectroscopy : Cracking starlight’s hidden code
Nov 16 Steve Tonkin Ten Ways the Universe Tries to Kill You
Dec 21 Christmas Social and members’ short talks
CADAS 2021 Programme
Jan 20 No Meeting
Feb 17 No Meeting
Mar 17 No Meeting
Apr 21 No Meeting
May 19 No Meeting
Jun 16 No Meeting
Jul 21 Informal Meeting. Eagle 3 computer by Gordon
Aug 18 Informal meeting. NGC6729 by Terry
Sep 15 Informal meeting. Galileo by Bud
Oct 20 Mark Radice, Observing and Imaging the Planets
Nov 17 Steve Tonkin, How Old is the Universe?
Dec 15 Members’ short talks and Social
CADAS 2020 Programme
Jan 15 Paul Spurr – Developments in Radio Astronomy
Feb 19 Tim Wetherell – Building a gentlemens’ observatory – Amateur Astronomy in Victorian Style
Mar 18 Dr Claire Davies (Exeter University) – The Formation of Stars and their Planetary Systems
Apr 15 Professor Chris Lintott (Oxford University) – Galaxy mergers
May 20 Graham Bryant – The Hubble Space Telescope – one month to save the telescope.
Jun 17 Dr. Fabio Parracho Silva (Bournemouth University) – Starscape archaeology – history of our connection with the night sky.
Jul 15 Steve Bosley – Meteors
Aug 19 Gadgets and Gizmos evening
Sep 16 APODS – more Astronomy Pictures of the Day from NASA
Oct 21 Ask the Panel
Nov 18 Bob Mizon – Comets in History
Dec 16 Christmas social and members’ images/ short talks
CADAS 2019 Programme
Jan 16 Barry FitzGerald – Lunar Geology from the safety of your own home
Feb 20 Steve Hill – Astrobiology
Mar 20 Professor Carl Murray – Cassini at Saturn
Apr 17 Bob Mizon – Solar System Alphabet
May 15 Ask the Panel
Jun 19 James Fradgley – The Story of Radio Astronomy
Jul 17 Bill Reed – Narrow-band Imaging: Pros and Cons
Aug 21 Gadgets and Gizmos evening
Sep 18 Alan Dowdell – The Herschels of Berkshire
Oct 16 Will Gater– Dynamic skies
Nov 20 Steve Tonkin – Pseudoastronomy: Hollow Moons and Flat Earths
Dec 18 Christmas social and members’ images/short talks
CADAS 2018 Programme
Jan 17 Bob Mizon – Pole stars of other planets.
Feb 21 Bill Read – Early misconceptions in astronomy
Mar 21 Bill Combes – The International Space Station
Apr 18 Bud Budzynski – T’aint Rocket…
May 16 Bob Mizon – Light pollution FAQ
Jun 20 David Strange – Gilgamesh and the Bull of Heaven: the oldest story ever told..
Jul 18 Ron Westmaas – Constellation myths.
Aug 15 Gadgets and Gizmos evening.
Sept 19 James Fradgley – Orbital oddities.
Oct 17 Ask the panel.
Nov 21 Pete Adshead and Bob Mizon – Astrophotography old and new.
Dec 19 Christmas social and menbers’ short talks.
CADAS 2017 Programme
Jan 18 How it all moves: Members’ short talks on celestial motions
Feb 15 Graham Bryant: Pluto: from myth to discovery and the New Horizons mission
Mar 15 John Gifford: Astronomy before relativity
Apr 19 Bob Mizon: Eight great astronomers
May 17 Dan Oakley: Dark Skies: South Downs National Park and beyond
Jun 21 Steve Tonkin: Ten ways the universe tries to kill you
Jul 19 NB Change of programme to :Equipment clinic. The care and feeding of your telescope.
Aug 16 Bill Combes: The International Space Station
Sep 20 Richard Miles: The mystery of comets unveiled
Oct 18 ‘Ask the experts’ evening
Nov 15 Bob Mizon: 8 Great Astronomers
Dec 20 Christmas Social and members’ short talks
CADAS 2016 Programme
Jan 20 James Fradgley – Cosmic Miscellany
Feb 17 Bud Budzynski – A life on Mars
Mar 16 Chris Starr – Dawn of the Solar System
Apr 20 Bob Mizon – Names in the Sky
May 18 Bob Mizon – Yet more APODS
Jun 15 Ask the Experts evening
Jul 20 James Fradgley – Discs around stars and galaxies
Aug 17 Bill Reed – Lunar photography with a WebCam
Sep 21 Philip Perkins – Deep-Sky Imaging (provisional title)
Oct 19 Starting out in Astronomy – talks, discussions.
Nov 16 Sheri Lynn Karl – Solar imaging. (to be confirmed)
Dec 21 Christmas social and members’ short talks
CADAS 2015 Programme
Jan 21 Hannah Wakeford – Exoplanet Atmospheres
Feb 18 Bob Mizon – Seven Moons
Mar 18 Bill Reed – Space: a Beginners’ Guide. Part 1: Our Solar System”
Apr 15 Bud Budzyski – Back to basics … for everyone.
May 20 Chris Bowden – Eclipses I Have Known
Jun 17 Gemma Lavender – Antarctic Astrophysics
Jul 15 Ask the Experts evening
Aug 19 Bob’s Planetarium
Sep 16 Ron Westmaas – Rocks From Space
Oct 21 Bob Mizon – APOD evening – more intriguing photos of the universe
Nov 18 Members’ short talks evening
Dec 16 Steve Tonkin: Star of Bethlehem and Christmas social
2014 Programme
Jan 15 APOD evening – more intriguing photos of the Universe
Feb 19 Len Telford – Imaging the Moon and Mars
Mar 19 ‘Bud’ Budzynski – Photon Perfect
Apr 16 Paul Hyde – Practical Radio Astronomy for Amateurs
May 21 Garry Hunt – subject TBA
Jun 18 Dave Eagle – Astronomical Photography
Jul 16 Ask the Experts evening (guest: Jerry Workman)
Aug 20 Members’ evening
Sep 17 John Gifford – Shooting Stars, and All That Other Stuff Out There
Oct 15 Bob Mizon – Dark Future?
Nov19 Robin Catchpole – Are We Alone?
Dec 17 Christmas social and members’ short talks
Programme for 2013
- January 16 – APOD evening-more intriguing photos of the Universe
- February 20 – Bob Mizon: What’s Up? The nature of Astronomical Objects
- March 20 – James Fradgley: The Sun: from dust cloud to White Dwarf
- April 17 – Gizmo and gadget evening
- May 15 – Sheri Lynn Karl: Vulcanology in the Solar System
- June 19 – Dr John Macdonald: Sundial workshop
- July 17 – Ask the Experts evening
- August 21 – Pete Adshead: X-planes and the Space Race
- September 18 – Bob Mizon: Weird Astronomy
- October 16 – Mark Radice: Lunar Observing
- November 20 – Steve Hill: Shaping the Universe – Use the Force
- December 18 – Christmas social and members’ short talks
Programme for 2012
- January 18th – Ron Westmaas: Stones from Space
- February 15th – Bob Mizon: Exoplanets
- March 21st – Rob Hatch: Meteor detection by radar
- April 18th – Help! Beginners’ questions
- May 16th – Martin Morgan-Taylor: The DSLR camera in astronomy
- June 20th – Steve Harris: Light, our only messenger from the skies
- July 18th – Jerry Workman: Mars Rovers
- August 15th – Ann Davies and David Boyd: Chasing the Moon’s shadow
- September 19th – Various members: Getting the best out of your equipment
- October 17th – Dave Strange: Deep-sky astrophotogaphy
- November 21st – Guy Hurst: The Search for Novae and Supernovae: from visual to robotic telescopes
- December 19th – Ron Westmaas & Bud Budzynski: Imaging the Moon, Sun and planets
Programme for 2011
- January 19th – Bob Mizon: Oddities of the Solar System
- February 16th – Darren Baskill: X-treme Astronomy
- March 16th – Martin Griffiths: Black Holes
- April 20th – Help! Beginners’ questions
- May 18th – Martin Morgan-Taylor: Observatories Around the World
- June 15th – Arthur Davis: Comets and Asteroids
- July 20th – Jerry Workman: Mars Rovers
- August 17th – APOD evening: Intriguing photos of the Universe
- September 21st – Ron Westmaas: Stones from Space: an introduction
- October 19th – Alan Dowdell: History of the Deep Sky
- November 16th – James Fradgley: The Origin of the Solar System
- December 21st – Christmas meeting: members’ contributions