Derby and District Astronomical Society



[2023]  [2025]

2024 Meeting Programme


Our 'Main Meetings' and 'Introduction to Astronomy Evenings' are held at the Friend's Meeting House on St. Helen's Street, Derby, DE1 3GY. This period stone building is owned by the Quakers Religious Society Of Friends, and is next door to BBC Radio Derby. Please note that we are not affiliated with the Quakers Religious Society Of Friends, but rent the meeting space from them. This venue may be found on Google Maps. Our main meetings usually involve a popular level talk by an outside speaker, typically from a university, on some aspect of astronomy or space science. DDAS members may also give talks, and in January we hold an informal quiz. The May meeting is replaced by our AGM, the July meeting by a barbecue at our observatory, and the August meeting by an observing session. Our 'Introduction to Astronomy Evenings' are aimed specifically at beginners, and may include advice and help on using telescopes, finding your way around the night sky, astrophotography etc. There is a room collection for meetings held at The Friends Meeting House, which is £1 for members and £3 for visitors. Coffee and biscuits are available during the break at these meetings, and there is a donations dish for this and we suggest a 25p contribution or thereabouts.

Our monthly observing sessions are held at The Flamsteed Observatory, North Lane, Ashbourne, DE6 1PL, about two miles north of the village of Brailsford. Find our observatory on Google Maps. Our 10" Meade Schmidt-Cassegrain, Altair ED80 refractor and GPCAM under the dome, as well as any telescopes that may be brought along by members are available. During summer months we also have a Lunt Solar Scope available before the sun goes down. Members and visitors alike are also encouraged to bring along their telescope if they have one. Please note that anyone visiting our observatory and site, be they members or non-members, do so entirely at their own risk.

Further details of all meetings may be obtained from our Secretary  on 07491 407261.


Date Title Speaker Venue
January 5th
7:30 pm
Society Quiz Quizmaster: Dave Selfe The Friend's Meeting House
January 13th
7:30 pm
OBSERVING SESSION - The Flamsteed Observatory
January 19th
7:30 pm
INTRODUCTION TO ASTRONOMY EVENING
Life in the Universe: Evolution and Technology
Madhunika Srivatsan The Friend's Meeting House
Saturday 20th January
4:30 pm to 8:30 pm
ALVASTON PARK STARGAZING - Alvaston Park, Derby, DE24 8QQ
February 2nd
7:30 pm
The Multiverse: Is it Real? Martin Griffiths
Director, Brecon Beacons Observatory
The Friend's Meeting House
February 10th
7:30 pm
OBSERVING SESSION - The Flamsteed Observatory
February 16th
7:30 pm
INTRODUCTION TO ASTRONOMY EVENING
Unveiling Venus
Anthony Southwell The Friend's Meeting House
March 1st
7:30 pm
Footprints of the Big Bang Dr Susan Cartwright
Department of Physics and Astronomy
The University of Sheffield
The Friend's Meeting House
March 9th
7:30 pm
OBSERVING SESSION - The Flamsteed Observatory
March 15th
7:30 pm
INTRODUCTION TO ASTRONOMY EVENING
Life in the Solar System
Brian Dodson The Friend's Meeting House
April 5th
7:30 pm
Jupiter: The Trojan Wars Dr Colin Steele
The University of Manchester
The Friend's Meeting House
April 13th
8:30 pm
OBSERVING SESSION - The Flamsteed Observatory
April 17th
6 pm to 10 pm
STARGAZING ON CATHEDRAL GREEN - Cathedral Green
Museum of Making
Derby
April 19th
7:30 pm
INTRODUCTION TO ASTRONOMY EVENING
My Trip to the Moon
Peter Branson The Friend's Meeting House
May 3rd
7:30 pm
ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING - The Friend's Meeting House
May 10th
7:30 pm
DDAS 50th ANNIVERSARY PARTY
Open to both members and non-members and their partners
- Littleover Social Club
61 Blagreaves Lane
Littleover
Derby DE23 1FQ
May 11th
9:30 pm
OBSERVING SESSION - The Flamsteed Observatory
May 17th
7:30 pm
INTRODUCTION TO ASTRONOMY EVENING
What is the Problem with Gravity?
Donald Anderson The Friend's Meeting House
Saturday May 18th
2 pm to 4 pm
JOHN FLAMSTEED: DERBY'S GIFT TO ASTRONOMY Dr Allan Chapman
Wadham College, Oxford
Derby Museum & Art Gallery
June 7th
7:30 pm
Houston We Have a Problem - We Have Met ETI Martin Braddock, FRSB, FRAS
Mansfield & Sutton Astronomical Society
The Friend's Meeting House
June 15th
9:30 pm
OBSERVING SESSION - The Flamsteed Observatory
June 21st
7:30 pm
INFORMAL SOCIAL EVENING - The Friend's Meeting House
Saturday
6th July
7:30pm
Society BBQ and Observing Session - The Flamsteed Observatory
Saturday
August 10th
10 am to 4 pm
DDAS 50th Anniversary Meeting The Friend's Meeting House The Flamsteed Observatory
September 6th
7:30 pm
Looking Back on 50 Years of the DDAS Arthur Tristram & Dave Maynard
Derby & District Astronomical Society
The Friend's Meeting House
September 14th
8:00 pm
OBSERVING SESSION - The Flamsteed Observatory
September 20th
7:30 pm
INTRODUCTION TO ASTRONOMY EVENING
Radio Astronomy
Tony Razzell The Friend's Meeting House
October 4th
7:30 pm
Light Pollution and the Lost Milky Way Jim Sarsgard
Derby & District Astronomical Society
The Friend's Meeting House
October 9th
6 pm to 10 pm
STARGAZING ON CATHEDRAL GREEN - Cathedral Green
Museum of Making
Derby
October 12th
7:30 pm
OBSERVING SESSION - The Flamsteed Observatory
October 18th
7:30 pm
INTRODUCTION TO ASTRONOMY EVENING
Meteorites
Graham Ensor The Friend's Meeting House
November 1st
7:30 pm
Update on Multi-Messenger Astronomy Professor Nial Tanvir
Department of Physics & Astronomy
University of Leicester
The Friend's Meeting House
November 9th
7:30 pm
OBSERVING SESSION - The Flamsteed Observatory
November 15th
7:30 pm
INTRODUCTION TO ASTRONOMY EVENING
In the Shadow of the Moon - An American Adventure
Dr Mike Lancaster
Derby & District Astronomical Society
The Friend's Meeting House
December 6th
7:30 pm
Down to Earth Astronomy: The Quiet Revolution of Radio Astronomy Dr Emma Chapman
School of Physics & Astronomy
University of Nottingham
The Friend's Meeting House
December 14th
7:30 pm
OBSERVING SESSION - The Flamsteed Observatory
December 20th
7:30 pm
REVIEW OF THE YEAR & SOCIAL EVENING The Friend's Meeting House

[2023]  [2025]

Further details of all meetings may be obtained from the Secretary  on 07491 407261.

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