Wells & Mendip Astronomers

02/08/2025

Sharing the Sun with visitors to Cathedral Green this afternoon in Wells. Amazing crew from Wells & Mendip Astronomers.

Lots of clouds requiring wafters to remove.

01/08/2025

BIG NEWS The telescopes and astronomers will be on the Green on Saturday 2nd August from 11am to late afternoon.

Come along and enjoy seeing the surface of your nearest star using the latest safe solar telescopes crewed by Wells & Mendip Astronomers. Date changed from Sunday due to the weather forecast.

01/08/2025

Wells & Mendip Astronomers' own Josh Dury Photo-Media having a book signing at the prestigious Museum of Bath Architecture last night.

Really enjoyed last night's book launch for Josh Dury Photo-Media's . Hosted by Bath Preservation Trust and the Herschel Museum of Astronomy at the Museum of Bath Architecture.

Josh very eloquently talked about his introduction to the night sky, those first pictures and his influences upon the way before turning to his latest accomplishment, the book 52 Assignments. Good talk and welcoming Q&A.

Even had a bar and nibbles before book signings. Smashing.

30/07/2025

"But what about the weather?" I hear you shout...

If the forecast for Sunday is not looking promising, we'll run the public solar observing the day before on Saturday 2nd August.

We'll let you know on Friday which day we'll be going for.

30/07/2025

Amazing achievement by Professor Michele Dougherty in her appointment to the prestigious role of Astronomer Royal. King Charles has recognised her career in planetary space science including missions to Saturn and Jupiter. Professor Dougherty is the first woman to hold the role in 350 years and she is the 16th appointee.

Thanks to Lord Martin Rees who held the role from 1995 to Professor Dougherty's appointment, the longest serving Astronomer Royal since 1881.

Source: BBC

Prof Michele Dougherty is the first woman to be appointed to the influential post.

27/07/2025

The Perseid Meteor Shower has started. Clumps of comet 109P/Swift-Tuttle are raining down on the Earth from 17th July to 23rd August. The number of shooting stars you can see will increase over the next two weeks to a peak overnight on 12/13th August. Get out and catch comet dust.

The waning gibbous Moon will be 90% lit on the big night blotting out the fainter meteors but the Perseids have a reputation for being bright so keep a look out for the next fortnight and give it a go around the peak.

Get yourself a reclining garden chair and a blanket before settling down to an hour or two of dark sky contemplation. Just avoid having the Moon and the bright star Capella in the northeast in your field of view. Look up 45 to 60 degrees above the horizon and maybe overhead to star Vega if it is comfortable.

Image Credit: Tunç Tezel, Perseids over Turkey. Taken 1st August 2017

25/07/2025

Come and join Wells & Mendip Astronomers on the Wells Cathedral Green on Saturday 2nd August to see the Sun live and safely. We'll be setting up specialist solar telescope and crewing them with our expert members from 11am for anyone who wishes to eyeball a star 150 million kilometres away.

No equipment needed. Just cross your fingers that the skies are blue. Anyone can have a look.

Observing the Sun can be made safe using professional filters that block 99.999% of all the light you feel on your face. The ultimate pair of super sun glasses. Checked and crewed by amateur astronomers with decades of experience in protecting their own and everyone else's vision.

We hope to see you all from 11am to 5pm on Saturday 2nd August 2025 on the Wells Cathedral Green in front of the Wells & Mendip Museum.

To find out more about Wells & Mendip Astronomers visit http://www.wellsastronomers.org.uk/
or the Facebook event listing at
https://fb.me/e/8d8FcSN7k

29/06/2025

Have a wonderful summer holiday.

On the long warm evenings, cast an eye to the sky whilst sipping your Chardonnay and chomping on a slightly carbonised burger. Perhaps you want to know more about what is up there. Visiting your local astronomy society is a great first step.

Come and see Wells & Mendip Astronomers at any of the following:

Sunday 3rd August 11:00 - 17:00 Pop-up solar observing
on Wells Cathedral Green, Wells BA5 2UE

Saturday 6th September 19:30 Talk by Andy Hook 'I found this scope on Amazon...' at Wells & Mendip Museum, 8 Cathedral Green, Wells BA5 2UE

Saturday 11th October 19:30 Talk by Simon Toogood 'Studying Jupiter's Atmosphere with the James Webb Space Telescope'
in Ashwick & Oakhill Village Hall, Zion Hill, Oakhill BA3 5AN

Saturday 8th November 19:30 The annual 'Members Night' at Wells & Mendip Museum, 8 Cathedral Green, Wells BA5 2UE (use side-arch entrance)

Saturday 13th December 18:30 - late The WMA Christmas Party in Ashwick & Oakhill Village Hall, Zion Hill, Oakhill BA3 5AN

Visitors are very welcome. There is a small charge to support the expense of rooms etc Adult - £5; Family rate - £7.50; Students - £3

Members enjoy all the above for free - worth joining. Check out http://www.wellsastronomers.org.uk/ for more information.

22/06/2025

A lovely evening under the star with a BBQ, a few drinks and cake. Conversation, archery, solargazing, and a space quiz kept us busy and very happy.

Looking forward to more Wells & Mendip Astronomers social events in the near future.

21/04/2025

Our number of Likes reminds me of the prominent wavelength of Hydrogen Alpha which is utilised is so many solar telescopes to see the chromosphere of our nearest star, 656 nanometres.

21/04/2025

It's the peak of the Lyrid Meteor Shower tonight and into the early hours.

Go spot a shooting star and make a wish!!

They'll appear from the north east but can be seen all over the sky. Best numbers should be seen around 45 degrees away from Lyra/Hercules constellations and after midnight.

21/04/2025

International Observe the Moon Night is on Saturday 4th October this year.

The Moon will be 93% illuminated and it'll be arising at 17:44 UTC+1 in Somerset. It'll be 370,464km away.