Astronomy – An Introduction
Group Leader: Mark Hardaker
Venue/Time: Verwood Hub. 6:30 – 8:30 pm
Day/Date: Thursdays
October: 24th / 31st
November: 21st / 28th
December: 5th/12th
Cost: £12 (payable in advance)
Contact: To email Mark please click here
Unless otherwise stated, all photographs are taken in Verwood by Mark Hardaker using his astronomical equipment.
The Group
The Astronomy group returns for 2024. Oh yes it does! And the important thing is, everyone can participate, whatever your age or current knowledge. Here in Verwood, we live on the fringe of the Cranborne Chase international Dark Sky Reserve, so the stars and planets and other objects in the sky are easier to find.
This year 2024 we have another programme of six sessions, upgrading and refreshed.
In this course we will cover the basics to get you started in astronomy. Initially, you need nothing more than a general interest in the stars and planets and your own eyes.
As we progress through the course, we will talk about the sun, the moon and the solar system, the stars and the constellations, on to deep sky objects and weird objects such as black holes. We will also show you how to use your own telescope to observe and even photograph the night sky and introduce you our local astronomy clubs to find out more.
Finally, we will talk about the Apollo programme and how we landed on the Moon in the 1960s.
The magnificent Aurora Borealis visible all over the UK in May this year (view full-size)
This is the globular cluster Messier 13 in the constellation of Hercules. It is a mass of over 100,000 stars (view full-size)
Session 1: Introduction to Astronomy – How the Sky Works
Understand what the various objects in the sky are, how they move and how they relate to each other.
Session 2: The Solar System
The planets one by one. What makes them tick, what do we know about them and where can you find them.
Session 3: The Starry Sky
Learn to find your way around the sky, using the constellations as signposts
The Moon is the Earth’s only natural satellite. This is the heavily cratered southern highlands.(view full-size)
The planet Saturn as it looks through a 6-inch telescope on a clear night (view full-size)
At over two million light years distant from us, the Great Andromeda Galaxy is one of the best sights in the sky with medium telescopes (view full-size)
Session 4: Deep Sky Wonders
Finding marvellous objects in the sky such as galaxies, clusters, nebulae and clouds. How to observe them with simple equipment and understanding how they got there.
Session 5: Session 5: Black Holes
Is it possible to explain what a black hole is and how they form? I will try.
Session 6: The Apollo Programme
How did we get to the Moon and back in 1960? Could it have been faked?
The Leader
My name is Mark Hardaker. I was born in Keighley in West Yorkshire. I have been an amateur astronomer since the age of eight. I started with a simple pair of binoculars, progressing to a 3-inch refracting telescope as recommended by Patrick Moore and ending up today with a 12-inch reflecting telescope which I use in my back garden in Verwood.
I am passionate about astronomy as a hobby and enjoy bringing this passion to others. I am a member of both Fordingbridge Astronomers and Wessex Astronomical Society where we frequently use our telescopes to show the public what you can see in the sky. I co-present a monthly magazine called “Starry Skies” on Verwood’s own Forest FM radio station and I’m the Deputy Editor of Popular Astronomy, a magazine specifically targeted at beginners in the hobby.
This is Messier 42 in Orion, a mass of glowing hydrogen gas where stars are being born every day. Your binoculars will show you this (view full-size)
Verwood u3a Member, Paul Thackeray, took this exceptional photo of the Sun with a very special telescope designed for this. DO NOT try this with a normal telescope. We thank Paul for letting us use this amazing photo.