Greg Titley
We are extremely sad to announce that Greg passed away on Wednesday 3rd July. As some of you will be aware Greg has been unwell recently but this has come as a huge shock to us all.
Greg was CAS Secretary for 3 years and was responsible for arranging the talks programme while he was in that role. He was also a Trustee and very involved with the Star Parties and Outreach events. He will be very much missed by the Committee and others not just for his CAS work but also for his very enjoyable company.
If anyone wishes to send personal messages of condolences then please speak to our Chair, Phill Wallace or contact him using the Contact Us form on ContactUs
NEXT TALK
Thursday 5th September 2024 at 7.30 p.m. "The Myth of the Space Race" presented by Phill Wallace, CAS Chair
Talk description:
The Space Race! Possibly one of the most exciting periods in human history, where the superpowers competed, not with bombs and tanks, but with scientific breakthroughs and achievements in the exploration of space. Most of you know this story, at least the basics: the Russians were ahead, but with grit, determination and resources the Americans pulled out a triumph in July 1969 with the first Moon landing. But is this narrative accurate? Were the Russians actually "superior" in spaceflight technology? Is the Space Race itself a myth? This talk will examine the various claimed "firsts" in spaceflight, and see if we can pick out truth from myth and propaganda.
Speaker bio:
Phill Wallace has been Chairman of CAS since 2016, and held a passionate (his family and friends might say obsessive) interest in spaceflight and the wider universe from a very young age. He studied Astronomy at university, graduating in 2013, before moving on to become active in CAS and other local astronomical societies, giving talks and speaking at events wherever he can.
DARK SKY FESTIVAL SEPTEMBER 21ST BANNAU BRYCHEINIOG NATIONAL PARK
Please use the link below to see the dark sky festival programme and a link to the Eventbrite tickets.
Dark Sky Festival
THE HEADS OF THE VALLEYS ASTRONOMICAL SOCIETY SHOW 5th OCTOBER
Please see poster below for details. Volunteers from Cardiff Astronomical Society will be at this event.
Fortnightly CAS Social (Tuesday Evening) via Zoom (Members Only)
Once a fortnight (same week as Thursday talk) on a Tuesday evening from 19:00 to around 21:00 we hold a social get together on zoom where we chat about both astronomical and non-astronomical subjects, have a quiz and have presentations by members. The presentations are usually on either member's hobbies or their travels but can be on anything they think others will find interesting.
Why not come along one week to see what you think. You do not need to stay for the whole session and people often arrive late or leave early because of other commitments. It is very informal!
To register your interest complete the ContactUsForm. Please include your Membership Number and you will be sent a link to the next session.
Recent Public Events
SAFE solar viewing Bannau Brychieniog June 22nd 2024
The years pass very quickly and once again on the Saturday closest to the Summer Solstice
for about the 20 th time, a merry band of CAS members made their way to the Visitor Centre
at Libanus.
Maybe not too merry at an early hour for a Saturday but once all the team arrived it was the
usual organised chaos as we set-up our pitch for a full day we hoped of solar observing and
public engagement with science.
As we have come to expect of our hosts we were welcomed and shown to our gazebo all
set-up and waiting.
The clouds did come and go, well in truth come more than go. But we did have a reasonable
number of the public and staff showing a great interest in what we were doing and yet again,
an international audience with a number of people being on holiday in Wales and passing
through the National Park.
When or not the Sun was out, people were certainly engaged by Tiffany's stall and treasures
for sale! Expanding your Empire is what our local contact described it as. I'm not sure if the
main attraction wasn't the Sun but the merchandise on offer. Tiffany's Treasures! Well done
you, for a very imaginative array of goods at a modest price.
And if that wasn't enough, National Park staff had a stand making known the ways of the
countryside and the special fauna to be appreciated. I think we all now know what curlews
look like, and we certainly know what their song is! Some of us may still be listening to them
on our phones.
A day enjoyed by all, and we can look forward to doing it again soon - September 21 st !
The night sky this month
(Courtesy of BBC Sky at Night Magazine)
Day-by-day guide to this month's night sky
- text and photos
PART 2: THE SOCIETY'S UPCOMING EVENTS
Next Star Party - Details to be confirmed
Next Observing Session
Please see our Observing Sessions page for dates
PART 3: THE CARDIFF ASTRONOMICAL SOCIETY
Introduction to CAS
The Cardiff Astronomical Society (CAS) is a thriving society located in South East Wales. It has been in existence for over 45 years and is one of the largest amateur astronomical societies in the UK. CAS provides a range of facilities for both Society members and the public at large including a varied programme of talks on Thursday evenings (except in August) at the Physics and Astronomy Department of Cardiff University. In addition, regular night sky (and occasional solar) Observing Sessions are held at the Society's own Observatory at Dyffryn Gardens.
Our members come from all walks of life and their knowledge of astronomy ranges from complete beginner to advanced. You don't need any specialist knowledge to join us and neither do you need to own a telescope or binoculars. It's also possible to try us out before joining!
More details about the Society and what it does are available here
We are keen to get more Society members on board to assist with the running of CAS events - please see here how you can Help Us
JOIN OR SUPPORT CAS
Come and join some of the Society's members at one of our talks or observing events. We promise a warm and friendly welcome for all. Only £18/£3/£24 per annum for Adult/Junior/Family membership also means you can make use of our Library
Gift Aid
CAS is registered for Gift Aid. This means that, if you are a UK taxpayer, we can claim back the standard rate tax on subscriptions (and on any donations) giving an effective 25% boost to the amount the Society has received. However, in order to reclaim these monies from HMRC, we need all members who pay tax to complete and return a Charity Gift Aid Declaration form. Please note that if you have paid your subscriptions by PayPal, you will have already been asked if you would consent to those subscriptions being Gift Aided - but we still need a completed Charity Gift Aid Declaration form in order for us to reclaim the tax paid as Gift Aid.
If you are eligible, please take a form (using the button opposite) and then complete it and pass it to us at one of the fortnightly talks or send it to CAS by post or email (see the bottom of the form). Thank you for your help!
Support CAS when shopping online with easyfundraising
Cardiff Astronomical Society outreach for schools, colleges, businesses & organisations.
We welcome all invitations from schools, colleges, businesses, scouts, guides and other organisations in providing outreach. We can host events our our observatory in Dyffryn Gardens, Vale of Glamorgan. We can also discuss events with your organisation to include stargazing, talks and activities. We do not charge a fee for this but would kindly request that expenses are covered as we volunteer our time.
We have a wide range of expertise & can offer events to all ages and knowledge levels.
If you would like to discuss outreach with us please use our ContactusForm and someone will contact you.
It should be noted that CAS has a formal Policy on Child Protection and the Protection of Vulnerable Adults
