Explore the culture of the stars…
Astronomy is one of the oldest sciences, but also the one in which amateurs still play an active role, contributing to many recent important astronomical discoveries.
If you have a passion for stargazing, space, and the universe, or are ‘wowed’ by images produced by the Hubble and James Webb telescopes, you are far from alone. Of course, we know that astronomy is a highly respected science that has produced some of the most amazing accomplishments of the twentieth century. In addition to that, it continues to be an endless source of fascination and captivation for both young and old, with hundreds of astronomy clubs across the UK and tens of thousands of amateur astronomers watching the stars every night just like we do.
Our Astronomy Section provides a programme of talks and, occasionally, a visit to an observatory or other site of astronomical importance!
Some of our guest speakers include those from external organisations, members of the Society or members of other astronomical societies. We are fortunate to have had many well-known public speakers giving talks, for example Dr David Whitehouse, retired BBC Science Correspondent, and Dr Allan Chapman, a well-known historian of astronomy at Oxford University.
We also contribute to Open Days with solar telescopes and other equipment to be seen and used, as well as supporting Young Explorers sessions with hands-on activities and a planetarium show.
BNSS welcomes the regular and on-going support of Wessex Astronomical Society
Reports on Talks
2024
Monitoring the Environment from Space
Gravitational Wave Astronomy
Inside Stars – Cooking Pots for the Elements
Short Talks
Artificial light at night, environmental impact, dark sky places preservation
Astronomical Causes of Climate Change
2023
Astronomical Oddities
Venus – Earth’s Evil Twin
Tides – How do they really work
Lighting, Biodiversity and Health
The Wabar Meteorite Craters in Saudi Arabia
The Story of Radio Astronomy
Solar System Walk
Arrokoth and the Sentinels
Astronomy in Prehistory
Left in Space
New Views of the Universe with the James Webb Telescope
Upcoming Astronomy events
Gaseous Galactic Haloes: The Circumgalactic Medium Around Galaxies
6th May 2025 at 7.30pm (in house and zoom)Speaker: Dr Andrew Cook The circumgalactic medium is a region of gas that surrounds galaxies and plays a vital role in the formation and evolution of galaxies. In this lecture, Andrew Cook explores the evolution of the universe and galaxies from the perspective of its gaseous contents and what it can tell us about the […]
The Angular Momentum Problem
20th May 2025 at 7.30pm (in house and zoom)Speaker: James Fradgley Giant Molecular Clouds have a million times more specific angular momentum (angular momentum per kilogram) than the stars they form. How come? James has been our Astronomy Chair for a good ten years and always gives a thought-provoking talk.
