Alan Dowdell 'History of the Dark Sky'

If you ever thought where did NGC, or M numbers come from ? What did fighting the French and getting prize money have to do with astronomy, then all with be revealed.” This talk will introduce you to the history of those who discovered the deep sky and covers the discovery of galaxies etc from Messier , the Herschels, Lord Ross and many others who made these discoveries.

Alan Dowdell, is a keen observer of deep sky and keen to promote the art of drawing at the telescope. He currently uses a 10 inch and soon to be commissioned 16 inch dobsonian telescope. He is currently on the council of the British Astronomical Association of which he has been a member for now over 50 years. Currently organising the BAA Winchester Weekend and has done so for over 17 years. Alan is a past president of the FAS , past committee member of the SPA , the Webb Society, and The Astronomer, and has been chairman and committee member of various local societies Hampshire AG , Wessex, Newbury and Andover.

The Vectis Astronomical Society meets on the 4th Friday of every month, except for December. This event is open for non-members to attend.

The speakers come from all over the country and give a presentation for around 45mins. We then stop for a break with tea and biscuits, which gives an opportunity to mingle and chat. The second half of the evening sees a presentation by one of our regular members showing us what to we could see in the sky over the coming month.

This always involves some great pictures projected onto the large screen. Entry to the event is free of charge, although as we run as a charity, donations are always welcome.

Newsletters are available at the entrance for a suggested donation of £2.00

Please see our website for contact and membership details.