Exoplanets: "Where are our Alien Neighbours"

Prof Don Pollacco is a research astronomer working at Queen's University, Belfast.

The Royal Astronomical Society has awarded Prof Don Pollacco (Astrophysics Research Centre) and the SuperWASP team the 2010 Group Achievement Award for Astronomy. The team has so far announced the discovery of 53 planets orbiting other stars, and continues to search for more.

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 donations of one pound. Please see our website for contact and membership details.