"To set up or not to set up - poor weather, we knew him so well."
As the Bard might have said if he’d turned up tonight! Yep, you’ve probably guessed by now - the weather was not on our side. After shaking our fists at the sky (like that would make a difference 😆), we moved to Plan B.
Ah, Plan B - the place where all good Plan A’s end up more often than not. But fear not! We have a fantastic backup schedule for our members.
First up, two astronomers - yes, not one, but two - from the Royal Observatory treated us to a planetarium show.
Josh kicked things off with a tour of the northern hemisphere’s night sky, pointing out constellations and how to find them. One of the highlights was Orion - probably one of the most beloved constellations - along with his faithful companions, Canis Minor and the more Sirius one, Canis Major. If you groaned reading that, trust me, you weren’t alone... it was even louder on the night! But all in good fun. Josh also demonstrated how to locate the North Star, which is always handy for those of us who occasionally lose our bearings.
After a seamless (or not-so-seamless - sorry, Josh, I did promise I’d mention it! 😆) transition, Gideon took us on a journey through the southern hemisphere’s constellations. He introduced us to the likes of Telescopium, Pyxis, Carina, and the Southern Cross - and no, there were no Men at Work or Vegemite sandwiches before you ask! That song is old, but not that old! 😆
Gideon then demonstrated how to find the South Pole. Unlike Polaris in the northern hemisphere, there’s no bright "Southern Pole Star" to guide us. Instead, we have what is essentially a bare patch in the sky. To locate it, you first find the Southern Cross, then a nearby star, and… clap! Yep, you heard me. This method is actually called The Clap Method. Don’t believe me? Go on, Google it. I’ll wait... (You back yet?) Great! And with that, our planetarium show concluded.
Next, we handed over to the one and only Bobby, who led us on a fascinating tour of the Observatory’s history. Starting with the origin story and all the drama that entailed, he took us through the longitude problem and the remarkable Harrison clocks. We wandered through Flamsteed House, including the Octagon Room - which, in normal hours, is so packed you can hardly take it all in. We really do spoil you, don’t we? 😆
Emerging from the house, we were greeted by the Prime Meridian right in front of us. After a discussion about its significance (and plenty of obligatory photos, I’m sure!), we continued on to the Flamsteed Well Telescope, where Bobby shared the story of its grand vision… and ultimate failure. A cautionary tale, but a fascinating one nonetheless.
A huge thanks to Bobby, Barry, Clive, and Phil - and, of course, to our wonderful members who attended.
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