SUNSET: 
Planet Formation in the Era of Exoplanets
This meeting is also available via the Zoom platform One of the biggest mysteries today is how solids grow from the micron sizes seen in the interstellar medium to become fully-formed planets. This field is currently undergoing an observational revolution driven by the arrival of the Atacama Large Millimeter Array…
Our Cosmic Origins
A Hybrid Mexborough & Swinton Astronomical Society Meeting, July 9th 2026 Our Cosmic Origins All of the chemical elements of the periodic table are produced in space. In this talk I will focus on the 40 or so elements that make up the human body, and where and how these…
Did they go? - Moon Landing Hoax and Evidence Debunked
A Hybrid Mexborough & Swinton Astronomical Society Meeting Did they go? - Moon Landing Hoax and evidence debunked In an age of rampant conspiracy theories, this talk discusses the "evidence" that is often put forward that the Moon landings were fake and how they can be debunked. Our speaker Andrew…
Fireballs in the Sky: how meteorites shaped our planet
A Hybrid meeting of Mexborough & Swinton Astronomical Society Fireballs in the sky: how meteorites shaped our planet - Professor Martin Lee, University of Glasgow This lecture describes the wonder of meteorites – where they come from, what happens when they land (often with a bang!) and how they can…
Astronomy of the Islamic Calendar
A hybrid meeting of Mexborough & Swinton Astronomical Society Astronomy of Islamic Calendar This presentation will discuss the history of lunar calendars from over 3000 BC to the present (21st century), explaining their principles, followed by the science and jurisprudence of Islamic calendars. It will conclude with the methods and…
The Past, Present and Future of the Royal Observatory Edinburgh
The Past, Present and Future of the ROE. Our speaker John Davies will describe the origins of astronomy in Edinburgh and how the first observatory became 'Royal' before the move to the present site on Blackford Hill. There, since the 1890s,, the ROE has evolved from a small government funded…
Did the Big Bang really happen?
The person asking that question is Mr John Waterhouse FRAS from Bradford Astronomical Society John Waterhouse, FRAS, poses the question "Did the Big Bang Really Happen?" in astronomy presentations, exploring the evidence supporting the theory that the universe expanded from a hot, dense state roughly 13.8 billion years ago, rather…
Observing using the Isaac Newton Telescope
Observing using the Isaac Newton Telescope : You just press the button, right? Our speaker Julian Onions is an astronomer working at the University of Nottingham. He looks with what we think the universe was like in the early days and then apply the laws of physics, and let it…
Solar Tornadoes: Powerful Storms in Our Star
Solar Tornadoes: Powerful Storms in Our Star Tornadoes on Earth are among the most dramatic and powerful events in nature, formed by columns of rapidly rotating air. What may come as a surprise is that similar swirling structures also exist far beyond our planet, including the Sun's atmosphere. On the…
The Fermi Paradox: Drake and Seager Equations and Their Modification
The Fermi Paradox: Drake and Seager Equations and Their Modification The Fermi Paradox highlights the contradiction between the high probability of extraterrestrial life and the lack of evidence for it. To quantify this, scientists use specific frameworks to estimate who might be out there. The Drake Equation, created by Frank…
Confessions of an Astronomer
Confessions of an Astronomer This hybrid meeting is a light-hearted and personal look at the life of a professional astronomer. In addition to the research and teaching, perhaps surprisingly, it can be packed with ‘interest’ in the widest sense of the word. The talk contains many amusing and exciting anecdotes;…
Small Steps to Giant Leaps
mall Steps to Giant Leaps: Deciphering the glacial history of Mars in preparation for human missions More than 50 years after humans first stepped on the Moon, planning is underway for humanity’s next ‘giant leap’ to Mars. It is a little-known fact that ice is abundant on Mars, and is…
The Goddess Of The Dawn – The Aurora
This Hybrid meeting will be available on the Zoom platform, codes will be sent out 24 hours before the event start. The Aurora is one of nature's most amazing phenomena, but what causes it? Who over time has tried to make sense of it? Who has observed it? What legends…
Black Hole Hunters
“Black Hole Hunters: Searching for hidden black holes”: Based on what we know about how black holes form, we know the Galaxy should contain millions of stellar-mass black holes. Yet we only know of about 70 of them. Where are all the missing ones and why haven’t we found them…
Chasing the Dust of a Distant World: Mars and its Exploration
This meeting is Hybrid and also available via the Zoom platform Mars stands as the next great horizon for human exploration, and today more than ever, the prospect of reaching it feels within our grasp. Space agencies and private companies are directing unprecedented attention toward our red neighbour, envisioning a…
Spring Skies
Mexborough & Swinton Astronomical Society presents; "Spring Skies" Kris Hudson-Lee March 19th 2026, 7:30pm GMT = ================================================================= Your sky watching opportunities of the Spring Sky Speaker: Kris Hudson-Lee Kris has been a member of the society on and off since he was just 10 years old, first joining in 1983.…
Where did the Moon come from?
Zoom hybrid meeting Our speaker Peter Lloyd will start by describing the formation of stars and why the Sun is believed to be a third generation star, what it means and why it matters. Then he will describe the origin of the Solar System and the various theories to account…
Gravitational Wave Astronomy: Listening to the Dark Side of the Universe
Gravitational waves are a novel way to study our universe and discover new exciting phenomena like colliding black holes and neutron stars. What are gravitational waves and how can we detect them on Earth? What new things can we learn about the history of our universe by using gravitational waves?…
Gravitational Wave Astronomy: Listening to the Dark Side of the Universe
Gravitational waves are a novel way to study our universe and discover new exciting phenomena like colliding black holes and neutron stars. What are gravitational waves and how can we detect them on Earth? What new things can we learn about the history of our universe by using gravitational waves?…
