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| TODAY | FAMILY SPACE NIGHT **ALL WEATHER EVENT** Bredhurst Village Hall, Hurstwood Road, Bredhurst, Gillingham, Kent ME7 3JZ  DETAILS AND GET YOUR TICKET If you want some more fun for yourself or your children or grandchildren during the Half Term holiday, then look no further than our Family Space Night! We are offering a brilliant evening which will include a beginner's guide to the night sky and displays about astronomy and space, We will have some hands on activities for the younger children from age 7 upwards. There will be plenty to occupy adults too! Come along and learn about Space and Astronomy and, weather permitting, go outside and look at some interesting astronomical sights through a selection of telescopes. We will have the latest electronically assisted observing telescopes allowing several people to log on and view the objects at the same time, as well as more conventional designs. Steps will be provided to help shorter adults and children reach the eyepieces. Some highlights to look forward to: - Hands-on displays about Space and our Solar System - An exciting talk to give an introduction to the wonders of the night sky - Moon rock and Meteorites: Look at different meteorites and hold a piece of the Moon!! - some Meteorites available for purchase - spectroscopy demonstration - Craft activites for youngsters (7+) - Stargazing outside (weather permitting) PLUS - PLUS - PLUS - FREE REFRESHMENTS - tea, coffee,squash and biscuits - other refreshments on sale - RAFFLE with impressive prizes. In the past two Family Space Night events, we have had over 150 people visiting, so this is very popular and not one to be missed. Doors open at 19:30pm. ENTRY ONLY BY ADVANCE PURCHASE OF TICKETS. £5 for non-member adults £2 for members Under 18s are FREE but they MUST be accompanied by an adult. REMEMBER! It may well be quite cold outside at this time of year so wrap up warm if you are venturing outside to do some stargazing and to look through the telescopes. POLITE REQUEST Whilst it will obviously be dark outside we ask you not to use normal white light torches near the telescopes as they will spoil your night vision and that of others. We will have red lights to guide you to and from the telescopes. PLEASE NOTE - we are all volunteers and the programme of events may change due to circumstances beyond our control. | |
| 14-Nov | Observing / Discussion Evening Bredhurst Village Hall This evening will be devoted to observing. Members are encouraged to bring their telescopes to set up in the field behind the Village Hall, and those who do not have their own telescope will be able to look at the night sky (weather permitting!) using the Society's equipment. Experienced members of the Society will be available to assist with any set-up problems you may have. In the event that the sky is not clear the meeting will go ahead and a recorded lecture will be shown followed by an open discussion session. PLEASE NOTE: Members bringing their own telescopes do so at their own risk. MKAS accepts no liability for loss or damage to such equipment. | |
| 28-Nov | Ian Ridpath - Pictures in the sky: the origin and history of the constellations Bredhurst Village Hall In the days before writing, storytellers used the sky as a picture book to illustrate their tales of gods, mythical heroes and fabulous beasts. Those pictures among the stars were the origin of our system of constellations. Today, the entire sky is divided into 88 constellations of varying shapes and sizes. This talk, which includes illustrations from some of the world's greatest star atlases, will trace the origin of the constellation system back to Greek times and explain who filled in the gaps between the ancient Greek figures, who decided on the official boundaries between constellations, and how the names of certain stars came about. SPEAKER DETAILSDr Ian Ridpath  Ian Ridpath has been a full-time writer, editor, broadcaster, and lecturer on astronomy and space since 1972. Previously he worked for two years at the University of London Observatory and then in publishing. He is a Fellow of the Royal Astronomical Society (Council member 2004-07) and a member of the International Astronomical Union (IAU), as well as a member of the Society of Authors and a Life Member of the Association of British Science Writers. Ian has written or edited over 40 books. He is editor of the Oxford Dictionary of Astronomy and the last three editions of Norton's Star Atlas, and a member of the International Astronomical Union's Working Group on Star Names. His website on constellation history, Star Tales, can be found HERE His hobbies include collecting postage stamps with an astronomical theme and is also interested in the way in which astronomical phenomena can give rise to UFO reports. He has investigated a number of UFO cases, most notably the celebrated Rendlesham Forest UFO case of 1980. | |
| 12-Dec | MKAS Christmas Social - MEMBERS and their guests ONLY Bredhurst Village Hall  A chance for Members and their guests to relax, chat and enjoy each other's company at our annual Christmas Social. Free entry plus a free raffle ticket for each Member on arrival with an array of prizes to be won. We will provide free refreshments but you may want to bring along your own wine or beer (or perhaps something stronger) if you wish and aren't driving. Please also bring your own festive food to share. Sausage rolls and any other savoury items and mince pies can be warmed up in the kitchen. Naz will host a SciFi quiz and Dingbats to go alongside the usual eating, drinking and chat. James will bring some Christmas music. We look forward to seeing you in your party hats to get the festive season underway. | |
| 08-Jan-2026 | Jordan Iga - An Introduction to Galactic Dynamics Bredhurst Village Hall  Galaxies are the fundamental building blocks of the universe. When imaged with telescopes, we’re provided with numerous breathtaking images often featuring features such as spiral arms and galactic bars. In the 1960s, mathematicians became interested in studying how such structures formed within galaxies, and this gave birth to the field of galactic dynamics. I will introduce the field as a whole, as well as discussing my own work on the response of stellar discs. SPEAKER DETAILSJordan Iga  Jordan Iga is currently a third year DPhil student in astrophysics at the University of Oxford, studying galactic dynamics with Professor John Magorrian. The title of my project is “The Response of Stellar Discs to External Perturbations.” Before coming to Oxford, I completed an MPhys in Theoretical Physics at the University of Edinburgh, with a final year thesis supervised by Dr Michael Petersen. I grew up in Medway and became interested in astronomy when I was around 14 years old and attended several MKAS events. | |
| 30-Jan-2026 | Greg Smye-Rumsby - Mapping Worlds Bredhurst Village Hall  The first telescopes were relatively simple providing astronomers with views of the Moon and planets that were in effect upside down. This lead to maps with an orientation different to that of Earth. This changed in the early 1960s when space agencies around the world were looking to standardise mapping systems allowing future space missions and their observations to be placed into context. But how were mapping programs carried out on other worlds such as Venus, Mars or the many moons of more distant worlds? SPEAKER DETAILSGreg Smye-Rumsby  Greg Smye-Rumsby has essentially two astronomical careers. Firstly, as a specialist planetarium presenter for the Royal Observatory Greenwich. This consists of presenting planetarium shows to schools and public alike but also providing teaching artworks and slides for the many school and public courses. He has also been asked to cover corporate evenings, TV presentations and provide engaging discourses for the ROG winter programme ‘An Evening with the Stars’. Secondly, Greg is a supplier of diagrams and celestial maps for Astronomy Now magazine and has also written a few articles occasionally. | |
| 13-Feb-2026 | Robert Massey - The Moon: art, science and culture Bredhurst Village Hall  A source of light in the dark of night and our ever-changing cosmic companion, the Moon has fascinated humankind since we first gazed into the sky. Our neighbouring world inspires artists and scientists alike, and plays a key role in shaping our culture. More than five decades after the first astronauts walked on its surface and with the prospect of crewed missions as soon as next spring, Robert will describe the many faces of the Moon and how they have shaped humanity's existence. He will take the audience from prehistoric artefacts to Cold War rivalry, and how our scientific understanding of the Moon developed in the modern world. SPEAKER DETAILSDr Robert Massey  Dr Robert Massey is Deputy Executive Director of the Royal Astronomical Society. Before joining the RAS, his career took him from PhD research in Manchester to teaching in Brighton, and local politics in London alongside a stint as Public Astronomer at the Royal Observatory Greenwich. In his spare time he enjoys running, cycling, hiking and cooking, and generally making the most of life in his new family home in Sussex. With a lifelong private and public passion for astronomy, he very much wants to avoid a world where satellites ruin our shared heritage of an unsullied night sky. | |
| 27-Feb-2026 | Doug Edworthy - So you wanna buy a telescope? Bredhurst Village Hall  Doug Edworthy and other members of MKAS will talk about several different telescopes and discuss their pros and cons. Plenty of opportunity to ask questions before making a decision to purchase. If the sky is clear after the talk it may be possible to show the telescopes in action in the field behind the Village Hall. SPEAKER DETAILSDoug Edworthy  Doug's passion for all things to do with space was triggered as a small child as he listened to the beep-beep sounds of Sputnik 1 on the radio as the 'first man-made moon' circled the globe. By the time he was ten he was into amateur radio short-wave listening, building crystal sets, thermionic valve TRF receivers and, as the technology became available, transistorised superheterodyne receivers. After college, he worked for ITT Consumer Products and then moved to Millbank Electronics in Uckfield. During his time there Doug became involved in induction loop technology for hearing-aid users and in the writing of British Standard 7594. He later became the 'UK expert' for several related International Electrotechnical Committee standards. Doug eventually found himself as both a Technical Director and a Shareholder of Millbank and discovered a talent for quality management systems, taking the company through BS 5750:part 1 certification. He also spent time as President of the Institute of Sound & Communications Engineers and was awarded Honorary Fellowship in 2005. In 1994 Doug set up his own consultancy business in audio electronics and in business management systems and undertook a 5-year OU course which resulted in a Post-Graduate Diploma in Computing. | |
| 13-Mar-2026 | Mary McIntyre - Topic TBC Bredhurst Village Hall Abstract to follow. SPEAKER DETAILSMary McIntyre  Born in Lancashire, Mary caught her passion for astronomy from her mother and was captivated by the Ladybird book about the constellations and their myths. She acquired her first telescope aged 11. She later studied for her Certificate in Astronomy and Planetary Science via the Open University. She now lives in rural Oxfordshire and is a keen astrophotographer together with her husband Mark. Mary is passionate about outreach and is a popular speaker with astronomical societies. In addition, she is a regular contributor to the Sky at night magazine and has appeared on TV and broadcast on the radio. She is one of the co-hosts of the Sky at Night magazine's Star Diary podcast. Elected as a Fellow of the Royal Astronomical Society in 2018 Mary is also a member of the British Astronomical Association and in 2021 was awarded the Sir Patrick Moore prize for her contributions to astronomy outreach. Mary also serves on the Council of the Society for Popular Astronomy. Mary is co-author of the Collins Stargazing Bible, which is due for publication on 8th October 2024. You can find out more on Mary's website https://marymcintyreastronomy.co.uk/ | |
| 27-Mar-2026 | William Joyce - The Inner Planets Bredhurst Village Hall  Abstract to follow SPEAKER DETAILSWilliam Joyce  Bringing astronomy and space to the public is William Joyce's passion. He has been fascinated by astronomy since the age of six, and enjoys sharing the wonders of the cosmos with the public, amateur and expert astronomers, and schools. William has spent time as an astrophysicist, a spacecraft engineer, and until recently a planetary scientist. He provides outreach talks and short courses for astronomy societies, the public, schools and special events in the UK, overseas, and on-board cruise ships. He is a Chartered Physicist and a STEM Ambassador. William is always delighted to share his enthusiasm for astronomy and diverse knowledge and experience with people of all ages and backgrounds who wish to learn more about fascinating areas of modern science, so please do ask him any burning questions you have on anything to do with space. | |
| 10-Apr-2026 | Arthur Fentaman - Astrophotography using Smartphones Bredhurst Village Hall  Arthur Fentaman will give an overview of how to take images of the night sky using mobile phones, followed by an extended Q&A session. SPEAKER DETAILSArthur Fentaman  Arthur is a published astrophotographer and active MKAS member. He was elected as a Fellow of the Royal Astronomical Society in 2020. | |
| 24-Apr-2026 | ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING Bredhurst Village Hall  This is your chance to discuss how the Society operates and to make suggestions about future activities, to appprove the annual accounts and to elect the Committee for the forthcoming year. Any Member can put themselves forward for election to the Committee. Indeed we would welcome some new blood so please do not be shy in volunteering. Please send any proposals for changes to society business to secretary@midkentastro.org.uk by no later than 10 April 2026. The AGM is open to all MKAS Members and Visitors, however only Members are entitled to vote. Please download and review the following documents: - Agenda for the 2026 AGM - Minutes of the 2025 AGM (Draft) - Committee Roles and Responsibilities The following report will been sent to members in advance of the AGM: - MKAS Accounts 2025-2026 The following reports will be presented at the AGM: - Treasurer's Report - Chairman's Report - Programme Secretary's Report - Membership Secretary's Report - GP20 update | |
| 08-May-2026 | Laura Mullin - Opportunities for Radio Astronomy from Home Bredhurst Village Hall Budding amateur astronomers have many resources for starting out with optical telescopes, but giving radio astronomy a try can seem a bit more daunting. This talk will introduce the sorts of observations you might carry out and the sort of equipment needed. SPEAKER DETAILSDr Laura Mullin  Dr Laura Mullin is currently an Associate Lecturer with the OU School of Physical Sciences, supporting undergraduate and post graduate students on astronomy, astrophysics and space science courses. She started her career by undertaking a Ph.D in radio astronomy but has worked more broadly in space related roles since then. This includes a year with CNES at the Guiana Space Centre, a postdoc at the University of Bremen and a few years working for Airbus Defence and Space in the Industrial Operations Team, which was involved with preparing increment operations on ESA's Columbus module. Prior to the OU, she worked at UCL's Mullard Space Science laboratory as a tutor on the MSc Systems Engineering Management and as project manager for the MSSL contributions to the JUICE and the Daniel K. Inouye solar telescope cameras. | |
| 29-May-2026 | Jeni Millard - Tooic TBC Bredhurst Village Hall SPEAKER DETAILSDr Jeni Millard  Jeni Millard is an astrophysicist and science communicator and Hon. President of the Barry Astronomical Society. She was awarded her Ph.D. by Cardiff University in 2021. Her thesis was entitled 'The stuff between the stars: on the evolution of the interstellar medium in the real and simulated universe'. While continuing her research during the pandemic/lockdown she became increasing interested in sharing her passion for astronomy with a wider audience and became writer and host of the popular 'Awesome Astronomy' podcast. She is also Managing Editor of Fifth Star Labs 'Sky Guide' App and is a science presenter for BBC1 Wales 'Weatherman Walking' series. Other than astronomy, Jeni's interests include films and exploring places in the U.K. | |
| 12-Jun-2026 | Speaker & Topic TBC Bredhurst Village Hall | |
| 26-Jun-2026 | David Southwood - A Decade as an ESA Director Bredhurst Village Hall Prof Southwood was Director of Science and Robotic Engineering of the European Space Agency from 2001-2011 and in his talk will share his memories of the projects that he supported (and cancelled!) during that time. SPEAKER DETAILSProf David Southwood CBE  David was formerly the Director of Science and Robotic Exploration at the European Space Agency (2001-2011) and President of the Royal Astronomical Society (RAS) 2012-2014. He received a CBE in the 2019 Queen's Birthday Honours. Before going to ESA, he was a space scientist at Imperial College, London. At ESA, he oversaw building and launching spacecraft to Venus, Mars and the Moon as well as the Rosetta probe with lander Philae to comet Churymuov-Gerasimenko, in addition to several major space telescopes. He led the team that landed a European probe on Saturn's largest moon Titan in 2005. An instrument he built at Imperial operated in orbit around the planet Saturn aboard the NASA Cassini spacecraft from 2004-2017. He is a Fellow of the Royal Aeronautical Society, was awarded the NASA Distinguished Public Service Medal and won the 2011 Sir Arthur C. Clarke award for space achievement. He was chairman of the Steering Board of the UK Space Agency 2016-2019. He is currently a senior research investigator at Imperial College. | |
| 10-Jul-2026 | Speaker & Topic TBC Bredhurst Village Hall | |
| 31-Jul-2026 | MKAS Summer Social Bredhurst Village Hall  We will have a barbeque lit ready for you to cook the food you bring along. We will provide some salads, burger rolls and ketchup, but feel free to bring along some accompaniments and desserts to share. Tea, coffee and some cordials will be available in the kitchen, but please bring along any other drinks / alcohol you wish to have. There will be a quiz and music to add to the occasion. Family and friends are welcome to attend. There will be no admission charge for Members, but visitors will be asked to pay the standard meeting fee. |
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