AstrotalkUK – Amateur astronomy in the UK

Sir Patrick Moore is primarily known for his work on the long running TV series, The Sky at Night but he is an author, musician and an observational astronomer, too. He is also a former director of the Armagh Planetarium, a co-founder of the Society for Popular Astronomy and a former president of the British Astronomical Association.

His autobiography was published when he was Eighty in 2003. It is upfront, strongly opinionated, potentially uncomfortable in places for some and remarkably honest. He writes unapologetically with the political correctness of an earlier generation. He recounts his meetings with many of the key contributors in science and astronomy of the late twentieth century. It is a unique personal account of the development of astronomy and science during a fascinating period humanity’s exploration of space. An absolute “must read” for those of us who grew up with Sky at Night.

I met  Sir Patrick Moore at his home in Selsey, called Farthings, on 20^th of August 2009. He was an extremely hospitable host. We discussed several themes of his autobiography Eighty Not Out, and we started with cricket.

=====================

Today’s quote, reflecting his tongue-in-cheek and humorous approach to to life, is from Patrick Moore himself.

At my age I do what Mark Twain did. I get my daily paper, look at the obituary and if I am not in there I carry on as usual.

 

 Sir Patrick Moore [25:23m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Here’s something that only happens once in a blue moon. A blue moon! Well its not actually going to turn blue. It will be the same familiar colour as the full moon on 2nd of December and it will be  the same again tomorrow. Two full moons in the same month.

The lunar month (29.5 days) is fixed and a calendar month (28,29,30 or 31 days) is not. Once about every three years the difference catches up and offer the unusual prospect of two full moons in the same calendar month.

This is of no astronomical significance but its a great way to end a decade. If you have clear skies tomorrow why not put on a few layers go out  and have a look, take a picture or even go for a blue moon walk.

All the best for 2010.

On this day 40 years ago the crew of Apollo 11 fulfilled one of mankind’s longest held dreams and walked on the surface of the Moon. One of them Buzz Aldrin in episode 12 of ATUK, recalled a little of that experience.

Today’s episode is a short recording with Fred Haise when he visited Pontefract as arranged by Ken Willoughby. Incidentally, Jim Lovell is also visiting Pontefract in Yorkshire on October the 2^nd 2009. If you are close to northern England on that date consider stopping by. Of the twelve men who walked on the Moon only nine remain.

Apollo 13 astronauts Fred Haise along with Jim Lovell and Jack Swigert were arguably the subject of the 20^th century’s most dramatic events and the subject of the film Apollo 13.

Fred Haise never made it to the surface of the Moon.

He served on the back-up crew for the Apollo 8, Apollo 11, Apollo 16 moon missions and was also scheduled as commander for the cancelled Apollo 19 mission. As a backup he could have been on the first mission to the moon (Apollo 8), first moon landing (Apollo 11) and of course commanded his own mission on Apollo 19 but the Apollo program was cancelled after Apollo 17.

Remember the first Shuttle – Enterprise, on the back of a modified 747? Between February and October of 1977 it flew 16 times to perform the approach and landing test of what would become the Shuttle Transport System which is due to conclude next year 2010. Fred Haise was involved in 5 of those. Three of which involved the Enterprise in free flight.

When I spoke to Fred during the dinner on the day before this recording, he came across as an ordinary guy who did not consider himself to be “special” but just around in the right place at the right time. During the course of the evening he spoke to many who were present but most of the evening had gone by and I had not had a chance to say hello. Then suddenly he approached from a corner of the room and said “Hello, I’m Fred Haise, I don’t think we’ve met”. In the short conversation that followed he indicated that fishing was his primary hobby and although his trip aboard Apollo 13 was dramatic he had an eventful life before and after it too.

Sure, it is impossible to have a deep insight from a couple of short meetings. Perhaps, it was the ease with which he used my first name (which some people find heavy going) and conversed as if I had always known him. There was something special about the ordinary way he conducted himself. He had accepted the extreme high and low experiences in his life as nothing more than an occupational hazard. Apollo 13 as the only space flight he ever made.

====================================

This week’s quote is from Carl Sagan

There are many worlds we have never seen before. Only one generation in the history of the human species is privileged to live during the time those great discoveries are first made; that generation is ours.

 

 episode28 [9:24m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

You can’t think of Darwin without Wallace, Laurel without Hardy. In UK astronomy there is no more an enduring and familiar partnership than Henbest and Couper. Nigel and Heather have been writing, broadcasting, supporting and publicising astronomy for decades.

Their most recent project is a series of daily radio programs for BBC Radio4 called Cosmic Quest and an associated book History of Astronomy which together chart the story of how human societies through history and around the globe have attempted to understand the universe and their place within it.

 

 episode16 [31:00m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Next year marks the 40th anniversary of Apollo 11 landing in the Sea of Tranquillity on the moon. In today’s episode – assistant director & co-producer Chris Riley talks about the recent film “In the Shadow of the Moon” which recounts that period and someone who was a part of it – astronaut Buzz Aldrin on his interest in Astronomy.

A short written account of his visit including a lunch with him and his wife is here.

 

 Episode12 [28:40m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

 

 Astronaut Buzz Aldrin: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

The veteran BBC aerospace correspondent Reg Turnill recalls some of the key moments that he personally covered during the height of the space race. Reg has recorded his eye witness account in his book The Moonlandings.

Chris Lintott one of the authors of Bang! and a co-presenters on Sky at Night far too young to have experienced the Apollo program personally, looks forward to the next manned mission to the moon. You have probably heard of Galaxy Zoo but did you know Galaxy Zoo 2 is in the pipeline too.

 

 Episode10:Astronomy and Space Broadcasters [25:46m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Profile #1: First of occasional episodes profiling individuals who have made a unique contribution in amateur astronomy. In this episode three diverse individuals. Ken Willoughby from West Yorkshire Astronomical Society bringing Apollo astronauts to Pontefract. Astronomy Now’s Mark Armstrong supernova discoverer and Chris Marriott of Skymap.

 

 Episode 7 : Profile #1 [27:20m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download