NSAS Seminar Series - Peter Nosworthy using occultations to measure solar systems objects and discov

On the 3rd Tuesday of the month (February to November) at 7:30pm, we meet on zoom or at Regis Hall in the grounds of St Ignatius’ College, Riverview Street, Riverview (Lane Cove) which features a presentation from a Guest Lecturer. These presentations generally focus on the theoretical aspects of Cosmology, Astrophysics and Astrophotography and can include some of the most up-to-date research and scientific findings. We are fortunate to be able to obtain speakers from Australia’s top universities and scientific community – our past Guest Lecturers have included the likes of Dr Fred Watson and Nobel Prize winner Prof. Brian Schmidt.

Our speaker this month is Peter Nosworthy, NSAS member, who will be presenting on occultations and amateur observing. His synopsis:  Observing occultations of stars by solar system objects such as asteroids, dwarf planets and planetary moons, is a powerful method for measuring the sizes and shapes of these objects, refining our knowledge of their orbits, and detecting previously unknown objects in their vicinity such as rings and satellites. Using this technique, coordinated teams of amateur observers can achieve results surpassing professional observatories and even space based telescopes. Amateur observers can make important contributions to science using only basic equipment, both independently and in collaboration with professionals. I will also describe how a colleague and I discovered the moon of an asteroid using the occultation method, and how new observers can get started.

The format of the evening consists of a welcome to Members, Guests and Visitors, a quick discussion on general business of NSAS, the presentation from our Guest Speaker and then members usually stay for pizza and have a chat with a cup of tea or coffee.

These meetings are an excellent opportunity to get to know fellow members.

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