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- OUR NEXT EVENTS -
If the speaker is joining remotely then the meeting can be attended both online or in person
What's coming up...
Wednesday 15th April 2026 from 18:00 in person only
Astronomy Down the Pub at The Old Down Inn, Emborough BA3 4SA
18:00 for 18:30 supper in the Function Room and then our talk from 19:30
'Phoebe and Lisa: Measuring an eclipsing binary star' by WMA member Fred Vanner
Fred will share the fascinating results from his recent Open University research project
This is our traditional April visit to the Old Down Inn, to eat and chat, to enjoy a talk, and if the weather permits
to observe afterwards from the pub garden. The talk can be atteneded without joining in the meal, just come along in time for 19:30
Visitors are very welcome.
Members - free. Visitors: Adult - £5; Family rate - £7.50; Students - £3
Saturday 21st March 2026 19:00 - late, in person only
Our traditional Messier Night, with an introductory talk and then observing Messier objects
in Ashwick & Oakhill Village Hall, Zion Hill, Oakhill BA3 5AN
Visitors are very welcome.
Members - free. Visitors: Adult - £5; Family rate - £7.50; Students - £3
Saturday 7th February 2026 19:30 - 21:30 in person only
Simon Holbeche
'The women who discovered what stars are made of'
at Wells & Mendip Museum, 8 Cathedral Green, Wells BA5 2UE (use side-arch entrance)
100 years ago this year, a 24 year old English woman had her astrophysics PhD published based on her work at Harvard College Observatory. It brought together 50 years of effort by the women who were Harvard's 'computers' and shattered the contemporary view of stellar astronomy. In this talk we step forward from 1875 on how those women achieved it.
Simon is Chairman of Bath Astronomers and a member of Wells & Mendip Astronomers.Visitors are very welcome.
Members - free. Visitors: Adult - £5; Family rate - £7.50; Students - £3
Saturday 10th January 2026 19:00 - 21:30
AGM from 19:00 - 19:40 followed by tea n coffee
then from about 20:00, a talk by Dr Wendy Williams, Operations Scientist at Jodrell Bank
'Stepping into the future of radio astronomy with the Square Kilometre Array Observatory''
at Wells & Mendip Museum, 8 Cathedral Green, Wells BA5 2UE (use side-arch entrance)
The AGM is a chance for members and visitors to hear about the Group's activities and to share ideas for our future direction.
Then after tea and coffee, we can look forward to Dr Wendy Williams' talk which will describe the Square Kilometre Array SKA radio telescopes and present some of the transformational science they will enable: mapping the formation of the first stars and galaxies, tracing galaxy evolution, testing the laws of gravity with pulsars and black holes, and probing cosmic magnetism.
Wendy is Operations Scientist in the SKA Head Quarters at Jodrell Bank in Cheshire.
Visitors are very welcome.
Members - free. Visitors: Adult - £5; Family rate - £7.50; Students - £3
Saturday 13th December 2025 18:30 - late in person only
our Christmas Party
in Ashwick & Oakhill Village Hall, Zion Hill, Oakhill BA3 5AN
There's no formal speaker, just bring some food to share and we'll lay on a glass of bubbly. After last year's storm cancellation, local musician and amateur astronomer Bud Budzynski has kindly agreed to try again and provide us with his fabulous musical entertainment. And there's one more treat because this year our Christmas Party coincides with the peak of the Geminids meteor shower. So wrap-up warm and enjoy the show!
Visitors are very welcome.
Members - free. Visitors: Adult - £5; Family rate - £7.50; Students - £3
Saturday 8th November 2025 19:30 - 21:30 in person only
Our annual 'Members Night'
at Wells & Mendip Museum, 8 Cathedral Green, Wells BA5 2UE (use side-arch entrance)
Our annual opportunity for members to make short presentations or table-top displays about their latest passion in astronomy and space exploration. This is always a fascinating evening filled with a wide variety of topics.
Visitors are very welcome
Visitors: Adult - £5; Family rate - £7.50; Students - £3
Saturday 11th October 2025 19:30 - 21:30 in person only
Simon Toogood 'Studying Jupiter's Atmosphere with the James Webb Space Telescope'
in Ashwick & Oakhill Village Hall, Zion Hill, Oakhill BA3 5AN
Simon is a former junior WMA member now undertaking a PhD in astrophysics at Leicester University. He will explain some of his latest research using data from the James Webb Space Telescope. Simon has presented to us before, and an event like this is a unique opportunity to hear about the latest professional research from an excellent science communicator.
Visitors are very welcome
Visitors: Adult - £5; Family rate - £7.50; Students - £3
Saturday 6th September 2025 19:30 - 21:30 in person only
Andy Hook, WMA member 'I found this scope on Amazon...'
at Wells & Mendip Museum, 8 Cathedral Green, Wells BA5 2UE (use side-arch entrance)
Andy will give an insight into his journey into astrophotography: the kit; the potholes in the road; the expectations and the reality.
Visitors are very welcome.
Members - free. Visitors: Adult - £5; Family rate - £7.50; Students - £3
Sunday 3rd August 2025 11:00 - 17:00 (weather-dependent, back-up day Saturday 2nd August)
Pop-up solar observing
on Wells Cathedral Green, Wells BA5 2UE
Members will be on the Cathedral Green in front of Wells Cathedral, with safely filtered telescopes to observe our nearest star. On display will be sunspots, solar prominences, filaments and flares; the Sun is near the peak of its 11-year cycle of activity.
This event is of weather-dependent. Keep an eye for the latest updates at https://www.facebook.com/wellsmendipastro
Saturday 21st June 2025 18:00 - 22:00 in person only
Midsummer BBQ
in Ashwick & Oakhill Village Hall, Zion Hill, Oakhill BA3 5AN
A chance to relax and enjoy the summer solstice together - the Sun won't set until nearly 9:30pm, way in the northwest. Bring some food to cook on the BBQ and we'll add cake and a glass of bubbly. Chill to a Christmas-themed quiz (held over from our storm-disrupted Christmas party!). Enjoy some games out on the rec ground. Whatever the weather it'll be a fun evening together.
Visitors are very welcome.
Members - free. Visitors: Adult - £5; Family rate - £7.50; Students - £3
Saturday 17th May 2025 19:30 - 21:30 in person and online
Dr Brad Gibson 'Bad astronomy at the movies'
at Wells & Mendip Museum, 8 Cathedral Green, Wells BA5 2UE (use side-arch entrance)
Retired astrophysicist Dr Brad Gibson is one of the UK's most prolific science communicators. We chose something a little different from Brad's extensive list of talks to provide a lighter perspective.
To attend online, tickets can be obtained through our Billetto site (link below). Members can obtain free tickets by emailing us for a discount code
https://billetto.co.uk/e/bad-astronomy-at-the-movies-by-dr-brad-gibson-tickets-1145619?utm_source=organiser&utm_medium=share&utm_campaign=copy_link&utm_content=2
Visitors are very welcome.
Members - free. Visitors: Adult - £5; Family rate - £7.50; Students - £3
Wednesday 16th April 2025 from 18:00 in person only
Astronomy Down the Pub at The Old Down Inn, Emborough BA3 4SA
18:00 for 18:30 supper in the Function Room and then our talk from 19:30
'The life of a professional astrophotographer' by WMA member Josh Dury
Our traditional April visit to the Old Down Inn, to eat and chat, to enjoy a talk, and if the weather permits
to observe afterwards from the pub garden
Visitors are very welcome.
Members - free. Visitors: Adult - £5; Family rate - £7.50; Students - £3
Saturday 22nd March 2025 19:00 - late in person only
our traditional Messier Night with an introductory talk by Richard Hook
in Ashwick & Oakhill Village Hall, Zion Hill, Oakhill BA3 5AN
Visitors are very welcome.
Members - free. Visitors: Adult - £5; Family rate - £7.50; Students - £3
Saturday 8th February 2025 2024 19:30 - 21:30 in person only
Dr Richard Miles 'Ancient Astronomy:
How the Celts in Dorset tracked the seasons, and what this means for the Cerne Abbas Giant hill figure'
at Wells & Mendip Museum, 8 Cathedral Green, Wells BA5 2UE (use side-arch entrance)
Richard is a former President of the British Astronomical Association. Using some of his own original research, Richard will demonstrate the richness of ancient astronomical knowledge and its significance for the alignment of ancient local monuments such as the Cerne Abas Giant.
Visitors are very welcome.
Members - free. Visitors: Adult - £5; Family rate - £7.50; Students - £3
Friday 10th January 2025 19:00 - 21:30, in person only
AGM from 19:00 - 19:40 followed by tea n coffee
then from about 20:00, at talk by Neil Phillipson 'Mankind's Next Giant Leap'
at Wells & Mendip Museum, 8 Cathedral Green, Wells BA5 2UE (use side-arch entrance)
The AGM is a chance for members and visitors to hear about the Group's activities and to share ideas for our future direction.
After tea n coffee together, we can look forward to Neil's fascinating talk about the path humanity may follow to becoming a space-faring civilisation, ready to explore and colonise the Solar System and beyond.
Visitors are very welcome.
Members - free. Visitors: Adult - £5; Family rate - £7.50; Students - £3
Would you like to become a member?
If you are interested in becoming a member of Wells & Mendip Astronomers or wish to renew your membership,
please follow this link to our shop where you can pay online and we will then contact you for further details if needed.
Or contact us at [email protected]
The membership year runs from 1st April - 31st March
please follow this link to our shop where you can pay online and we will then contact you for further details if needed.
Or contact us at [email protected]
The membership year runs from 1st April - 31st March