Mike Frost is Meetings Secretary.
If you wish to contact Mike please use meetings@shastro.org.uk
SHA MEETINGS IN 2026
SPRING CONFERENCE
This was on Fri 24 Apr 2026 at 10 am–4.30 pm at the Birmingham & Midland Institute, 9 Margaret St, Birmingham, B3 3BS.
Appreciation of Dr Allan Chapman by Roger Hutchins
SUMMER PICNIC
The SHA Summer Picnic 2026 was from Fri 12 – Mon 15 Jun 2026 and centred on Dublin with day trips to: Birr Castle, the home of Lord Rosse’s great reflecting telescope—the ‘Leviathan of Parsonstown ’; Newgrange World Heritage Site; and possibly, Dunsink Observatory.
RESEARCH WORKSHOP
A full-day research techniques workshop will be held on Sat 26 Sep 2026 (10.30-16.30) at the Birmingham & Midland Institute, 9 Margaret St, Birmingham, B3 3BS. There will be room for 3-4 mentors and 6-8 mentees. Please let Mike Frost know as soon as possible, if you are interested in attending. Mike’s email is at the top of the page
AGM & AUTUMN CONFERENCE
This will be on Sat 7 Nov 2026 at 10 am–4.30 pm in the Lyttleton Theatre of the Birmingham & Midland Institute, 9 Margaret St, Birmingham, B3 3BS. The Conference will be themed around
“Subjects dear to Allan Chapman”.
Conference fee : £20 members; £25 non-members.
Conference Presentations and Speakers
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The next online webinar is on Wed 14 Oct 2026 : 8pm
Title: Reaching Across the Gulf of Space: The life and work of William and Margaret Huggins
Sir William Huggins was the Victorian pioneer of astronomical spectroscopy, allowing us to understand the true nature of stars. The talk is a celebration of William’s life and the contribution of his wife and scientific collaborator Margaret Huggins. Using extracts from William and Margaret’s scientific papers and correspondence.Iillustrated with some of the speaker’s own astronomical spectra, the talk will bring to life the birth of astrophysics.
Speaker: Hugh Allen
Hugh is an industrial chemist with a lifelong interest in amateur astronomy. He is Chairman of the Wells & Mendip Astronomers and amember of the Herschel Society and the BAA. He is a regular speaker keen to share a passion for astronomical spectroscopy.
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A link to the SHA Youtube Channel can be found here
All the webinars are listed and can be viewed.