350 years (and counting) of the Royal Observatory Greenwich
(Our brief AGM will be held before the talk)
350 years (and counting) of the Royal Observatory Greenwich…
and my small part of its history – Les Brand
This talk takes a whistlestop tour through the founding of the Royal Observatory Greenwich, its original purpose, some notable people and how it has developed over the last 350 years to become part of a World Heritage Site delivers the ever-popular Evening with the Stars events, showing people the wonders of the night sky from the heart of London.
Les has his own back garden observatory and owns several telescopes and cameras with which he battles London’s light pollution and clouds! He was an advisor on the recent BBC series Universe where he showed it was possible to capture an image of a distant galaxy from Canary Wharf. Les is acting chair and outreach officer of Havering Astronomical Society and as a STEM ambassador regularly gives talks to schools and leads the Young Astronomers club.
A Fellow of the Royal Astronomical Society and lifelong learner, his knowledge of astronomy and astrophotography is largely self-taught although he completed a masters degree in astrophysics in 2024 proving you’re never too old to get the grey matter working.
Les’ own website: https://astrobrandx.com
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Anyone is welcome – beginner or expert – and there is no need to pre-book. A small charge applies to help us cover costs (typically £3 for non-members; £2 for NEAS members; U16s free). Doors open at 7.15pm with the AGM starting at 7.30pm and the talk starting at 8.00pm.
Note that if you are using satnav system, the postcode may not take you directly to the hall – please check this Google Maps link if you aren’t sure: https://goo.gl/maps/fNxmg9qnAYm