Monthly Meeting 15 July 2026

Seeking The Sun’s Sisters

Speaker : Paul Fellows

Most stars in the night sky are found in pairs or multiple systems, yet our Sun is only accompanied by its system of planets. Has this always been the case or was the Sun once part of a group of sister stars all born together?

This is the story of our search for the Sun’s sister stars and the reasons why this could be important

About the Speaker

Paul built his first telescope aged 14, experiencing the “wow” of seeing the rings of Saturn for the first time with it. He has been stargazing for some 50 years and is chairman of the Cambridge Astronomical Association. He presents the public live observing evenings at the University of Cambridge to audiences of 200+ each week. A frequent speaker at astronomy clubs and other interested groups all around the UK, he is also a regular speaker on board cruise ships.

He holds a master’s degree in Natural Sciences from the University of Cambridge and a post-graduate degree in Computer Science, also from Cambridge. A Fellow of both the Royal Astronomical Society and the Institute of Engineering and Technology he is a twice winner of the Queen’s award for Technology and presented a lifetime innovation award by Emmanuel College Cambridge.

In the 2005 New Years Honours he was awarded the British Empire Medal for services to the public understanding of science and astronomy.

Paul’s YouTube channel 

https://www.youtube.com/@paulfellows5411/featured

Facebook page

https://www.facebook.com/paul.fellows.1088/

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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 7.30pm with 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

Covid Precautions

• You are encouraged to wear a mask and you are asked to be respectful and sensitive to the medical circumstances of others
• What to do if you have coronavirus (COVID-19) or symptoms of COVID-19
  The NHS says:
  While you’re no longer legally required to self-isolate if you have COVID-19, you should try to stay at home and away from others to avoid passing on the virus.
  Try to stay at home and avoid contact with other people if you:
  • have any symptoms of COVID-19, and have a high temperature or you do not feel well enough to go to work or do your normal activities
  • have tested positive for COVID-19 – this means it’s very likely you have the virusFor full details please see https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19/self-isolation-and-treatment/when-to-self-isolate-and-what-to-do/
• If you have Covid symptoms and have not taken a test, please do not attend.
• There will be a section of the Hall for exclusively mask wearers. If you are wearing a mask you may of course sit where you want but if you are not wearing a mask do not sit in the masks only area. We have vulnerable people in our club and we want to make our meeting accessible for them.
• We will ventilate the Hall to the best of our ability.